Writing Forum

I had a curious thought, as I bit my tongue about politics (perhaps it is wrong of me to equate politics with manipulation in a pejorative sense as I imagine the purpose of it is to find agreement which seems like it would be a good thing) regarding fantasy and relating to politics. As an american with roots back more than 200 years it is curious that I like medieval fantasy which often includes ideas of class, nobility in that sense, and ignoring the political systems that often underlay these societies. I would guess that fantasy written by Americans would be unaware of this fact though my guess is belied by GRR Martin who seems to have a good handle on the down side of it though he follows the higher ranks in his Song of Ice and Fire.

This came to me as I was read/listening to the Return of the King. Tolkien is not shy about assuming class in his world of Middle Earth. Frodo is the master, Sam his devoted servant. Aragorn is noble, but he is also A noble, he is a king in truth. Kings are things we in America have tried to leave behind us. Do we look for it now in our lack?

Having rebelled, perhaps we are destined to be mastered at last. In Tolkien, folk know their place and their quality. In America there is a political elite (labeled D and R) who find it annoying that we do not know our place or that they deserve to rule us by their accumulation of wealth and by virtue of their birth to it. They claim to have our best interests at heart but behind closed doors and in articles and to each other, when they think us too stupid to even understand the threat of their intent, they plan to be rid of as many of us as they can. They view us as blight on their earth not brothers if only poor ones.

What is this royalty/nobility to you who have it and which is present in fantasy? Is it still a thing on its own or is it replaced, as here, with elite and is only another flavor of the same beast? It is curious to me that in the feudal system a serf was bound to his land. In history and empire builder games the people are a resource. When did we become something to be removed so as to repair the land. Could it be that I like Fantasy because, in the past, the meanest serf was an asset where now the elite see us as a troublesome infestation which they hope to manipulate, cleverly pit against itself, so as to effect our removal ourselves.

If the idea that a country should have a border or that it should owe its first allegiance to its citizens is too extreme I wonder.

LSO