Suite101 article for June 26, 2002

[Michael Martinez]

The other way round

When The Lord of the Rings was first published, some reviewers apparently decided that "all the good [peoples were] just good, and the bad just bad." In indirect response to such complaints, Tolkien noted to one reader: "...the Elves were not wholly good or in the right" (Letter 154). Indeed, none of his characters were wholly "good" or "evil"; and Elrond acknowledged as much, telling the members of his council that "nothing is evil in the beginning. Even Sauron was not so."

The Rohirrim are another example of a group who seem good but do evil (on occasion). The treason of Grima Wormtongue is foreshadowed by the rebellion of Freca and his son Wulf, who overthrows King Helm Hammerhand with the aid of Dunlendings, Easterlings, and Corsairs. But the Rohirrim engage in questionable behavior even as a people. When Theoden offers a great reward to Ghan-Buri-Ghan for leading his army to Minas Tirith, Ghan-Buri-Ghan only asks that the Rohirrim stop hunting his people like animals. The Rohirrim are thus not perfect, and sometimes readers have to be shown so. All too many people through the years have mistaken the Rohirrim for a pro-Fascist Nordic purity stereotype (completely unaware of Tolkien's opposition to the German Fascists and their racist views).

Yet readers also focus on the Rohirrim for another reason: except for Eowyn, many people note, Tolkien put no strong women characters in his stories. Inevitably, people point to Galadriel and Luthien as counter-examples. Now, Galadriel does not play much of a role in The Lord of the Rings, and Luthien is barely mentioned. Even Eowyn's role is covered in the space of a few chapters (none of which are devoted exclusively to her). On the other hand, The Silmarillion provides more active roles for women. And Unfinished Tales offers tantalizing glimpses into the lives of several women (most notably, Galadriel).

But in The Lord of the Rings, Eowyn is introduced as little more than throne-dressing for Theoden. She graduates to a promised reward for Grima Wormtongue, and then proceeeds to fall hopelessly in love with Aragorn, who (of course) rejects her for the noblest of reasons (his love is already given to another). Eowyn's long empty life fills her with despair, which leads her to seek a glorious death on the battlefield, and thus Tolkien's shield-maiden comes to life. Many an argument has swirled over the value Eowyn brings to what is mostly a "boy story". She is, in some ways, the one redeeming quality about the Rohirrim, and in other ways their most damning attribute.

The Rohirrim inspire debate and division among Tolkien readers more than any other group, except perhaps the Elves. The Rohirrim are often compared to the Anglo-Saxons, and there are people who argue that the Rohirrim must be modelled on the Anglo-Saxons because Tolkien used Old English (Anglo-Saxon) to represent their language. It's merely a silly fiction, after all, that he was translating a lost book into modern English, and needed to represent forgotten languages with documented languages. The fallacy in this line of thought is twofold: first, it contradicts Tolkien's own admonition not to confuse the Rohirrim with Anglo-Saxons; and secondly, perhaps more importantly, it assumes that the Rohirrim make some sort of statement about Anglo-Saxon culture.

In effect, if the Rohirrim are based on the Anglo-Saxons, they are an allegory (and a thinly disguised one). Such an identification thus makes Tolkien a liar twice over, because he noted on more than one occasion (including in the book's Foreword) that "I cordially dislike allegory in all its manifestations, and have always done so...." And yet, he acknowledges that there is an 'applicability' factor, noting that "many confuse 'applicability' with 'allegory'; but the one resides in the freedom of the reader, and the other in the purposed domination of the author."

He most certainly chose those final words carefully: "the purposed domination of the author." The peril of the One Ring, for the world at large, is its ability to confer upon its wielder (who must first control it) the ability to dominate the wills of others. It was for this reason that Sauron made the Ring. The domination of the author eliminates all purposeful study by the reader, and Tolkien really cannot have been pretending he would prefer something so stringent and restricting. The chief beauty of The Lord of the Rings lies outside the story itself: it has become many things to many people.


Read the full article here

[Michael Martinez]

Oops!

I apologize to everyone who came looking for 'The other way round' and could not find it. I accidentally set the viewing date for July, not June. It should now be visible!

The direct link I provided at the bottom of my notice worked, and a few people found it that way. Hope the rest of you can find it now.

http://www.suite101.com/welcome.cfm/tolkien

[IronParrot]

Nice article indeed. See, everyone? Relativism!

[Nilvasaien]

Very good article. Thank you, Michael.