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Calormenes are described as dark-skinned, with the men mostly bearded. Flowing robes, turbans and wooden shoes with an upturned point at the toe are common items of clothing, and the preferred weapon is the scimitar. Lavish palaces are present in the Calormene capital Tashbaan. The overall leitmotif of Calormene culture is portrayed as ornate to the point of ostentation. The people of Calormen are concerned with maintaining honour and precedent, often speaking in maxims and quoting their ancient poets. Veneration of elders and absolute deference to power are marks of Calormene society. Power and wealth determine class and social standing, and slavery is commonplace. The unit of currency is the Crescent. Narnians hold Calormenes in disdain for their treatment of animals and slaves. Conversely, Calormenes refer to the human inhabitants of Narnia as "barbarians". All of this appears quite consistent with the Osmanli Turkish Ottoman Empire (1299-1923), its known and purported splendor, rigid class structure, and the always-volatile relationship with many of its European neighbors.
How does him relating to real life events make him a racist?
If you really know Tolkein you would know that he really is a racist...
Also writer himself was in ww1 and lost 3 friends,(check his biography) believing every British propaganda told to British soldiers(they were claiming we eat human flesh) furthermore after long allied bombardment some coasts of Turkey were exactly like Mordor(in real not so different from rest of continental Europe). It seems like he really believed that they were there to save western world from evil Turks
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In wikipedia it was stated that he fought in Gallipoli campaign, now it says he fought in western front so this corrodes most of my claims. But still British had an extensive effort to brainwash the soldiers so some ideas might have this kind of origin.His supposed hate for Turks being from his friends' deaths is an absurd idea, as they died in France fighting against Germans. And Mordor also looks like destroyed environment, him being a lover of nature.
Ursula K. LeGuin (a white German feminist) has been scathing in her criticism of Western fantasy novels. Most of them are set in medieval Europe + plastic headdresses + couple mythical creatures. The protagonists are always white males.
She went out of her way to introduce non-white and female protagonists in her novels.
That's why LOTR was so pathetic. It was basically Europe in the Middle Ages with some CGI and a bunch of English farmers with funny ears.
The Haradrim maybe? With their exotic English accents and elephants on steroids? And the handler that looks like he ran straight out of some South Asian horror story? though, i did not miss the Scottish accent of the dwarves!
As for powerful women, there's no shortage of them in LOTR, Arwen (defended Frodo against LK and his posse), Eowyn (kills LK with a stereotypical line "i am no man"), Galadriel (she's actually the most powerful witch in Middle Earth, not counting Sauron)
The protagonists are white, predominantly English, males.
The rare female protagonists are side characters.
LeGuin was making a broad commentary on the genre and her criticism is valid, broadly speaking.
You don't think this maybe has something to do with the fact Tolkien was English, white male and that female heroines aren't easily identifiable by fantasy reading men (though GRRM made a good exception to this with Arya Stark and Daenerys Targaryen, to some extent with Cersei Lannister as well)? That's besides the fact you quote a feminist commenting on men. Of course there will be criticism. We're all chauvinists for them.
You can take a hint from recent movies, Iron Man, Superman, Batman in regards to easily identifying with heroes......
Yes, as an ardent feminist, she is obviously pushing a particular perspective. But I think her point was that fantasy writers don't target a wider audience. The racial aspect I can understand, but the gender bias seems very short sighted, especially given that girls read as much as, or more than, boys.
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In my opinion Saruman is the French king during 1500's when France was allied with Ottoman Empire against Catholic Spain and Italy. Sauron is Suleiman the Magnificent with his daring assaults into Europe. There are also many details fit perfectly to this logic like the similarity of the siege of Minas trith and siege of Vienna. Also the captured city Gandalf mentions which occupied by mordor reminds me Istanbul.Just out of curiosity, if LOTR is an attempt at portraying west-east conflict, like some say in this thread (Turkey comparison, supposed racism when people realized their own are portrayed as villains) what would Saruman be? And his horde?
He is situated further to the west then all major kingdoms of men. Also, LK had his domain in the far north of Middle Earth (Angmar), who is he representing?