▁Second ▁World ▁War , ▁Tol k ien ▁wrote ▁of ▁or cs ▁as ▁appearing ▁on ▁both ▁sides ▁of ▁the ▁conflict : ▁ ▁The ▁scholar ▁of ▁English ▁literature ▁Robert ▁T ally ▁describes ▁the ▁or cs ▁as ▁a ▁demon ized ▁enemy , ▁despite ▁( he ▁writes ) ▁Tol k ien ' s ▁own ▁ob jections ▁to ▁demon ization ▁of ▁the ▁enemy ▁in ▁the ▁two ▁World ▁Wars . ▁The ▁German ic ▁studies ▁scholar ▁Sand ra ▁Ball if ▁Stra ub ha ar ▁however ▁arg ues ▁against ▁the ▁" rec urr ing ▁accus ations " ▁of ▁rac ism , ▁stating ▁that ▁" a ▁pol yc ult ured , ▁poly ling ual ▁world ▁is ▁absolutely ▁central " ▁to ▁Middle - ear th , ▁and ▁that ▁readers ▁and ▁film go ers ▁will ▁easily ▁see ▁that . ▁The ▁historian ▁and ▁Tol k ien ▁scholar ▁J ared ▁Lob d ell ▁like wise ▁disag re ed ▁with ▁any ▁not ions ▁of ▁rac ism ▁inher ent ▁or ▁lat ent ▁in ▁Tol k ien ' s ▁works , ▁and ▁wonder ed ▁" if ▁there ▁were ▁a ▁way ▁of ▁writing ▁ep ic ▁fant asy ▁about ▁a ▁battle ▁against ▁an ▁evil ▁spirit ▁and ▁his ▁mon str ous ▁servants ▁without ▁its ▁being ▁subject ▁to ▁spec ulation ▁of ▁rac ist ▁intent ". ▁ ▁A ▁shared ▁mor ality ▁ ▁The ▁Tol k ien ▁critic ▁Tom ▁Sh ipp ey ▁writes ▁that ▁the ▁or cs ▁in ▁The ▁Lord ▁of ▁the ▁R ings ▁were ▁almost ▁certainly ▁created ▁just ▁to ▁equip ▁Middle - ear th ▁with ▁" a ▁contin ual ▁supply ▁of ▁enemies ▁over ▁whom