What separates Numenor from the Middle-Earth men - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

William Cloud Hicklin · 10-27-2022, 03:01 PM

"Virulent racism" may be going a bit far. While it is true that the late Numenorean Empire got pretty Roman towards the men of Middle-earth, Faramir's tripartite distinction was at least as justifiable as that of the Elves, in this universe, since the Numenoreans' superiority in mind and body (if not morals) was a Valar-given reality, not a fiction. They really were taller, smarter and longer-lived than other men. Of course, that also meant that when they went bad, they had the capacity to go VERY bad.

10-27-2022, 03:01 PM	#6
William Cloud Hicklin Loremaster of Annúminas Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 2,330	"Virulent racism" may be going a bit far. While it is true that the late Numenorean Empire got pretty Roman towards the men of Middle-earth, Faramir's tripartite distinction was at least as justifiable as that of the Elves, in this universe, since the Numenoreans' superiority in mind and body (if not morals) was a Valar-given reality, not a fiction. They really were taller, smarter and longer-lived than other men. Of course, that also meant that when they went bad, they had the capacity to go VERY bad. __________________ The entire plot of The Lord of the Rings could be said to turn on what Sauron didn’t know, and when he didn’t know it.