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Originally Posted by Nabeel
There was definitely loads of fantasy writing before Tolkien. I agree with one previous post: T's strong point is his narrative style, not his ideas. (I've always had a sneaking suspicion that LOTR was far more shaped by the Second World War than anyone ever admits. And - while we're on the subject - why do the Orcs speak a variant of lower-class English?)
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As Phogg pointed out Tolkien was in WWI. He saw some action I don't doubt it probably had a profound effect on him. He likely saw brothers in arms (some of which might have been friends in college) killed. I think he might have been wounded as well. Certainly I remember him landing in hospital (according to his biography) due to disease which was also common place back then. And back when he was born (in 1892) there no doubt was still a great deal of class separation. The common man in the street spoke English one way and the upper class people spoke another form of English. So I can see how his orcs might reflect the grammar that the common man might speak as opposed to the more refined speech of higher classes (represented by such races as the elves). All you have to do is look at H.G. Well's novel "The Time Machine" to see how people thought the division between social classes might develop.