Racism and Tolkien.

[doug*platypus]

Interesting quote, there, O Saucepan, but I think that words actually written by Tolkien should really be given more weight. It's shocking the amount of liberties that are taken and errors that are made by some of the so-called Tolkien Scholars out there. They should use the Barrow Downs as an editing station, and there would be less confusion for all.

Inderjit is correct - I have just finished Letter 210, about the initial storyline of the animated version (and how much Tolkien hated it!!):

The Orcs are definitely stated to be corruptions of the 'human' form seen in Elves and Men. They are (or were) squat, broad, flat-nosed, sallow-skinned, with wide mouths and slant eyes: in fact degraded and repulsive versions of the (to Europeans) least lovely Mongol-types.


Letter 210

Genghis Shagrat? This is the closest to racial prejudice I've seen Tolkien come, but he isn't saying that Orcs look like present day Mongolians. Still, I don't think Letter 210 would go down very well in the far east.