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Originally Posted by Lotrelf
How did this "Tolkien is racist" start? I'm sure he was not racist. I don't have any written proof or something, but writing tells so.
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I would define "racism" as the belief that one race is inherently inferior to another. I see no evidence of that on Tolkien's part, and it would seem the allegation stems from the manner in which certain characters and beings in his books are described. The "wild" Easterlings and dark-skinned Haradrim come to mind.
Contrary to a "racist" bent, it looks to me as if racially discriminatory views of the characters are punished. We see Saeros of Doriath, holding Men in contempt, being bested by Túrin. Thingol's denigration of the "uncouth race" of the Dwarves gets him killed.
Men are not immune, either. The Númenórean Exiles of Gondor started a civil war over the reluctance of some to admit those of "alien" race from the Northmen to marry into their Line of Kings, and the realm was nearly destroyed because of it.
The shoddy treatment of the Rohirrim toward the "dark haired" Dunlendings came back to haunt them when the latter attacked them in their weakness, and later allied themselves with Saruman.
I think the whole thing is rubbish, but there are always people who find what they're looking for, whether it's actually present, or not.