Update: This survey is no longer accepting responses.
The stories of J.R.R. Tolkien — The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, The Silmarillion, and others are some of the most well-known books in existence the world over. They’ve been translated into dozens of languages, spawned numerous adaptations on film and on stage, and inspired countless works of art.
As a white, native English speaker, it is all to easy for me to forget that Tolkien’s reputation and impact may not be as universally prominent in the cultural zeitgeist as it may sometimes seem; nor are his stories necessarily as relatable as I might think or hope. Or, put another way, I perhaps shouldn’t take their relatability for granted.
If you are fond of Tolkien’s stories and yet you yourself are not a native English speaker, or if you identify as an ethnicity/race which you feel is perhaps underrepresented in those stories (i.e., non-white), this is for you.
If you would be willing, I’d love to have your thoughts on these and other matters. I’m interested in seeing whether any sort of patterns or interesting data can be found.
If you are willing to help, please fill out this form.
All responses will be kept entirely anonymous. However, if enough responses are received to warrant it, I will present any anonymous findings publicly.
NOTE: Please use the linked form to submit your responses. Please do not submit them below as a comment.
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