JRR Tolkien: Ringing in a Liberal or Conservative New Year

Tech Central Station ^ | January 4, 2005 | Joshua Livestro

[quidnunc]

I wouldn't normally dare to waste your precious time, dear reader, with light-hearted discussions of frivolous matters. But just this once I ask your permission for an excursion into a realm that, on the face of it, has little in common with politics, namely that of high art. My excuse is a valid one, however: the launch of the extended DVD edition of last year's Oscar winning film 'The Return of the King, based on JRR Tolkien's epic drama The Lord of the Rings.

The reason for choosing this subject is not an aesthetic one, however. I merely want to add my five cents worth to a recent discussion over at NRO's The Corner (Link). The subject was Tolkien's politics, or rather: the politics of The Lord of the Rings. Inspired by the newly released DVD the Corner dwellers decided to seek a definitive answer to that age-old question: who does Middle Earth really belong to? Mind you, not: who in Middle Earth — Sauron or Saruman, or even orcs or men — but: who of us here and now, in the real world. Basically, they wanted to decide once and for all whether LOTR is a liberal or a conservative novel.

According to the man who first raised the question, John Hillen, the answer was obvious: it's conservative, precious, conservative! He was so confident that he even offered a $100 award for any reader who could present him with a convincing argument why liberals might also want to read this most conservative of novels. Within hours, he received enough e-mails from Tolkien geeks to fill another thousand editions of The Corner. …

-snip-

[Betaille]

Tolkein was a hard-line conservative. I don't know why this question is even up for debate.

[DGray]

Absolutely - he was a devout Catholic who came of age in Edwardian times. He was no hipster, "modernist" follower of socialism, but a man who was fascinated by ancient notions of honor and valor. At the end of his life, he was bewildered by the way the hippie movement glommed on to his work the way they did.

[Tribune7]

That's a good website.

[lizma]

Isn't the more important question - "Was he gay?" /s

[Stringfellow Hawke]

Theoden sounds like a conservative to me, at least the one in the movies. It's been too long to recall the one in the books.

Any how, his reply to Saruman when Saruman asks for peace, Theoden tells him there will be peace when Saruman is dead, I think that's perfect conservative logic. Perhaps I'm reading too much into that?

I figure a liberal would give Saruman a slap on the wrists, a lit tap is more like it, and then let him go.

[Arkinsaw]

Of course LOTR is liberal

It is very conservative. The only thing about it that appears liberal is an environmental tone. But this is misleading, because environmentalism was a very conservative issue until the issue was hijacked. It was particularly conservative in Tolkien's situation when he was essentially opposing the end of the traditional British way of life due to liberal industrialization.

The current environmental movement is essentially a bunch of people in cities, many of whom have never seen a farm. The real environmentalists live in RED states. The hunters, fishermen, farmers, and rural folk in the south and west are much closer to the land than these liberal enviros. A lot of this is pure liberal guilt since most of the environmental damage comes out of these urban sardine cans in California and the northeast.

Its sad that the liberals have so stolen the environmental issue with their rhetoric that many conservatives forget the traditional conservative value of being close to the land and wanting to protect it, and the traditional values associated with that.

[infidel29]

I disagree, in a way, most liberals I know weren't fans of LOTR, they much preferred the "Harry Potter" books and movies.

I know it's not dealing with the stories themselves, but in the readers reactions to them, but I tend to think the "art imitates life" theory applies in this case.

[AntiGuv]

Tolkein was a hard-line conservative.

But keep in mind Gandalf and the hobbits were potheads. The traitorous Saruman even chastises Gandalf a bit over that.. ;)

[Popman]

But keep in mind Gandalf and the hobbits were potheads.

Nowhere in the books can you find an analogue for Gandalf and the hobbits being potheads.

I think you need to put that bong down yourself : )

[lizma]

The orcs, Sauron, and Saruman had no respect for the environment,

If you ever spent time in a communist country, you'd see communist have little concern for the enviroment once they have control. They just use it as an emotional stepping stone on they're rise to power.

[Corin Stormhands]

ring ping

[lizma]

Potheads?

I thought they were catching heck for being evil tobacco smoker!

[Corin Stormhands]

Quite simply, LOTR is conservative.

Good is good. Evil is evil.

Right is right. Wrong is wrong.

And the truth is important.

No way you can spin that into lie'bralism.

[cspackler]

Exaclty. It is the comfortable world of black and white, good and evil.

This does not exist in the liberal mindset.

[Terpfen]

Tolkein said that LotR doesn't include political or social commentary. Gandalf is not Jesus, Sauron is not Satan, it's not pro-liberal pro-conservative. It's just a good story. Sit back and read (or watch.)

[Angry Republican]

Don't forget the obvious homosexual acts by the Hobbits. I was almost convinced that I was going to see some gay Hobbit porn somewhere in that trilogy.

[AntiGuv]

Oh, please. They're complete stoners! Just look at 'em. Their purpose in life is to drink ale, eat six meals a day (helloo!), and laze about in the meadows smoking their weed. They don't want any 'adventure' and they're dazzled by sparkly lights. They seem to be into cuddling too. Lots and lots of cuddling. LOL