January 17, 2003

On Accusations of Racism in Lotr
Viking

As Laurie pointed out on 12-30-02, there are some who have accused Tolkien of having embedded racism in his writings. Those who make this accusation base their claim on certain plot elements in the Lord of the Rings. They usually point to the lack of non-white protagonists, then assert that any of Tolkien's characters with dark skin are invariably evil. Orcs are described as having dark or black complexions, and the Haradrim, the men of the south who join with Sauron, are also described as swarthy. The accusers may also decry the fact that Tolkien continually associates the color white with ultimate good, and black with ultimate evil.

On examination these claims are exposed for what they are - baseless and paranoid. Let's take a look, point by point.

"Tolkien's protagonists are all white." Tolkien has clearly stated in many writings that his primary aim in writing about Middle-Earth was to create an original mythology for England, one based on the few purely Anglo-Saxon myths in existence, such as Beowulf, and not mixed with those of continental Europe. The native population of England is white of skin. Hence, an English mythology would only have white protagonists.

"Tolkien's antagonists are either explicitly described as having dark skin, or are associated with blackness." Orcs are described as swarthy or even black, but this is due to the torturous transformation they endured when Melkor imprisoned and corrupted some Eldar, early elves. Melkor (or Morgoth) is also described as black, but this is only in the later stage of his existence, after he has completely transformed into ultimate evil. This blackness is more of a charred, burned after-effect of Melkor's experiments with shadow and flame. Melkor was originally a member of the Ainur, demi-gods created by Eru Illuvatar, the One. That is to say - Melkor, the epitome of evil, would have appeared as white before he was corrupted. Similarly, Sauron was once a Maia, of the same order of power as Gandalf or Saruman. Again - white. The description of blackness refers to the shadow of evil, not racial heritage. This claim is further discredited by the presence of antagonistic white men such as the Wild Men of Dunland, or the ancient Numenoreans who defied the Valar (in the "Akallabeth” in the Silmarillion).

"Tolkien portrays dark-skinned men as invariably evil." This refers to the men of Harad, the Haradrim, or Southrons, from the sun-scorched lands far south of Gondor. During the War of the Ring they paid tribute to Sauron and sent huge armies against Gondor by land and sea. Certainly, these men were dark of skin, possibly even black. But two passages in the Lord of the Rings discredit the claim that Tolkien wrote the Haradrim as essentially evil.
In Ithilien, when Sam and Frodo witness the battle between Faramir’s rangers and the Haradrim, there is a scene where Sam ponders over the dead body of a Southron. He wonders if the man has a family, and what caused him to travel so far – what lies he was fed in order to get him to fight and die in distant lands (for an exact qoute please refer to The Two Towers). This is Tolkien’s method of differentiating the Haradrim from purely evil creatures like the orcs. The average man of Harad is not evil, but simply caught up in events he cannot understand, tricked and cajoled by his corrupt leaders into serving Sauron. A comparison could be made to the soldiers of Nazi Germany, or the many youth of the Middle East caught in the net of Islamic extremism.
The second passage is near the end of the Return of the King. When Aragorn ascends and takes his rightful title as the King Elessar of Gondor, he takes mercy on the many prisoners of war from Harad. He sends them back and begins to build an understanding with Harad, which has long been an enemy of Gondor. Are these the actions of a racist? Aragorn is Tolkien’s embodiment of the highest qualities in men – wisdom, courage, justice, compassion. If Tolkien hated those of other race, he would have written Aragorn as wrathful and revengeful. Aragorn would have executed or enslaved the defeated Southrons, and sent armies to pillage their homelands. But no, he offered them peace. Again, are these the actions of a racist? Of course not.

“Tolkien continually associates white with good, and black with evil.” This criticism is based on a total misconception of the symbology of white and black. White represents light, the light of the Sun, which in Tolkien’s mythology is but a pale remembrance of the light of the Two Trees of Valinor, that were destroyed by Melkor and Ungoliant in ages past. Black represents the lack of light, or even worse, the light-destroying shadow of Melkor and Ungoliant. Light has always been the enemy of evil, for it exposes cruelty and deceit. Light comes from the Valar, and ultimately Illuvatar himself, while shadow is the creation of Melkor and Sauron. This has nothing whatsoever to do with racial heritage or the complexion of one’s skin.

Tolkien actually wrote strong messages against racism into his work. Many of the woes of Middle-Earth in the Third Age are due to the deep-seated racial divisions of its people. Men are fearful of Elves because of their immortality and their mysterious ways. Elves are in turn suspicious of Men due to the many times past that Men betrayed Elves and went over to the will of Melkor or Sauron. Dwarves and Elves have disliked eachother ever since the awakening of Durin’s Bane and the razing of Hollin. Dwarves have become insular and do not care for the affairs of the outside world. All this division leaves Middle-Earth ripe for the exploit of both Sauron and Saruman. If the races of Middle-Earth had united in the beginning when Sauron was still weak, they could have overthrown Dol Goldur (Sauron’s keep in Mirkwood before he returned to Mordor) and prevented so much sorrow and death. But their racial prejudices kept them apart until all was nearly lost. The subplot of the friendship of Legolas and Gimli is a wonderful example of two very different individuals bridging the gap of racial prejudice and reforging a long-lost alliance.

Tolkien as racist? I think not.