XPost: rec.arts.books.tolkien, alt.books.cs-lewis
From: hayesmstw@hotmail.com
On 8 May 2004 01:18:56 -0400, jbrock@panix.com (John Brock) wrote:
>In article ,
>R Dan Henry wrote:
>
>>Revenge is central to the Hobbit (recovering their lost treasure is
>>intertwined with revenge on Smaug in the motivation of the Dwarves). The
>>goblins are massed in time to make the Battle of Five Armies because
>>they are seeking to avenge the Great Goblin. Smaug attacks Laketown to
>>avenge the aid the Dwarves have had from them.
>
>It's been pointed out that the trolls in The Hobbit seem to be more
>intelligent and independent than those in LOTR. I think this holds
>true for the Goblin/Orcs as well. In The Hobbit the Goblins seem
>to have a culture and a life of their own, while those in LOTR seem
>to have little existence other than as totally debased servants of
>evil. I would not expect LOTR's Orcs to care enough about a leader
>to want to avenge him, but I am not at all surprised that The
>Hobbit's Goblins would do so.
In "The Hobbit" Tolkien (like C.S. Lewis in "The silver chair") was perhaps
drawing on the tradition of goblins established by George McDonald in "The
princess and Curdie" and "The princess and the goblin".
Their behaviour is evil, in the sense that they are a criminal gang of
bandidts who rob travellers.
There is an oblique reference in "The Hobbit" to "the orcs of the mountains"
and a hint that they are much worse.
If the goblins in TH represent crime, the orcs of LotR represent organised
crime, with Sauron playing the role of the godfather.
--
Steve Hayes
E-mail: hayesmstw@hotmail.com
Web: http://www.geocities.com/hayesstw/stevesig.htm
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/7734/books.htm
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