There is a lot of depth in LOTR but it follows themes that are very different from the stories that modernity wants to see. Modernity wants to see evil characters who are sympathetic and “good” characters who do bad things for good reasons (with the moral being that nobody is truly good or truly evil). On the other hand, Tolkien’s stories are about the contradictory natures of good and evil, and the seductiveness of evil that everyone struggles against.

Personally, I think Tolkien’s version is closer to reality than modernity’s. Evil deeds are just a manifestation of people’s desires; desires that are placed on the wrong things and/or pursued without consideration or restraint. Evil is actually very simple. Any perceived “complexity” is just a result of the machinations people employ to satisfy their desires. Any “good” people who are struggling with a morally grey decision are almost always struggling because the obviously right decision requires self-sacrifice (something they don’t want to do), or they simply don’t have the moral clarity to understand right from wrong.

There is a lot of depth in LOTR but it follows themes that are very different from the stories that modernity wants to see. Modernity wants to see evil characters who are sympathetic and “good” characters who do bad things for good reasons (with the moral being that nobody is good and nobody is evil). On the other hand, Tolkien’s stories are about the contradictory natures of good and evil, and the seductiveness of evil that everyone struggles against.

Personally, I think Tolkien’s version is closer to reality than modernity’s. Evil deeds are just a manifestation of people’s desires; desires that are placed on the wrong things and/or pursued without consideration or restraint. Evil is actually very simple. Any perceived “complexity” is just a result of the machinations people employ to satisfy their desires. Any “good” people who are struggling with a morally grey decision are almost always struggling because the obviously right decision requires self-sacrifice (something they don’t want to do), or they simply don’t have the moral clarity to understand right from wrong.

There is a lot of depth in LOTR but it follows themes that are very different from the stories that modernity wants to see. Modernity wants to see evil characters who are sympathetic and “good” characters who do bad things for good reasons. On the other hand, Tolkien’s stories are about the nature of good and evil, and particularly the seductiveness of evil that everyone struggles against.

Personally, I think Tolkien’s version is closer to reality than modernity’s. Evil deeds are just a manifestation of people’s desires; desires that are placed on the wrong things and/or pursued without consideration or restraint. Evil is actually very simple. Any perceived “complexity” is just a result of the machinations people employ to satisfy their desires. Any “good” people who are struggling with a morally grey decision are almost always struggling because the obviously right decision requires self-sacrifice (something they don’t want to do), or they simply don’t have the moral clarity to understand right from wrong.

There is a lot of depth in LOTR but it follows themes that are very different from the stories that modernity wants to see. Modernity wants to see evil characters who are sympathetic and “good” characters who do bad things for good reasons. On the other hand, Tolkien’s stories are about the struggle between good and evil, particularly the struggle against the seductiveness of evil.

Personally, I think Tolkien’s version is closer to reality than modernity’s. Evil deeds are just a manifestation of people’s desires; desires that are placed on the wrong things and/or pursued without consideration or restraint. Evil is actually very simple. Any perceived “complexity” is just a result of the machinations people employ to satisfy their desires. Any “good” people who are struggling with a morally grey decision are almost always struggling because the obviously right decision requires self-sacrifice (something they don’t want to do), or they simply don’t have the moral clarity to understand right from wrong.