Many fantasy novels have been banned from bookshelves due to positive portrayals of magic being interpreted as problematic, and J.R.R. Tolkien’sThe Lord of the RingsandThe Hobbitare no exception. Tolkien’s high fantasy works are the forerunners of almost the entire fantasy genre as we know it today, butThe Hobbitis actually much less an epic saga than a contained, fairy-tale-esque adventure aimed at children. Taking place earlier in theLord of the Ringstimelineand largely focusing on Bilbo Baggins' personal journey and transformation, it seems less likely to be targeted by bans than its contemporaries.
Those who focus on what they think to be the dangerous elements ofThe Hobbitare missing out on the landmark tale of one Hobbit’s adventure,which teaches him about bravery and friendship. Additionally,The HobbitandLord of the Rings’religious allegorieshave not excused the books from being criticized on religious grounds. However, the history of book bans and burnings has unfortunately revealed that many similar books won’t sit well with someone when there are many different ways to interpret the text beyond the author’s obvious intention.
J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit Was Banned For Having “Satanic Themes”
“Witchcraft” In The Hobbit Is Still Occasionally Received Poorly
Bothbooktrib.comandbannedlibrary.comreport thatThe Hobbitwas pushed to be banned from public libraries due to its inclusion of “witchcraft and satanic themes,“also referencing a prominent example in 2001 in Alamogordo, New Mexico, which also resulted in a Christian rights group having a book burning. While the book does not feature characters such as Saruman and Galadriel, who made it into the movie adaptations, it still highlights Gandalf as a practitioner of magic, as well as Smaug as a malevolent, inherently supernatural figure. More overall world-building and themes are also likely what the complaints refer to.
The LOTR Books Are Banned For The Same Reason, But The Hobbit Is More Surprising
LOTR Features More Of What Is Probably The Cause For Tolkien Book Bans
TheLord of the Ringsbooks have also been bannedover the years, but it is easier to see why than withThe Hobbit. There are more characters like Gandalf who practice what may be seen as dangerous “witchcraft,” and Gandalf’s own magic plays a larger role in the story. Galadriel is even seen by some peoples as an untrustworthy witch within the setting. Furthermore,the demonic motifs seen in figures such as Sauron, the Balrog, and other villains and monsters are also much more prominent,even if they are explicitly depicted as antagonist forces in the story.
The Hobbit Movies Couldn’t Make One Crucial Decision & It Led To My Biggest Problem With The Trilogy
The Hobbit movies couldn’t decide whether to stick to the lighthearted nature of the books or go for the action epic of LOTR, and failed at both.
In contrast,The Hobbitis a less magical tale than a grounded adventure that happens to take place in a magical world. Regardless, bothThe HobbitandLord of the Ringsclearly display stories and themes about heroes fighting the forces of evil, which are evidently associated with devilish ideology. Banning the books based on this might be missing the point of the story, but the other ways magic plays into the conflict perhaps make the line blurrier for some — and it is not as if this has limited Middle-earth’s influence on the cultural zeitgeist.
Source: booktrib.com, bannedlibrary.com
