The Lord of the Rings is a fantasy tale that has inspired millions. Its story of good versus evil transcends generations. And it uses rather unconventional forms to do it: with fictional beings like hobbits, dwarves, and elves.
But there are men and women in this fantasy too. And orcs. And goblins. And trees that talk and walk. And...racism? Wait...what?
Last month, I came across an article on the Internet that caught my attention. A fellow science fiction writer was being interviewed for a podcast and when the topic of Tolkien's classic came up, the author went on to say that the Lord of the Rings has "hard to miss" themes of racism throughout. Considering how I'd never heard this claim before, I did some research and found that there have been others who have felt the same way (not a lot, but they are out there if you look). So I did what any social media personality with a platform would do: I did an episode detailing what I thought of this accusation.
Because this is a serious thing to say. Not just because the Lord of the Rings has birthed an entire genre or because it made millions at the box office - it's because of the nature of the claim. It touches deeply on sacred grounds. And if tossed around flippantly, we run the risk of being short-sighted on what could be considered "racist" and what is not.
So, is Tolkien's work racist? Enclosed in this episode are my thoughts on that matter as well as why I felt the need to address it.
The Writer's Lens - E41: Do I Have To Be An Expert On The Topic Of My Book (In Order To Write It)?
The Writer's Lens - E40: Getting That Idea (Book) Out Of Your Head And Onto Paper
The Writer's Lens - E39: Is Writing (And Telling) Story The Best Way To Combat Evil?
The Writer's Lens - E38: Are Villains More Fun To Write Than Heroes?
The Writer's Lens - E37: Villains...What Are They Exactly?
The Writer's Lens - E36: If We All Know We Are Supposed To Be The Hero, Then Why Aren't We?
The Writer's Lens - E35: What Is The "Hero's Journey?"
The Writer's Lens - E34: Heroes and Anti-Heroes - Which Do You Prefer?
The Writer's Lens - E33: "Soul Mates" In Storytelling - What Are They?
The Writer's Lens - E32: Showing People What They've Never Seen, Yet Telling Them What They Already Know
The Writer's Lens - E31: When Timing Meets Thick Skin
The Writer's Lens - E30: For Every Creative, The Stakes Are Incredibly High
The Writer's Lens - E29: People Are Always Looking To Take Advantage Of Your Dreams
The Writer's Lens - E28: My Regrets With Self-Publishing
The Writer's Lens - E27: The Stigma Of "Daydreaming" And What It Means To A Creative
The Writer's Lens - Interview 07: Colleen Ward, "Find Your Lane"
The Writer's Lens - Post-Interview 06 Thoughts
The Writer's Lens - E26: Have We Romanticized "Darkness" In Our Stories?
The Writer's Lens - Interview 06: Immanuel Mullen, The Story Is
The Writer's Lens - E25: Are Artists Important for Society?
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