Medieval Fantasy in Popular Culture

Game of Thrones is a popular HBO series based off the books written by George Martin.   This popular book and television show series is a gritty, medieval fantasy-based work. Therefore, it is obviously centered around violence, blood, sexual violence, rejection of clear definitions of good and evil, and pseudo-medieval settings. Basically, it is a lot of war, rape, killing, and violence. Fantasy is often criticized for the racial inequalities and bad morals it broadcasts but is never holds considering it is “not the real world.” However, many people study medieval-based fantasy to see popular culture as well as the thoughts individuals possess. This is due to the fact that authors can write about whatever they want because it “is not real.” Tolkien, the author that invented the genre, had Eurocentric works based off of the four features of race theory. Therefore, fantasy works are typically patriarchal and White. In fact, most fantasy has all or the “good” as Whi...

The Racial Hierarchy      In the mind of Tolkien race is a hierarchy and is a determinant to how each individual is treated and treats others. White people are are floating on top of the scale while people of color are sinking beneath it. He demonstrates this ludicrous hierarchy in his famous novel The Lord of the Rings. However is race just a myth that is being glorified and accentuated by the people who created the ideology itself?      The whitest characters are the Elves as they are credited for the characters’ whiteness. As stated in his novel Frodo’s white skin is described as “fair of hue…pail but beautiful with an elvish beauty.” This quote justifies that the only form of beauty and acceptance is having extraordinarily white skin. Another example is how the men of Gondor, the whitest humans, are on the top the hierarchy because they speak in Elvish tongue. Frodo is given the ability to identify men from Gondor because “it was the elvish tongue t...

                                                                                http://lotr.wikia.com/wiki/Gondolin One day, Aredhel grows weary of her surroundings and decides to leave. Her brother Turgon reluctantly lets her leave under certain conditions. However, Aredhel disobeys her brother's orders and goes where she wants. Fortunately, her travels don’t get her into any danger in the beginning. However, as one might expect the main character gets into trouble on her journey. Eol sees her and longs for her to be his possession. He casts a spell and she wanders into his neck of the woods where there is no sunlight. Aredhel goes into his house and is forced to stay there for many years. She doesn’t get to visit her family nor be in the sunlight. It is only after their son, Maeglin,...