This site makes extensive use of JavaScript.
Please enable JavaScript in your browser.
Live
PTR
10.2.5
PTR
10.2.6
J.R.R. Tolkien owning Nazis
Post Reply
Return to board index
Post by
Laihendi
So Laihendi was doing some Tolkien research on the internet, and came across a letter he wrote.
Background information: Tolkien is attempting to get his book
The Hobbit
published in Germany during the Nazi regime. The publishing company sends Tolkien a letter asking him to confirm that he is of the aryan race.
Tolkien's reply:
Dear Sirs,
Thank you for your letter ... I regret that I am not clear as to what you intend by arisch. I am not of Aryan extraction: that is Indo-iranian; as far as I am aware noone of my ancestors spoke Hindustani, Persian, Gypsy, or any related dialects. But if I 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. My great-great-grandfather came to England in the eighteenth century from Germany: the main part of my descent is therefore purely English, and I am an English subject -- which should be sufficient. I have been accustomed, nonetheless, to regard my German name with pride, and continued to do so throughout the period of the late regrettable war, in which I served in the English army. I cannot, however, forbear to comment that if impertinent and irrelevant inquiries of this sort are to become the rule in matters of literature, then the time is not far distant when a German name will no longer be a source of pride.
Your enquiry is doubtless made in order to comply with the laws of your own country, but that this should be held to apply to the subjects of another state would be improper, even if it had (as it has not) any bearing whatsoever on the merits of my work or its sustainability for publication, of which you appear to have satisfied yourselves without reference to my Abstammung.
I trust you will find this reply satisfactory, and remain yours faithfully
J.R.R. Tolkien
<3 Tolkien
Edit: Written July 25, 1938.
Post by
115147
This post was from a user who has deleted their account.
Post by
Laihendi
Obviously some weren't (Nazis are a good example of this).
Post by
blademeld
We have the internet, intelligence is no longer necessary.
(sadly)
Post by
Laihendi
We have the internet, intelligence is no longer necessary.
(sadly)
lawl wuch u tlkng bout pplz stil smert wit enternets LOL xD
Post by
Wildhorn
We have the internet, intelligence is no longer necessary.
(sadly)
Not only that but stupidity seem to be encouraged.
(sadly)
All that due to this politically correct bull*!@#, which prevent people to tell to stupid people that they are stupid, which make them to never figure out that they are stupid.
Post by
blademeld
Intelligence is relative, so in contrast to the forefathers of science, for example, everyone is stupid.
Just like how everyone is a weakling compared to a bulldozer.
Post by
149424
This post was from a user who has deleted their account.
Post by
266586
This post was from a user who has deleted their account.
Post by
Toldry
Obviously some weren't (Nazis are a good example of this).
Nazis weren't necessarily stupid, they were just so extremely
screwed up
,
evil
, and hateful that they decided to follow a crazed orator like Hitler into exterminating millions of people and starting the bloodiest war in history.
Yes, they were economically screwed up, which
drove
them to
evil
.
Post by
123022
This post was from a user who has deleted their account.
Post by
266586
This post was from a user who has deleted their account.
Post by
Toldry
Ya.
Post by
Fizzles
Hitler was simply placing the blame on the Jewish religion.
he had a vendetta against them. He was homeless in Vienna, and lived in a primarily rich Jewish part of the city: this is where his hate originated.
Since he was believed to be a great public speaker, he convinced the German public (and those in higher ranks than Hitler at the time) that the Jews were to blame.
In short, the Jewish people were completely innocent during WWII.
Damn why don't I do that in my essay? :/
Post by
266586
This post was from a user who has deleted their account.
Post by
Fathios
Also awesome involving shutting down Nazis: I always knew that Gandhi was an awesome guy, but apparently he had the balls to
write Hitler a polite letter,
asking if he could
kindly stop his racist genocide
. This was before anyone really knew what the Nazis were doing.
Post by
128491
This post was from a user who has deleted their account.
Post by
Laihendi
Well this thread seems to have turned away from Tolkien :-/
Post by
154720
This post was from a user who has deleted their account.
Post by
Toldry
Well this thread seems to have turned away from Tolkien :-/
Yes, please do not turn this thread into a history lesson.
Post Reply
You are not logged in. Please
log in
to post a reply or
register
if you don't already have an account.