Tolkien and Anti-Semitism

 

The sin of anti-Semitism has been in the news lately.

It was also a prominent issue during the life of J.R. R. Tolkien as he watched with horror the rise of Hitler and Nazism, the Holocaust, and World War II.

According to Holly Ordway in her book, Tolkien's Faith: A Spiritual Biography, Tolkien loathed anti-Semitism. 

In 1938, for example, a German publisher producing a translated version of The Hobbit asked Tolkien to supply a declaration that he was Aryan, not Jewish. Tolkien told his own publisher that in light of that request he was willing to let the German edition "go hang" if need be. He declared, "I have many Jewish friends, and should regret giving any colour to the notion that I subscribed to the wholly pernicious and unscientific race-doctrine." He responded to the German publisher refusing to make any such declaration. 

Ordway contends that Tolkien believed that Jews and Christians "could enjoy companionship and mutual respect." He even brings that to life in The Lord of the Rings.

Tolkien repeatedly noted that the Dwarves in the epic and his legendarium parallel the Jewish people. He also displays in the trilogy the Elvish racism against Dwarves. Ordway points out that Tolkien addressed that issue through Gimli's friendship with the elf Legolas. "Writing in a time when overt racism and anti-Semitism were commonplace, Tolkien shows two characters of different races, whose cultures have a history of conflict, overcoming stereotyped assumptions and becoming the best of friends."

In a draft of his response to that German publisher, Tolkien wrote, “If am to understand that you are enquiring whether I am of Jewish origin, I can only reply that I regret that I appear to have no ancestors of that gifted people .…”

According to Ordway, the actual response was even more strongly worded.

That tends to make his position clear.

Tolkien respected the Jewish people, and hated anti-Semitism.

Shadowlands

 

Every month, our parish has a movie night. Our pastor, who is a film buff, shows a movie that has moral/religious themes. We view the movie, he gives us some details about it and the actors, then we have a discussion afterwards. 

Last night, the movie was Shadowlands, a movie about the courtship and marriage of C. S. Lewis and Joy Davidman, her death due to cancer, and how Lewis deals with that death.  Anthony Hopkins played Lewis, and Debra Winger played Davidman.

Lewis later wrote a book about dealing with her death, A Grief Observed. The movie - and the play from which it was adapted - was based on that book.

I had seen the movie decades ago when it was in the theaters. I also read A Grief Observed.

I highly recommend both.

Father is usually ready to answer any questions during the after-movie discussion, but a few stumped him last night.

In the movie, Joy had one son Douglas, with her from her previous marriage (in real life, she had two sons). When she dies, Lewis took in the boy. Someone in the audience asked what happened to the boy as Lewis himself would die just three years after Davidman. Father did not know.

Lewis had adopted both Douglas and his older brother David. At the time of Lewis's death, Douglas had just turned 18, so he was no longer a child. David at that point was 19. Douglas later became an actor, voice actor, producer, and more, and he and his wife had five children. He also shared in Lewis's estate after Lewis's older brother, Warnie, died. 

Two question rose about Warnie that Father could not answer. There was a hint in the movie that he had a drinking problem and someone wondered if he did have that problem.

Turns out he was indeed an alcoholic. But he apparently somewhat controlled his drinking with his brother's help, though not always successfully. I don't know what happened after Lewis died in terms of his drinking; Warnie survived him by 10 years, and was involved with helping to edit his bother's works, so perhaps he was able to keep his drinking under control. But I don't know for certain. 

Someone also wondered if after Lewis's death if he raised Douglas and David, his step-nephews. But they were 18 and 19, so no longer children, per se. He did maintain contact with them, however. He had inherited his brother's estate, and when he died in 1973 it all went to Douglas and David.

Some added notes: Douglas remained a Christian, but David reverted to his family's Orthodox Jewish faith. Lewis while he was alive tried to make sure there was kosher food provided for him.

Sadly, David had mental issues, and he and Douglas were estranged. David later died in a mental institution in 2014. 

Douglas is apparently still alive. 

Saint Tolkien?

 

I know there has been discussion of the G. K. Chesterton's canonization - though that seems to have stalled for now.

But now I'm seeing some folks raise the idea of canonizing J. R. R. Tolkien.

I don't see it - in either case.

Now first let me note that all those who reach heaven are saints, so if Chesterton and Tolkien are there - and I strongly suspect they are or will be - then they are indeed saints.  

I won't get into Chesterton's case, though I do view him as a good and holy man.

As for Tolkien, his Catholic faith clearly played a significant role in his life. He talked about his own struggles, particularly after the horrors of World War I, but he became solid and devout in his faith. It influenced how he raised his family - one of his sons, John, later became a priest, through there was a shadow over him later on - in his teaching, and in his writing. Scholars have noted the very Catholic nature of The Lord of the Rings. 

But to be canonized by the Church there has to be evidence of extraordinary sanctity. I've read a few biographies of him, and while I see evidence of his strong Catholic faith, I haven't seen anything that rises to the level of "extraordinary sanctity."

Now it may be there, and if there ever is a cause perhaps wiser minds than mine might find evidence of such sanctity.

As far as I know, there has been no formal cause started.

I do have a copy of this book. 

Maybe it's time to read it!

The Surprise

I just finished reading Chesterton's The Surprise. 

It was his final play, written in 1932, but it was not published or performed during his lifetime.  His secretary, Dorothy Collins, edited the manuscript and it was published in 1952.

I had read Magic before, but none of his other plays.

The Surprise was clever, entertaining, and I found the dialogue witty. Shaw was correct to suggest Chesterton should write plays. Too bad he did not write more.

I won't discuss the plot, other than to say it does include a couple of surprises.

One surprise is that Chesterton looks at some deeper issues such as free will, obedience, and omnipotence.

There was a production of it done by the Chesterton folks for EWTN.

  

Quite enjoyable!

A C. S. Lewis Poem

I have long been a fan of C. S. Lewis. I read his fiction, his fantasies, his essays, his theological works, his talks, and others his prose writings.  But I had read little of his poetry. 

Then I recently stumbled across this poem by C. S. Lewis. As I, an oldster, am increasingly dealing with various aches and pains, it spoke to me! 

As One Oldster to Another

Well, yes the old bones ache. There were easier 
Beds thirty years back. Sleep, then importunate, 
Now with reserve doles out her favours;
Food disagrees; there are droughts in houses. 

Headlong, the down night train rushes on with us,
Screams through the stations…how many more? Is it
Time soon to think of taking down one’s 
Case from the rack? Are we nearly there now?

Yet neither loss of friends, nor an emptying 
Future, nor England tamed and the ruin of 
Long-builded hopes thus far have taught my 
Obstinate heart a sedate deportment. 

Still beauty calls as once in the mazes of 
Boyhood. The bird-like soul quivers. Into her 
Flash darts of unfulfill’d desire and 
Pierce with a bright, unabated anguish. 

Armed thus with anguish, joy meets us even in
Youth--who forgets? This side of the terminus, 
Then, now, and always, thus, and only
Thus, were the doors of delight set open.