It seems from what you write that we would disagree with a lot of things, but I still feel the need to express my thoughts.
Even if orcs, rats and ferrets are fantasy races, the idea that some people are simply evil because it is in their "genes" is deeply problematic. A central tenet of racism is that your morality, intelligence etc are determined by your birth, and seeing a world where this is true is just distressing for me.
That's a fair critique, though I think that one could argue that "evil" itself is a bit hard to pin down. Are orcs evil, or are they just fighting to survive the only way they know how? A predator isn't evil just because it eats prey to live. And I'd also argue that as fantasy has grown and matured, these concepts have as well. Even monsters are often portrayed as more complicated than they once were.
The red, ugly gash that's dividing everyone on this lies in orcs surviving the "only way they know how" vs the "only way they can". Believe it or not, the fiction we consume impacts our perception of reality. An extreme example can be seen in highly homogeneous countries like Japan where many stereotypes about people of color are presumed to be true.
By presenting the idea that a certain race can be hardlocked into evil or stupidity without non-genetic justifications, we can legitimize and enforce views certain people are on the fence about or already have, especially when said races are coded after real-world races (a la The Belgariad's Murgos).
I for one, love Redwall, and several other works deemed problematic, I haven't and won't stop reading anything that entertains me. At the same time, understanding the psychological implications of a piece of fiction is neither authoritarian nor regressive, and if the content put someone off because it hit a bit close enough to home to put them off it for a bit, that's fine. That's their personal experience. Ack's article didn't call for the erasure of Jacque's work or a campaign to moderate all future pieces of fiction. It wasn't an example of runaway wokeism. There are better targets.
Just found this rather late since its release and I found it interesting. I have read many of the Redwall books and I feel there are a few things I should mention since I had noticed similar trends, but then I noticed exceptions. There is a female squirrel called Triss who wields the sword of Martin. As well as being the first female character to wield the sword she is also the first person not from Redwall abbey to wield the sword. This felt to me like the more likely reason that Danden wielded the sword and traveled with her when Mariel went after Badrang. After Triss several others among my favorite characters such as Deyna and Tam from outside the abbey use it in later books.
On the note of species while it is mostly clear cut there are exceptions both ways. In Taggerung there is a squirrel named Maud who tries repeatedly to kill the protagonist and otter named Tagg and the pigmy shrews in the book of Martin's name enslave him and several others for a length of time. There are others as well. There are also some good characters among the vermin, Romsca being one of my favorite characters as a child. She's a Ferret corsair who after befriending the abbot of redwall begins to be more good and eventually is killed fighting monitor lizards who were going to eat him if I remember correctly. Blaggut is a sea rat who eventually kills his captain who murdered a redwaller and then goes back before settling down to make boats. Gingivere Greeneyes is a wildcat in the book Mossflower who is a very caring and good character throughout the book and disdains violence. Squire Julian Gingivere in Redwall is a descendant of his.
If you've read this far thanks. I'll check again and see if anyone commented on this. I'm rather sad to know Jaques passing has left me unable to read more of his great books.
It seems from what you write that we would disagree with a lot of things, but I still feel the need to express my thoughts.
Even if orcs, rats and ferrets are fantasy races, the idea that some people are simply evil because it is in their "genes" is deeply problematic. A central tenet of racism is that your morality, intelligence etc are determined by your birth, and seeing a world where this is true is just distressing for me.
That's a fair critique, though I think that one could argue that "evil" itself is a bit hard to pin down. Are orcs evil, or are they just fighting to survive the only way they know how? A predator isn't evil just because it eats prey to live. And I'd also argue that as fantasy has grown and matured, these concepts have as well. Even monsters are often portrayed as more complicated than they once were.
The red, ugly gash that's dividing everyone on this lies in orcs surviving the "only way they know how" vs the "only way they can". Believe it or not, the fiction we consume impacts our perception of reality. An extreme example can be seen in highly homogeneous countries like Japan where many stereotypes about people of color are presumed to be true.
By presenting the idea that a certain race can be hardlocked into evil or stupidity without non-genetic justifications, we can legitimize and enforce views certain people are on the fence about or already have, especially when said races are coded after real-world races (a la The Belgariad's Murgos).
I for one, love Redwall, and several other works deemed problematic, I haven't and won't stop reading anything that entertains me. At the same time, understanding the psychological implications of a piece of fiction is neither authoritarian nor regressive, and if the content put someone off because it hit a bit close enough to home to put them off it for a bit, that's fine. That's their personal experience. Ack's article didn't call for the erasure of Jacque's work or a campaign to moderate all future pieces of fiction. It wasn't an example of runaway wokeism. There are better targets.
Never read these books. Kinda want to now.
You should.
Just found this rather late since its release and I found it interesting. I have read many of the Redwall books and I feel there are a few things I should mention since I had noticed similar trends, but then I noticed exceptions. There is a female squirrel called Triss who wields the sword of Martin. As well as being the first female character to wield the sword she is also the first person not from Redwall abbey to wield the sword. This felt to me like the more likely reason that Danden wielded the sword and traveled with her when Mariel went after Badrang. After Triss several others among my favorite characters such as Deyna and Tam from outside the abbey use it in later books.
On the note of species while it is mostly clear cut there are exceptions both ways. In Taggerung there is a squirrel named Maud who tries repeatedly to kill the protagonist and otter named Tagg and the pigmy shrews in the book of Martin's name enslave him and several others for a length of time. There are others as well. There are also some good characters among the vermin, Romsca being one of my favorite characters as a child. She's a Ferret corsair who after befriending the abbot of redwall begins to be more good and eventually is killed fighting monitor lizards who were going to eat him if I remember correctly. Blaggut is a sea rat who eventually kills his captain who murdered a redwaller and then goes back before settling down to make boats. Gingivere Greeneyes is a wildcat in the book Mossflower who is a very caring and good character throughout the book and disdains violence. Squire Julian Gingivere in Redwall is a descendant of his.
If you've read this far thanks. I'll check again and see if anyone commented on this. I'm rather sad to know Jaques passing has left me unable to read more of his great books.