PUBLIC LECTURE: UWA Albany Public Lecture

J.R.R. Tolkien has been called ‘the author of the century’ — an indication of the enormous popularity of The Lord of the Rings but also a reference to the ways in which his fantasies translate the traumas of the twentieth century. He has also been called a fascist. This lecture will consider the seemingly valid grounds for this grave charge. Tolkien, after all, made no secret of his hostility toward democracy and vaunted his love of authority, hierarchy, and community — the fundamental values of fascism. Heil Aragorn? But we will look deeper into the politics of Middle-earth, and find strong arguments for rejecting the indictment. Tolkien was no fascist. Given his ideological values, he could never have committed himself to a movement such as those led by Hitler, Mussolini, or Mosley.