MinstrelI want to preface this by saying I'm experiencing LotR for the first time; I've never read the books—not until now, where I'm at the chapter after the Council of Elrond—and I've never watched the movies. However, this is not to say I'm unaware of anything regarding it. I've consumed a good amount of LotR content, but not enough to call plenty nor little enough to say some. But most of my LotR knowledge is adjacent to the series, and by that I mean it is mostly about Tolkien and his academic career, though I've not read any of the latter.
So, while my view might not be entirely my own, and I might bring up something that I think I've read, but rather actually heard, I'm trying to meet Tolkien where he is, not where I want him to be. I.e., I'm aware that people level accusations of racist depictions of Orcs at Tolkien, but did the man have that in mind? I think not, and I have reasons to think not.
Something that really stumps me is it seems the story, in some way, is alluding to beauty being morally good, inherently, and evil is inherently ugly, not that being ugly makes you evil. What really gives me this impression are the Elves, who I can only call the high race, the more world-wise race, a kingship-worthy people, and the race that all seek the council of, and are beautiful in a why that the word ephemeral feels, not what it means, if that makes sense.
Ephemeral is anything that lasts for a very short time, like an explosion, or a single clap of the hand, or the exact moment of a car crash. The other side is that magical moment when a butterfly breaks out of its cocoon, fireworks bursting, seeing a new born for the first time. It is that fleeting sense of magic that exists in those moments, which no matter how much you scientifically understand something, it can never dull its enchanting edge, like seeing a shooting star. You understand that it is burning gas and rock, but that understanding can't strip the magic away, and that feeling of magic is taken and the Elves are coated with it. All of their existence is ephemeral-feeling.
What gave me this impression is a passage that I read multiple times, and it is that same passage that dispels this belief, in a way.
Both foul and fair can describe appearance and moral character, and you get the sense that it is both because of how Tolkien phrases it.
The spies would seem fairer, meaning they would have had disguised themselves to look fairer, which they're not because they're foul. That's appearance; and they feel fouler. That's moral, their evil literally manifesting and senses can pick it up, and we see that throughout. "Strider," on the other hand, looks foul and rascally as his appearance as described, but they're just that, judgment of appearance, but what is truly his moral character? Fair, and he feels fair—a moral judgment. Curiously, fair (fæger) and foul (ful) maintain this dichotomy in Old English. At least in some way.
But what about the inherent ugliness of evil? I can only explain it through two pieces of information I've taken from other people.
Also, another point against beautiful = makes you a good person is that the most courageous and admirable, but at the same time, the least powerful, characters are average-looking. The 4 Hobbits (Merry is the man
), who are also, compared to everyone in the Council, hold no political power or standing. Frodo is a Baggins, a most esteemed family, Merry is the heir to the Bucks, and Peppin is the eldest son of the Thane, but none of these names and titles have real political power, which is explicit. And if I'm not mistaken, Tolkien's ideal society is the Shire.
I can see how people would see fair as problematic, as fair can mean pale and blond, which—well, you can draw your own conclusion there.
So, say someone is good, but isn't pale and blond, can't a point be made that he's not really a good person? He's inherently corrupt, no? That's a point that can be made by racists, but racists can take anything and make it racist. Still, the good characters a pretty white, even if not blond and that's what stumps me. Why imply that the morally good characters look white? I don't think Tolkien was a supremacist, though he might still had prejudices as any man of his era. The only explanation that I can think of is that it is a mythology for England. Simple as that and nothing is behind it, but that's too simple for Tolkien, I think.
So what do you think?
If you've read this far, thank you.
So, while my view might not be entirely my own, and I might bring up something that I think I've read, but rather actually heard, I'm trying to meet Tolkien where he is, not where I want him to be. I.e., I'm aware that people level accusations of racist depictions of Orcs at Tolkien, but did the man have that in mind? I think not, and I have reasons to think not.
Something that really stumps me is it seems the story, in some way, is alluding to beauty being morally good, inherently, and evil is inherently ugly, not that being ugly makes you evil. What really gives me this impression are the Elves, who I can only call the high race, the more world-wise race, a kingship-worthy people, and the race that all seek the council of, and are beautiful in a why that the word ephemeral feels, not what it means, if that makes sense.
Ephemeral is anything that lasts for a very short time, like an explosion, or a single clap of the hand, or the exact moment of a car crash. The other side is that magical moment when a butterfly breaks out of its cocoon, fireworks bursting, seeing a new born for the first time. It is that fleeting sense of magic that exists in those moments, which no matter how much you scientifically understand something, it can never dull its enchanting edge, like seeing a shooting star. You understand that it is burning gas and rock, but that understanding can't strip the magic away, and that feeling of magic is taken and the Elves are coated with it. All of their existence is ephemeral-feeling.
What gave me this impression is a passage that I read multiple times, and it is that same passage that dispels this belief, in a way.
Frodo rules out Aragorn as an enemy because he's "fair" despite looking "foul." What a curious way to describe someone. I had to read that line many times.
Both foul and fair can describe appearance and moral character, and you get the sense that it is both because of how Tolkien phrases it.
The spies would seem fairer, meaning they would have had disguised themselves to look fairer, which they're not because they're foul. That's appearance; and they feel fouler. That's moral, their evil literally manifesting and senses can pick it up, and we see that throughout. "Strider," on the other hand, looks foul and rascally as his appearance as described, but they're just that, judgment of appearance, but what is truly his moral character? Fair, and he feels fair—a moral judgment. Curiously, fair (fæger) and foul (ful) maintain this dichotomy in Old English. At least in some way.
But what about the inherent ugliness of evil? I can only explain it through two pieces of information I've taken from other people.
- Orcs are corrupted Elves
- God is inherently good, therefore he doesn't create anything ugly, and anything ugly is a corrupted creation.
Also, another point against beautiful = makes you a good person is that the most courageous and admirable, but at the same time, the least powerful, characters are average-looking. The 4 Hobbits (Merry is the man
), who are also, compared to everyone in the Council, hold no political power or standing. Frodo is a Baggins, a most esteemed family, Merry is the heir to the Bucks, and Peppin is the eldest son of the Thane, but none of these names and titles have real political power, which is explicit. And if I'm not mistaken, Tolkien's ideal society is the Shire.I can see how people would see fair as problematic, as fair can mean pale and blond, which—well, you can draw your own conclusion there.
So, say someone is good, but isn't pale and blond, can't a point be made that he's not really a good person? He's inherently corrupt, no? That's a point that can be made by racists, but racists can take anything and make it racist. Still, the good characters a pretty white, even if not blond and that's what stumps me. Why imply that the morally good characters look white? I don't think Tolkien was a supremacist, though he might still had prejudices as any man of his era. The only explanation that I can think of is that it is a mythology for England. Simple as that and nothing is behind it, but that's too simple for Tolkien, I think.
So what do you think?
If you've read this far, thank you.
