“Afraid of dragons”

[Lalwendë]

I also have to add, this is a great discussion.

Tolkien is subversive. As is fantasy in general. It speaks of worlds which are different to our own, it is escapist, it is populated by strange creatures and characters who do all the things which we are not allowed to do. All day, everyday, I hear people questioning things and asking 'is this fit for purpose?', 'does this offer value for money?', 'has this been planned?'. Estelyn says:

'Usefulness' seems to be the key word here, and it is certainly the key to our materialistic society. Does it pay? What use would dragons be? Is there any profit in them? If not, we don't need them - and davem mentioned the inherent danger in something that we cannot control.

This is why dragons are scary, because they symbolise something wild, and something which ostensibly has no usefulness. And to idolise something 'useless' seems to be tantamount to heresy in our day and age! It was a very wise use of symbolism that Ursula Le Guin chose.

Following on from what Child says, I think the environmental factor in Tolkien is still very subversive today - suggest that urban people give up their 4x4s and you almost start a war in the UK. Woodland is usually saved where it proves to be useful - e.g. shielding houses from a road, or where it can be used as a leisure area, rarely just for its own sake. Tolkien shows us a fine example of mankind destroying his own world in the shape of Saruman - as clear an environmental message as you could hope to find.

Also, what Caroreiel picks up on shows that Tolkien is subversive. Our world is driven by materialism and money, while in Tolkien's world, these are very bad things. The Hobbits are a gentle and kind race, they do not rush about, they do not crave power, and those who desire to show off their wealth, like the Sackville-Bagginses, are shown to be against the norm. Men who crave rings of power are corrupted, and even the innocent, Bilbo and Frodo, can be harmed by possession of such powerful 'bling' as we'd call it.

I'd say I can't wait to read more, but as that fine example of a chilled-out environmentalist, Treebeard, says: don't be hasty. And that really is a subversive message for today's society!