> > Even so, it was a reality of Tolkein's life and times. Chances are he
> > wasn't able to imagine a world without class divisions. Even if he had
> > been, he didn't set out to write science fiction, he set out to write
> > myths and legends, of which class divisions were a substantial
> > under-structure.
> >
>
> Oh, I agree with you, and I've read/seen bunches of work done on it in the
> Tolkien literary journals.  But I've also run into some people online who
are
> *rabid* if you ascribe anything to Tolkien's work (not even the man)
that's
> 'negative' - class-, race-, sex-ism.
>
> darkelf, who thinks those things are interesting

me too :)

and while I'm fervently "the art is not the artist" I also think
it would be
foolish to think it plays no bearing at all. Everything we've lived
contributes to what we think, and how. It *will* play itself out in the art
one way or another particularly in the use of words. I find pondering such
affects interesting, but I don't dwell significantly upon them, after all...
I could be wrong. :)

(I know... hard to believe)

--- Rachel's Little NET2FIDO Gate v 0.9.9.8 Alpha