Saruman and betrayal - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

Legate of Amon Lanc · 04-21-2008, 11:31 AM

*chimes in*

What was the original topic of the thread? Ah yes.

It is a good point that Saruman can be looked upon as a manipulating politician. That's really a thing I am sure everybody can agree with. However, I tend to look at Animalmother's view as rather simplified, if anything else. Yes, Saruman can be seen as a nice archetype of a corrupt, people-manipulating politician with all sorts of traits you named. But why leftist, necessarily? He can be ANY politician who uses rhetorics and manipulates others for his own cause, (ev. not actually caring about what he is preaching) - and such politicians exist, and in both camps. He can be a politician building his career on saying "I am bringing you a change!" or "Don't worry, I will see to it that the old values are not disrupted!" I am sure Saruman would be capable of doing both, depending on the situation when it would suit him (many-coloured robes! "I will be red, or blue, or green, whatever is currently needed"). Remember his double-dealing with both Sauron and the Free Peoples (the thing about old values is exactly what he has been saying to Théoden, or actually even Gandalf). So here you go - neither red nor green nor blue nor yellow, but a chameleon. That is Saruman of Many Colours.

04-21-2008, 11:31 AM	#1
Legate of Amon Lanc A Voice That Gainsayeth Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: In that far land beyond the Sea Posts: 7,431	chimes in What was the original topic of the thread? Ah yes. It is a good point that Saruman can be looked upon as a manipulating politician. That's really a thing I am sure everybody can agree with. However, I tend to look at Animalmother's view as rather simplified, if anything else. Yes, Saruman can be seen as a nice archetype of a corrupt, people-manipulating politician with all sorts of traits you named. But why leftist, necessarily? He can be ANY politician who uses rhetorics and manipulates others for his own cause, (ev. not actually caring about what he is preaching) - and such politicians exist, and in both camps. He can be a politician building his career on saying "I am bringing you a change!" or "Don't worry, I will see to it that the old values are not disrupted!" I am sure Saruman would be capable of doing both, depending on the situation when it would suit him (many-coloured robes! "I will be red, or blue, or green, whatever is currently needed"). Remember his double-dealing with both Sauron and the Free Peoples (the thing about old values is exactly what he has been saying to Théoden, or actually even Gandalf). So here you go - neither red nor green nor blue nor yellow, but a chameleon. That is Saruman of Many Colours. __________________ "Should the story say 'he ate bread,' the dramatic producer can only show 'a piece of bread' according to his taste or fancy, but the hearer of the story will think of bread in general and picture it in some form of his own." -On Fairy-Stories