Saruman of Many Colors
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University of Iceland School of Humanities Departement of English Saruman of Many Colors A Hero of Liberal Pragmatism B.A. Essay Elfar Andri Aðalsteinsson Kt.: 1508922369 Supervisor: Matthew Whelpton May 2017 ABSTRACT This essay explores the role of the wizard Saruman the White in The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien, and challenges the common conception that Saruman is a villain, instead arguing that Saruman is a hero espousing the values of liberal pragmatism. The policy goals and implicit values of Saruman are contested with his peer and ultimately opponent, Gandalf the Grey, later the White. Both wizards attempt to defeat Sauron but, where Saruman considers new methods, such as recruting the orcs, Gandalf is stuck in old methods and prejudices, as he is unwilling look for new races to recruit. Both wizards construct alliances to accomplish their goals but the racial composition of these alliances can be used to see the wizards in a new light. While Gandalf offers a conventional alliance of “the free” races of Middle Earth (Elves Dwarves, Men. Hobbits and Ents), Saruman can be seen as uniting the marginalised and down-trodden people and races, under a common banner with a common goal. In particular, Saruman brings enemies together into a strong functioning whole, showing that orcs and men can work and prosper together. Gandalf’s blinkered conservatism and Saruman’s pragmatic embrace of diversity are reflected symbolically in the symbolism of white and the rainbow of many colors. After examining all these points it becomes clear that Saruman the White is not the villain that he is assumed to be by Gandalf the Grey, later the White, and his followers in Middle Earth. Instead Saruman is a hero as he is willing sacrifice everything in the service of his mission, just so that the races of Middle Earth might have a chance of defeating Sauron and making a better world in the future, which would embrace the liberal values that he champions in his policies. Table of Contents 1. Introduction ………………………………………………………………………...1 2. Tolkien Mythology and Heroes ……………………………………………………2 3. The White Wizards…………………………………………………………………3 3.1. Saruman and Realpolitik ...………………………………………............3 3.2. Gandalf: Idealist or Cynic? …………………………..………………….7 3.3. The Significance of White……………………………………………….9 4. A Tale of Two Coalitions………………………………………………………...10 4.1. Gandalf’s Coalition of the Willing …………………………………….10 4.1.1. Elves …………….………………………………………………10 4.1.2. Dwarves …………………………………………………………11 4.1.3. Hobbits .........................................................................................12 4.1.4. Humans …………………………………………………………13 4.1.5. Ents …………………………………………………………......14 4.2. Saruman’s Liberal Pragmatism: Enemies into Allies..………………...15 4.2.1. Humans …………………………………………………………15 4.2.2. Orcs ……………………………………………………..............16 5. Conclusion ………………………………………………………………………18 Primary Sources ……………………………………………………………………22 Works Cited...............................................................................................................22 1 1. Introduction In many of the stories that fill the fantasy genre there is a central conflict, usually between the forces of good and evil, with the resolution being that the good side, or more accurately, the heroes are triumphant and receive a happy ending. The forces of evil, or the villains, on the other hand are not that fortunate as they are either killed or lose everything. However, that is most often not the concern of the reader as the story has firmly planted their sympathy and support on the side of the heroes. In The Lord of the Rings trilogy by J.R.R. Tolkien, it is simple to see who are on the side of good, heroes, and who is a follower of evil. There are even different types of heroes, for the reader to identify with. In The Lord of the Rings Tolkien has written a medieval story and given it both kinds of hero, the extraordinary man to give the epic sweep of great events, and the common man who has the immediate, poignant appeal of someone with whom the reader can identify. Aragorn is a traditional epic/romance hero, larger than life, a leader, fighter, lover, healer. … Frodo, on the other hand, is a fairy- tale hero. He is a little man both literally and figuratively, and we recognize ourselves in him. (Zimbardo and Isaacs, 124) One character who is most decidedly not on the roster of heroes is the wizard Saruman, who is branded a traitor by the heroes when he attempts to find a way to not suffer a complete defeat at the hands of Sauron. Saruman also takes one of the most hated races that inhabit Middle Earth, and instead of displaying hostility towards them he attempts to construct a society that they, along with other races, are a part of. As many of the actions taken by the heroes fall on the grey side of being heroes, the opposite is true for Saruman: many of his actions when examined objectively could be viewed as heroic, thus undermining the way he is portrayed throughout the trilogy as a turn-cloak villain who gets what he deserves in the end. Rather he is a hero attempting to win an impossible war while trying to implement social changes in a world with deep rooted racial divides and hatred. Furthermore, there are key differences with the other wizard who takes active part in the war, Gandalf, both in the actions they take and what people they chose to associate with. I argue here that a close consideration of these differences 2 leads to the conclusion that Gandalf is not quite the hero that he is commonly represented as, nor Saruman quite the villain. In the second chapter we will make a brief biography of Tolkien, followed by a closer look at the types of heroes that are recognizable in the story and if the wizards that are cast as good or evil are correctly identified as such. Which will bring us to the third chapter that compares the nature and values of the two wizards and ties it in to the significance of white, the traditional color of good. That will bring us to chapter 4 where the aims and intentions of the wizards are compared in terms of the coalitions that they build. 2. Tolkien Mythology and Heroes J. R. R. Tolkien was born on 3rd January 1892 in South Africa, where his father worked for a bank. The family returned to England after Arthur Tolkien died and later on converted to the Catholic faith. Tolkien would later on study at Oxford and finish his studies before fighting in the First World War. Before setting out for the front he was married to Edith Bratt. After his participation in the war, Tolkien set about writing an evolving set of manuscripts and stories, which would eventually lead to The Lord of the Rings trilogy. The trilogy itself took a total of twelve years for Tolkien to write before publication. After publication the books met with success and subsequent fame for the author. Tolkien passed away in 1973. However, the world that he created remains to this day, having even been adapted to the silver screen. Middle Earth is filled with intelligent species, not only men, but also mythological species such as dragons, orcs, dwarves, elves and hobbits. An important theme of the book is the interrelations and tensions between these species. There are also wizards able to use magic along with other characters that demonstrate that skill, which serves to emphasize that this not a normal adventure story, instead this story takes place in a mythological world filled with heroes and magic. At first glance the heroes of the story seem easy to recognize, in the form of Aragorn, the hero that is the easiest to identify, and then Frodo the unlikely hero, who is driven from his home and reluctantly takes up the quest. However, there should also be consideration for those who are willing to sacrifice everything to bring down Sauron. 3 That is where the two main wizards Saruman and Gandalf come in, as they attempt to influence the large scale events and struggles instead of going on quests that would cover them in personal glory. Instead they step back from the spotlight to better influence things through politics. The view on good and evil that is expressed throughout the story may be influenced by Tolkien’s service in World War I, where he served in France and further reinforced his distaste for the professional officer. Indeed, Tolkien had more respect for the enlisted men that made up the rest of the battalion, with Sam Gamgee eventually becoming a reflection of English soldier (Carpenter, 114). Furthermore, the war that Tolkien experienced was nothing like the heroic medieval tales, where there is usually one hero that does great deeds and there is usually a final battle. Instead he experienced a war where industry had revolutionized warfare. Looking at the War of the Ring, there are similarities between it and WW I. The war between Gondor and Mordor has been going on for a long time with no end in sight and the battle lines that have not changed much. That changes when a conclusive battle is fought at the capital of Gondor, which also gives a chance for heroics and later on allows the Ring to be destroyed with the help of a more unorthodox hero, Sam, who literally carries his master the last part of the way. However, even though Tolkien creates a large set of main characters, all with the possibility of being a hero, the wizards should not be forgotten as they influence events in Middle Earth to suit themselves in their own quests. While initially it seems obvious which wizard is on the side of good and which of evil, a closer look reveals a different answer.