Saucepan Man, without straying too far from the thread, you're right, in my opinion, about the Elves in the First Age. They are virtually approaching Fascism in some ways - they are racist. Dwarves at first are hunted like animals, till the Eldar are forced to acknowledge they aren't 'animals'. Men are 'guests' or 'aftercomers' (i.e. Men don't really belong in 'their' world, but will be 'tolerated' as long as they prove useful & do what's expected of them. The Elves have claimed the world as their own, & woe betide anyone who doesn't accept their rulership! For the Elves, it seems that to be mortal is to be inferior. To Die, in their eyes, seems to make one worthless. They refer to death as the 'Gift' of Illuvatar, but its almost like some of them see it as a mark of contempt.
Oh, I think I've maybe gone over the top [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img].
But I can't help thinking there is something of that in the attitude of the Elves. I think Tolkien was such a great artist because he (despite what too many ignorant critics say) didn't create 'ideal' beings or races. His creation is incredibly complex, & he explores some very subtle (& 'dangerous') ideas.
Maybe we should start a new, Anti-Elf thread [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]. ('What have the Elves ever done for us...?')
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