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Originally Posted by Bb
Knowing how evil operates means one is better able to stand up to it. Those who do not understand evil's existence are those most vulnerable to it.
Would not this suggest that Tolkien would not want readers to shy away from certain knowledge of the orcs' treatment of Celebrian? He intends readers to recognise evil when it is suggested, to educate them, as it were, in its more vile means? I'm referring, of course, to the thread "Celebrian's Misfortunes."
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Certainly off-topic, but...
I think Tolkien's position was that we should only 'study' evil to the point that we can recognise it - not that we should go into its nature & pratice in depth. Elrond warns that is is dangerous to study the arts of the Enemy. I suspect that Tolkien would say that knowing that the Orcs 'tormented' Celebrian to the point that she could no longer remain with her beloved husband & children & had to pass into the West is enough, & that to enquire any further into her fate is to risk being 'corrupted' by what one might find out. Its easy to get ideas & images into one's mind, but more difficult to get rid of them.
Personally, the image of Celebrian being raped by orcs is not something I want to imagine - I don't even like writing those words. Whether that makes me overly sensitive I don't know.
I think it is quite possible to be able to recognise evil without studying it in all its graphic detail.
So, while I agree that Tolkien did 'intend readers to recognise evil when it is suggested' I can't agree that he intended 'to educate them, as it were, in its
more vile means?'. I think his intention was the opposite. He was fullly aware that the
practices of 'evil' were quite commonplace, even in our 'civilised' society, & that it wasn't at all necessary to describe them in detail. What was necessary was to make people aware that such things
are evil, & inexcusable. In other words, he wanted us to be aware of what Evil is in its essence, not to educate us in its practice...