Tolkien and countercultural revolt -- Janis

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Date Posted: 21:23:06 04/06/02 Sat
Author: Andrew Lutes
Subject: Tolkien and countercultural revolt

I think that part of the attitude that Janis and other countercultural people had toward "law and order" can be found in something that Janis and them read: namely, Chapter 8, "The Scouring of the Shire," of The Return of the King, third part of The Ring Trilogy by J.R.R. Tolkien. In it, the adventuring hobbits Merry, Pippen, Frodo, and Same return to find that the Shire has been placed under a lot of restrictive rules and regulations by "Chief and Shirriffs," including confiscation of "pipeweed." Well, these free hobbits aren't going to put up with the imposition of a bunch of rules, and they successfully raise the Shire in revolt and throw out those who imposed them (the evil wizard Saruman and henchmen). Now I don't think that Tolkien wrote that chapter with the intent of inspiring countercultural revolt, but I think it does reflect how Janis and countercultural people felt. They considered themselves as free people, and who were these authorities to tell them what to do?! Of course, the purpose of drug, and automotive, laws, is to protect people from harm, but that's not how countercultural people saw it.

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Replies:

Re: Tolkien and countercultural revolt -- Tara, 18:46:06 12/23/03 Tue