Slaves of the Ring: Tolkien's Political Unconscious

In: Historical materialism: research in critical marxist theory, Band 10, Heft 4, S. 113-133

Abstract

Informed by Fredric Jameson's (1981) political approach to interpreting literature, a dialectical reading of J. R. R. Tolkein's The Hobbit (1937) & the The Lord of the Rings (1954, 1955) is presented. Rather than accept the conventional interpretation of Tolkein's works as escapist, it is contended that the protagonist Frodo Baggins is charged with the unavoidable task of destroying the Ring of Power; consequently, it is argued that Tolkein acknowledges the unfeasibility of escaping reality. Tolkein's delineation of the war between the human & demi-human races of Middle Earth & the orcs is interpreted as a manifestation of the fear of the British intellectual class that mass insurrection would threaten property ownership. Several additional themes within Tolkein's works are identified including the commodification of power, the implications of individuals' abandonment of power as a means of overcoming capitalism, property's capacity to turn individuals into evil opportunists, & the ability of socialist systems to repudiate the trappings of materialism. Contemporary society's prospects for overcoming the destructive power inherent in capitalist systems are also contemplated. 17 References. J. W. Parker