Seminar speakers announced – Tolkien and Diversity

Tolkien Society ^ | 06 09 2021 | Will Sherwood

[yesthatjallen]

While interest in the topic of diversity has steadily grown within Tolkien research, it is now receiving more critical attention than ever before. Spurred by recent interpretations of Tolkien’s creations and the cast list of the upcoming Amazon show The Lord of the Rings, it is crucial we discuss the theme of diversity in relation to Tolkien. How do adaptations of Tolkien’s works (from film and art to music) open a discourse on diversity within Tolkien’s works and his place within modern society? Beyond his secondary-world, diversity further encompasses Tolkien’s readership and how his texts exist within the primary world. Who is reading Tolkien? How is he understood around the globe? How may these new readings enrich current perspectives on Tolkien?

SNIP

* Speakers and papers *

Cordeliah Logsdon – Gondor in Transition: A Brief Introduction to Transgender Realities in The Lord of the Rings

Clare Moore – The Problem of Pain: Portraying Physical Disability in the Fantasy of J. R. R. Tolkien

V. Elizabeth King – “The Burnt Hand Teaches Most About Fire”: Applying Traumatic Stress and Ecological Frameworks to Narratives of Displacement and Resettlement Across Cultures in Tolkien’s Middle-earth

Christopher Vaccaro – Pardoning Saruman?: The Queer in Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings

Sultana Raza – Projecting Indian Myths, Culture and History onto Tolkien’s Worlds

Nicholas Birns – The Lossoth: Indigeneity, Identity, and Antiracism

Kristine Larsen – The Problematic Perimeters of Elrond Half-elven and Ronald English-Catholic

Cami Agan – Hearkening to the Other: Athrabeth Finrod ah Andreth

Sara Brown – The Invisible Other: Tolkien’s Dwarf-Women and the ‘Feminine Lack’

Sonali Chunodkar – Desire of the Ring: An Indian Academic’s Adventures in her Quest for the Perilous Realm

Robin Reid – Queer Atheists, Agnostics, and Animists, Oh, My!

Joel Merriner – Hidden Visions: Iconographies of Alterity in Soviet Bloc Illustrations for The Lord of the Rings

Eric Reinders – Questions of Caste in The Lord of the Rings and its Multiple Chinese Translations

Dawn Walls-Thumma – Stars Less Strange: An Analysis of Fanfiction and Representation within the Tolkien Fan Community

Danna Petersen-Deeprose – “Something Mighty Queer”: Destabilizing Cishetero Amatonormativity in the Works of Tolkien

Martha Celis-Mendoza – Translation as a means of representation and diversity in Tolkien’s scholarship and fandom

[Pilgrim's Progress]

AOC reached for comment: “J. R. R. Tolkien proves his stand on diversity. After all, he picked Ian MacClellan to play Gandalf didn’t he?

[Jonty30]

The left has been coming after Tolkien, for implying that all elves are white. Nevermind the fact that it’s a European allegory and it should be expected that all characters are European stock.

[Paladin2]

Marxism needs to be excluded from any Diversity discussions.

[katana]

Anybody want to discuss the dark hued men of the south who were mercenaries in the pay of Sauron? Even in the films they were portrayed to resemble Arabs. Tolkien knew what (and who) evil would look like. And kudos to Jackson for not flinching in the making of the films.

[themidnightskulker]

Yet another part of my childhood innocence is being destroyed.

[vladimir998]

A serious Tolkien scholar, Anne C. Petty, must be rolling over in her grave.

[thecodont]

The left has been coming after Tolkien, for implying that all elves are white. Nevermind the fact that it’s a European allegory and it should be expected that all characters are European stock.

Seen any Keebler commercials lately?

[E. Pluribus Unum]

“Diversity” is code for “No white people allowed.”

[yesthatjallen]

Gondor in Transition: A Brief Introduction to Transgender Realities in The Lord of the Rings

Read it again. You missed the subtext the first time.

[themidnightskulker]

Yep. The Harridim.
Lets talk about the Uruk-Hai.

[Jonty30]

No,but I get the idea.

I haven’t seen a full tv show, even for a half hour sit-com for more than 16 years. I managed to quit my tv addiction back in 2004.

[Dr. Franklin]

"It was said by Gimli that there are few dwarf-women, probably no more than a third of the whole people. They seldom walk abroad except at great need. They are in voice and appearance, and in garb if they must go on a journey, so like to the dwarf-men that the eyes and ears of other peoples cannot tell them apart."
The Return of the King, Appendix A

Give the Dwarves some credit. Unlike the Muslims, they didn't make the women wear a hijab or a niqab to hide their bad looks. Don't think anything else in Tolkien could be considered transgender. Unlike the Peter Jackson movies, Tolkien's Elven women were very feminine.

[cgbg]

“Diversity” is code for “No white people allowed.”

"Diversity" is code for "No white people allowed unless they are sexual perverts."

[Jonty30]

The only physical differences between men and elves that were noted by Tolkien is that elf eyes glowed a bit and they were about 6” taller than the average man.

Otherwise, elves and men were indistinguishable when not closely observed.

[chief lee runamok]

   Duh-orcs

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

If you want a scathing and some what profane send up on this look up Just Some Guy on youtube.

[Louis Foxwell]

Deep seated pathological narcisistic infantilism.
Tolkein was a conservative Christian. He wrote Christian stories. He and C.S. Lewis were at the vangaurd of Christian literature.
Enough with the perversion.

[Bigg Red]

Ping

[Bogey78O]

JRR Tolkein’s son Christopher died a few years ago. He was the last true gatekeeper of his father’s legacy. The current estate managers seem less interested in his work and more interest in monetizing it.