{"product_id":"the-mismeasure-of-orcs-9781476694351","title":"The Mismeasure of Orcs","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e   Despite its well-earned reputation as the richest world in fantasy, there exists a notable, troubling problem in Tolkien''s legendarium: the existence of a sentient, rational being for whom no sympathy or moral feeling is ever shown. Examining the origin stories of the orc, which changed over time according to Tolkien''s own worries about whether orcs were redeemable, this book endeavors to show that these inhuman creatures are, in fact, among the most human (perhaps all-too-human) to be found in \u003ci\u003eThe Lord of the Rings\u003c\/i\u003e. This work discusses racism and class hierarchies in Tolkien''s writings, contexts in which the characterization of orcs is particularly noticeable. But Tolkien''s own writings reveal the nature of orcs to be worthy of sympathy, despite their often dehumanized or demonized depictions. Focusing on key scenes from \u003ci\u003eThe Silmarillion\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eThe Hobbit\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003eThe Lord of the Rings\u003c\/i\u003e, this study uncovers the richly diverse cultures, as well as the distinctive personalities of various orcs, who turn out to be a far cry from the monsters they are taken to be in the popular imagination. A revised understanding of the orcs as a people presents Middle-earth''s history, geopolitics, and cultural anthropology in a new light.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"McFarland \u0026 Co Inc","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51138284618071,"sku":"9781476694351","price":20.89,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"url":"https:\/\/bookcurl.com\/products\/the-mismeasure-of-orcs-9781476694351","provider":"Book Curl","version":"1.0","type":"link"}