Can the book be considered rascist? - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

05-12-2002, 03:59 PM

Something to consider. We are human and as humans we tend to think in patterns. I believe that the reason for racism in the first place is this same feature of thinking in patterns. Humans like to categorise everything and refrens new things learned to those things which are new to us. In this sence there is then prejudice regardles of our motives. So I guess one of my questions is that is prejudice racism, or are they infact the same thing ? Secondly if Tolkien had prejudice toward different races, could this have been something that was highlighted in his work ?
Personally I don't believe that Tolkien was a racist, but I believe in the difference of prejudice and racism. I believe that there is some prejudice that Tolkien had and those came out in his writing. This prejudice I believe was not as much a bad attitude against a race but a beliefe of the misleading of an entire culture. The world was a very different place in Tolkien's time and I believe that people in a non-Christian culture were viewed as pagan or mislead who needed correction. I think the people from the south (in LotR) were a mislead people fooled by Sauron to join with him.
I do not think that I hold the ultimate truth to this (of course) but this has made sence to me. I am very open to other views. [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]

05-12-2002, 03:59 PM	#23
Karston Guest Posts: n/a	Something to consider. We are human and as humans we tend to think in patterns. I believe that the reason for racism in the first place is this same feature of thinking in patterns. Humans like to categorise everything and refrens new things learned to those things which are new to us. In this sence there is then prejudice regardles of our motives. So I guess one of my questions is that is prejudice racism, or are they infact the same thing ? Secondly if Tolkien had prejudice toward different races, could this have been something that was highlighted in his work ? Personally I don't believe that Tolkien was a racist, but I believe in the difference of prejudice and racism. I believe that there is some prejudice that Tolkien had and those came out in his writing. This prejudice I believe was not as much a bad attitude against a race but a beliefe of the misleading of an entire culture. The world was a very different place in Tolkien's time and I believe that people in a non-Christian culture were viewed as pagan or mislead who needed correction. I think the people from the south (in LotR) were a mislead people fooled by Sauron to join with him. I do not think that I hold the ultimate truth to this (of course) but this has made sence to me. I am very open to other views. [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]