Lord of the Rings establishes good and evil as known quantities, with good winning out in the end, a narrative that (being published in 1954) is understandably in step with the moral sensibility that dubbed World War II “The Good War”*. A Song of Ice and Fire isn’t so sure about most of its characters’ moralities — many of its “good” characters can exhibit ruthlessness and pride, while many “evil” characters are sometimes selfless and merciful. In this age of anonymous bombs dropped by flying machines half a world away on “enemy combatants” (read: “bad guys”), Martin’s Westeros provides a bracingly contemporary contrast to Tolkien’s black-and-white Middle-earth: friends and enemies all depend on who is telling you the story and where you’re situated in the narrative. ]
Posted on: Tue, 27 Aug 2013 16:30:09 +0000
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