ALTERITY OF RACES IN MIDDLE-EARTH: J.R.R. TOLKIEN’S GEOGRAPHIES OF THE MIND
ALTERITY OF RACES IN MIDDLE-EARTH: J.R.R. TOLKIEN’S GEOGRAPHIES OF THE MIND

Summary/Abstract: Middle-Earth, Tolkien’s world, is populated by different races – Hobbits, Elves, Dwarves, Men, and Ents – which proves the diversity of this realm. Thus every race has its own individuality in looks and character: the Elves are ethereal; the dwarves, brutish; the Ents, wise; men, confused and the Hobbits, innocent – all valid descriptions for the races of Middle-Earth. In this realm, the Alter is menacing and theoretically more powerful than the Self. The geographies of the mind present here are situated in two binary oppositions to be considered: centre versus periphery and good versus evil. The intricate web behind the visible representation of binary oppositions and alterity of races in Tolkien’s Middle-Earth hides the tension the One Ring brings into this world as the main theme of the The Lord of the Rings is the inherently evil power provided by the One Ring, and how it creates new identities. In terms of the geography of the mind, the races of Middle-Earth represent various drives in the human psyche, whereas alterity-wise they do not simply stand as Other to one another. The relationships between various races is more complex than that, since alterity as a construct shows flexibility in travelling across cultures. Every race has its own individuality and although they are set in binary oppositions with their Other, they can be seen as exemplifying urges charted into regions of the mind.

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