One of those areas that is most personal, I suppose, is that dealing with political systems.
I don't tend to come to Tolkien for realistic / dystopian politics. (I also write historical fanfic, so I have lots of space for critiquing real-world institutions there!)
Something I love about Arda is the fantasy of kingship: the idea that there could be a rightful king with the hands of a healer, who even if fallible, is honest, competent, dutiful and loyal. It's a lovely idea for those of us who feel we have competence in certain spheres but emphatically not all of them. The idea that you can hand off running things to someone well able to do it, and trust them to do their job and look after you, while you do yours. The idea of kingship by consent: not limiting, but enabling. (A pretty un-American idea this, I suspect, and dangerous, but none the less beautiful.)
I'm not sure I even begrudge the Valar their endless hoarded light. Even the Noldor find it a bit much, and the Teleri chose to live outside the mountains where they can see the stars... The Avari don't have Trees of light, but they do have the stars and the nightingales and the broad leagues of Middle-earth, and those, I think are not made valueless by the existence of the Trees. The Sun and Moon are powerful weapons against th darkness, but for Tolkien, darkness can also be blessed...
It's a good point though that the Valar give up Middle-earth to Melkor, and that is tough on Dwarves and Men. It's hard to forgive them that, and regardless of intention, the Noldor, as you say, do *something*!
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timeasmymeasure
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Date: 2017-03-16 10:06 am (UTC)I don't tend to come to Tolkien for realistic / dystopian politics. (I also write historical fanfic, so I have lots of space for critiquing real-world institutions there!)
Something I love about Arda is the fantasy of kingship: the idea that there could be a rightful king with the hands of a healer, who even if fallible, is honest, competent, dutiful and loyal. It's a lovely idea for those of us who feel we have competence in certain spheres but emphatically not all of them. The idea that you can hand off running things to someone well able to do it, and trust them to do their job and look after you, while you do yours. The idea of kingship by consent: not limiting, but enabling. (A pretty un-American idea this, I suspect, and dangerous, but none the less beautiful.)
I'm not sure I even begrudge the Valar their endless hoarded light. Even the Noldor find it a bit much, and the Teleri chose to live outside the mountains where they can see the stars... The Avari don't have Trees of light, but they do have the stars and the nightingales and the broad leagues of Middle-earth, and those, I think are not made valueless by the existence of the Trees. The Sun and Moon are powerful weapons against th darkness, but for Tolkien, darkness can also be blessed...
It's a good point though that the Valar give up Middle-earth to Melkor, and that is tough on Dwarves and Men. It's hard to forgive them that, and regardless of intention, the Noldor, as you say, do *something*!