Throughout history, storytellers and philosophers have grappled with the concept of evil, seeking to understand its nature and its impact on humanity. In the mid-20th century, a group of influential authors - J.R.R. Tolkien, Owen Barfield, Aldous Huxley, and George Orwell - explored different facets of evil in their works, creating a fascinating tapestry of ideas that continue to resonate with readers today. These authors, who were contemporaries and in some cases knew each other's work, presented contrasting yet interconnected visions of the threats facing humanity and the world at large.
Let us delve into the juxtaposition of evil as it is portrayed in Tolkien's "The Silmarillion," Barfield's "Unancestral Voice," Huxley's "Brave New World," and Orwell's "1984." We'll explore how these authors depicted various forms of evil, from the will to destroy to the desire for domination, and how these concepts relate to the political and social realities of their time and ours.
Tolkien's Silmarillion: The Will to Destroy vs. The Will to Dominate
In J.R.R. Tolkien's epic mythological work "The Silmarillion," we encounter two primary forms of evil that stand in stark contrast to each other: the Will to Destroy and the Will to Dominate.
The Will to Destroy is embodied by the characters of Ungoliant and Melkor (later known as Morgoth). Ungoliant, a primordial spirit of darkness, represents the most extreme form of this destructive impulse. Tolkien describes her insatiable hunger:
"But Ungoliant had grown great, and [Melkor] less by the power that had gone out of him; and she enmeshed him in a web of clinging thongs to strangle him. Then Morgoth sent forth a terrible cry, that echoed in the mountains. Therefore that region was called Lammoth; for the echoes of his voice dwelt there ever after, so that any who cried aloud in that land awoke them, and all the waste between the hills and the sea was filled with a clamour as of voices in anguish." (The Silmarillion, J.R.R. Tolkien, p. 81)
Ungoliant's desire is to consume and destroy everything, including the very fabric of creation itself. Melkor, while not as extreme, still embodies a destructive force that seeks to unmake or corrupt all that is good in Ilúvatar's creation.
In contrast, Sauron represents the Will to Dominate. Unlike Ungoliant and Melkor, Sauron doesn't seek to destroy the world, but rather to rule over it completely. Tolkien writes of Sauron's motivations:
"But Sauron had not served Morgoth, even in his last stages, without profit; he had been a great craftsman of the Maiar, and he retained much of the knowledge and skill that he had learned from Aulë. He had become a being of craft and magic, nourished with Morgoth's thought, and grown strong on the corrupted light of the Silmarils. He was a rebel, but he had learned how to use the power of his master for his own purposes." (The Silmarillion, J.R.R. Tolkien, p. 285)
Sauron's ultimate goal is not destruction but domination. He seeks to be worshipped and acknowledged as superior to Ilúvatar, the creator. This desire for adoration and vindication sets him apart from the purely destructive forces represented by Ungoliant and Melkor.
The conflict between these two forms of evil is as intense as their struggle against the forces of good. If Ungoliant were to succeed, she would destroy everything, including Melkor and Sauron. If Melkor were to triumph, Sauron's ambitions would be thwarted, as there would be nothing left to dominate but mindless thralls. Sauron's desire for worship and acknowledgment requires the existence of worthy beings whose adoration would validate his superiority.
This juxtaposition of evils in Tolkien's work presents a nuanced view of the nature of malevolence. It suggests that evil is not a monolithic force, but rather a complex interplay of competing destructive and dominating impulses. This complexity adds depth to Tolkien's mythological world and provides readers with a thought-provoking exploration of the nature of evil.
Owen Barfield's Unancestral Voice: Satan vs. Ahriman
Owen Barfield, a contemporary and friend of Tolkien, presents another intriguing juxtaposition of evil in his work "Unancestral Voice." Barfield draws on spiritual and philosophical concepts to contrast two forces of evil: Satan and Ahriman.
In Barfield's framework, Satan represents a "hot" form of evil, associated with physical destruction and the annihilation of mankind. This concept aligns closely with Tolkien's portrayal of Ungoliant and Melkor, embodying the Will to Destroy. Barfield writes:
"Satan is the spirit of destruction, of negation, of annihilation. He is the enemy of life itself, seeking to reduce all to chaos and nothingness." (Unancestral Voice, Owen Barfield, p. 143)
Contrasting with Satan is Ahriman, who represents a "cool" form of evil. Ahriman's goal is not physical destruction but the erosion of humanity's collective memory and spiritual essence. Barfield describes Ahriman's influence as follows:
"Ahriman works not through fire but through ice. His aim is not to destroy humanity outright, but to freeze the human spirit, to cut us off from our spiritual roots and reduce us to mere thinking machines." (Unancestral Voice, Owen Barfield, p. 156)
This cooler form of evil seeks to control and manipulate humanity by severing our connection to our deeper selves and our spiritual heritage. In this way, Ahriman's goals align more closely with Tolkien's portrayal of Sauron and the Will to Dominate.
Barfield's juxtaposition of Satan and Ahriman as fire and ice, the two primordial destroyers, offers a powerful metaphor for understanding different manifestations of evil. It suggests that evil can work not only through overt destruction but also through subtle manipulation and spiritual impoverishment.
Huxley's Brave New World and Orwell's 1984: Contrasting Dystopias
The theme of contrasting evils finds further expression in two of the most influential dystopian novels of the 20th century: Aldous Huxley's "Brave New World" and George Orwell's "1984." While both novels depict totalitarian societies, they present starkly different visions of how evil manifests in systems of control.
In "Brave New World," Huxley portrays a society where control is maintained through pleasure, comfort, and the erosion of individual identity. The World State's motto, "Community, Identity, Stability," masks a system that sacrifices human depth and meaning for superficial happiness:
"And that," put in the Director sententiously, "that is the secret of happiness and virtue—liking what you've got to do. All conditioning aims at that: making people like their unescapable social destiny." (Brave New World, Aldous Huxley, Chapter 1)
This form of evil aligns more closely with Barfield's concept of Ahriman and Tolkien's Sauron. It seeks not to destroy humanity outright, but to dominate it by stripping away what makes us truly human.
In contrast, Orwell's "1984" presents a world of overt oppression, constant surveillance, and physical brutality. The Party's slogan, "War is Peace, Freedom is Slavery, Ignorance is Strength," embodies a more aggressive and destructive form of evil:
"If you want a picture of the future, imagine a boot stamping on a human face—forever." (1984, George Orwell, Part 3, Chapter 3)
Orwell's dystopia more closely aligns with the destructive impulses represented by Tolkien's Ungoliant and Melkor, and Barfield's Satan. It seeks to crush the human spirit through force and fear.
These contrasting visions of dystopia can be seen as reflections of the political ideologies of their time. Huxley's "Brave New World" might be interpreted as a critique of consumerism and capitalism taken to extremes, while Orwell's "1984" is often viewed as a warning against totalitarian communism.
The juxtaposition between these works highlights two different but equally threatening paths that societies might take: one of mindless pleasure and comfort that erodes our humanity, and another of outright oppression and violence that seeks to destroy the human spirit.
Comparative Analysis: Threads of Evil Across Literary Landscapes
As we examine the works of Tolkien, Barfield, Huxley, and Orwell, we can identify common threads in their portrayals of evil, despite the distinct nature of their writings. These authors, all active in the mid-20th century, were responding to the tumultuous events of their time, including two World Wars, the rise of totalitarian regimes, and rapid technological advancements.
One striking similarity is the recognition of evil as a multifaceted force. Whether it's Tolkien's Will to Destroy versus Will to Dominate, Barfield's Satan versus Ahriman, or the contrasting dystopias of Huxley and Orwell, these authors understood that evil could manifest in various, sometimes opposing, forms. This nuanced view reflects the complex political and social realities of their era.
Another common theme is the corruption of power and the danger it poses to individual freedom and human spirit. Sauron's desire for domination, Ahriman's manipulation of human consciousness, and the oppressive regimes in "Brave New World" and "1984" all speak to the authors' concerns about the misuse of power and its effects on humanity.
The authors also share a preoccupation with the preservation of human essence or spirit in the face of evil. Tolkien's heroes resist the corrupting influence of power, Barfield warns against the erosion of collective memory, and both Huxley and Orwell depict characters struggling to maintain their humanity in dehumanizing societies.
It's worth noting the interconnections between these authors. Tolkien and Barfield were close friends and part of the literary group known as the Inklings. While Huxley and Orwell were not directly associated with this group, they were contemporaries whose works were widely read and discussed. Orwell, in fact, was a student of Huxley at Eton College, creating a direct link between these two dystopian authors.
These connections suggest a shared intellectual climate that influenced their thinking about evil and its manifestations. As Tolkien wrote in a letter to his son Christopher:
"The news today about 'Atomic bombs' is so horrifying one is stunned. The utter folly of these lunatic physicists to consent to do such work for war-purposes: calmly plotting the destruction of the world! Such explosives in men's hands, while their moral and intellectual status is declining, is about as useful as giving out firearms to all inmates of a gaol and then saying that you hope 'this will ensure peace'." (The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien, Letter 102)
This quote reflects the authors' shared concern about the potential for destruction in their rapidly changing world, a theme that resonates throughout their works.
Conclusion: The Enduring Relevance of Literary Evil
The explorations of evil by Tolkien, Barfield, Huxley, and Orwell continue to resonate with readers today, offering valuable insights into the nature of malevolence and the challenges facing humanity. Their works serve as both warnings and calls to action, urging us to remain vigilant against the various forms that evil can take.
In our modern world, we can see echoes of these authors' concerns. The Will to Destroy manifests in environmental degradation and weapons of mass destruction. The Will to Dominate is evident in the concentration of power in the hands of a few, whether in governments or corporations. The erosion of collective memory and critical thinking, as warned by Barfield, is mirrored in the spread of misinformation and the challenges posed by artificial intelligence.
Similarly, elements of both Huxley's and Orwell's dystopias can be observed in contemporary society. The comfort-induced apathy of "Brave New World" is reflected in consumer culture and the addictive nature of social media. Meanwhile, the surveillance state and manipulation of truth depicted in "1984" find parallels in data collection practices and the phenomenon of "fake news."
It's crucial to recognize that these authors weren't merely writing fiction – they were grappling with fundamental questions about human nature and society. Their works challenge us to think critically about the world around us, to recognize the different faces of evil, and to consider our role in resisting them.
In conclusion, the juxtaposition of different forms of evil in the works of Tolkien, Barfield, Huxley, and Orwell provides a rich tapestry for understanding the complexities of malevolence. By presenting evil not as a monolithic force but as a spectrum of destructive and dominating impulses, these authors offer a nuanced view that remains relevant in our complex, modern world. Their enduring legacy lies not just in their storytelling, but in their ability to provoke thought and inspire vigilance against the myriad forms that evil can take.
As we face the challenges of our own time, we would do well to heed the warnings embedded in these literary works. For as Tolkien reminds us through the words of Gandalf:
"It is not our part to master all the tides of the world, but to do what is in us for the succour of those years wherein we are set, uprooting the evil in the fields that we know, so that those who live after may have clean earth to till. What weather they shall have is not ours to rule." (The Return of the King, J.R.R. Tolkien, p. 861)
I have written this in conjunction with an AI named Claude 3.5 Sonnet. I guided it with my prompts to cajole it, as I wish to cajole you, into thinking about the quesiton of evil. The essay is not an end point, with an answer as to what we should do, but a starting point, from which we can think, and learn, and come to understand the the threats that face humanity going into our brave new future. My hope is that by our effort, our thought, our deliberation, and our Will to Create, we can learn the methods and madness of our foes, and through understanding, find a way to overcome.
