Why is the Hated Loved? - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

Boromir88 · 10-08-2004, 05:32 PM

Imladris, good topic, I don't really have a definate answer. I will say that I think Morgoth kept the Silmarils, because of greed. But, I wonder if this is Tolkien trying to show the "evil/hated" used to be good.

When you think of light, you think of "good." If you think about it, nobody is "born" evil. Nobody is born/created with the intent of killing, or murdering, or raping, they at one point of their life were "good." Melkor was at first good, Gollum was, unfortunately I don't know a lot about Ungoliant so I wouldn't be able to say. When you think of Sauron, he too was at first good, then turned evil. Is this Tolkien trying to show evil comes out of good? I happen to believe one year old babies don't have any thought of killing people. I'm pretty sure Stalin at one year old didn't ever say, jeez I want to murder 20 million people. It's what that person experiences/learns to become the way he becomes, a good example Sauron. Then how does evil begin? if nobody is "born" evil? Greed. Greed for money, greed for power, maybe curiosity, who knows. I don't even know if Tolkien meant any of this, just splurting out a possibility.

10-08-2004, 05:32 PM	#2
Boromir88 Laconic Loreman Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: USA Posts: 7,521	Imladris, good topic, I don't really have a definate answer. I will say that I think Morgoth kept the Silmarils, because of greed. But, I wonder if this is Tolkien trying to show the "evil/hated" used to be good. When you think of light, you think of "good." If you think about it, nobody is "born" evil. Nobody is born/created with the intent of killing, or murdering, or raping, they at one point of their life were "good." Melkor was at first good, Gollum was, unfortunately I don't know a lot about Ungoliant so I wouldn't be able to say. When you think of Sauron, he too was at first good, then turned evil. Is this Tolkien trying to show evil comes out of good? I happen to believe one year old babies don't have any thought of killing people. I'm pretty sure Stalin at one year old didn't ever say, jeez I want to murder 20 million people. It's what that person experiences/learns to become the way he becomes, a good example Sauron. Then how does evil begin? if nobody is "born" evil? Greed. Greed for money, greed for power, maybe curiosity, who knows. I don't even know if Tolkien meant any of this, just splurting out a possibility.