New interview with Christopher Tolkien

[Mithalwen]

Originally Posted by Bêthberry

Given that there's no class lines in any of our few regional accents here, accents are not a significant issue here. I had to wonder what was so very relevant about CT's accent--just a bit of character expose or was the interviewer trying to suggest some kind of elitism or snobbishness on CT's part? Not quite the same as "upper class twit" but a bit of shading of the man.

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I don't get that impression. And Le Monde, which regards itself as the Rolls Royce of papers is unlikely to have an issue with elitism. I think it is a simple description. The writer uses dote in the same article in relation to JRRT's imagination so I don't get a negative connotation. I don't think the French have the reverse snobbery regarding accents either. In some ways the French are egalitarian but they won't compromise standards. It used to be that if you passed the Baccalaureat, whichever subjects you had taken you could be admitted to any degree course but the first year exams were notoriously tough so there was a high fall out rate. In French secondary schools if you didn't pass the year you had to take it again whereas here other in exceptional circumstances you stay with your year group regardless which means you could have secondary school pupils way in to their twenties!