Not to mention other major cultural differences. The Noldor were a literate, tropical, technologically-advanced culture, living on the Girdle of Arda, in a very benign and sheltered environment. The Sindar lived in a relatively much harsher environment, both climatically and, as it were, socially (Orcs for neighbours, not good), and their technology, while obviously significant, equally obviously developed in a completely different direction from the Noldorin one. The culture shock for both sides must have been tremendous, and worse because it was probably quite unexpected, since they all looked fairly similar (black hair, pale skin, pale eyes, tall; I see them in my minds-eye as a bunch of Hong Kong film stars wearing contact lenses). Just the difference in food culture must have been enormous (you really eat that?).
It is my experience that when someone looks alien, one expects them to behave that way too; it's not a surprise. They are simply exotic foreign types doing their exotic foreign thing. The bigger shock is someone who looks like one's friends and neighbours, but doesn't behave like them.
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timeasmymeasure
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Date: 2014-05-05 07:49 am (UTC)It is my experience that when someone looks alien, one expects them to behave that way too; it's not a surprise. They are simply exotic foreign types doing their exotic foreign thing. The bigger shock is someone who looks like one's friends and neighbours, but doesn't behave like them.