The Fellowship of the Ring
(J.R.R Tolkien)

Nature vs. Industrialization

Throughout all three books of The Lord of the Rings there is a constant opposition between the natural world and the development of technology. Nature is seen as a good thing. The Elves, perhaps the epitome of goodness and wisdom in Middle-Earth love and cultivate trees. Likewise, the Ents, lovers of trees by nature are portrayed as positive creatures and while Saruman, who cuts down trees and builds industrial works in their place is a villain. One of the best examples of this opposition comes at the end of The Return of the King. In The Scouring of the Shire chapter, the Shire is invaded by foreign, evil men who cut down trees and build industrial works. Returning to their homes, Frodo, Sam, Merry and Pippin are horrified to see not just the trees cut down, but also a smokestack looming over their town spewing smoke into the air.

Negative Portrayal of War

Though is quite a bit of fighting and conflict in The Lord of the Rings, one of the notable things about the books is the way that war is presented. Tolkien tends not to glorify it. Where he often devotes pages upon pages to describing the world and lore of Middle-Earth, the battles that take place tend to be described in a very sterile manner. On several occasions he actually changes character perspectives to cut away from and avoid describing the battles. There also several notable points where war is plainly made out to be a lesser pursuit. Boromor is described by Faramir as being in love with battle and glory themselves. Boromir in turn can only see the Ring as a weapon to be used against Sauron. Compare that to Faramir who turns down the opportunity take the Ring. He is depicted as being the wiser of Denethor’s sons and also professes having no love for battle. Eowyn tries finding glory by sacrificing herself in battle, but only when she sets aside her desire to fight and instead sets her mind to works of healing and nurturing that she finds true contentment.

Advancement vs. Loss

Throughout the books there is a pervading tone of melancholy. Even without Sauron’s invasion, the world was in the process of changing and not necessarily for the better. When the war ends, Gandalf describes it as the coming of the Age of Men. For this to fruition, however, many of the elder races and magical things in the world must fall into decline. The Elves leave Middle-Earth and their works are left in ruin. The clearest example of this is Frodo. He brings the Ring to Mordor and in essence saves the world, but in the process, he himself is almost destroyed physically and emotionally. The world is made into a better place but only through the sacrifice of his own well-being.

Power and Corruption

Throughout the novels several characters are presented with opportunities to take hold of the ultimate power, the Ring. The ones who resist the urge to claim the Ring are portrayed as be strong and good; Gandalf and Galadriel. Meanwhile, those characters that pursue the Ring and wish to possess it are portrayed as evil and corrupted. Saruman, once a kind and noble wizard, becomes a treacherous villain due to his ambitions to amass power. The book makes no exceptions for those who want power for noble reasons. Boromir is a good man whose only desire is to defend his people, but his desire to use the Ring eventually drives him to madness. The Ring in general, is just portrayed as a corrupting force. Both Bilbo and Frodo, neither one weighed down by grand ambitions toward domination, are corrupted by the Ring. Through mere proximity, it brings out their nastier sides.

The Elves

The oldest race in Middle-Earth, the Elves are immortal and ageless. Their infinite lives leads them to perceive time in different terms then the mortal peoples, and they benefit from the collected wisdom of thousands of years of life ad experience. They are a fair people, tall, lithe and skilled in many arts and magic. They also possess an affinity and love forests and life. They are a melancholy people for their immortality has forced them to watch many of the things and lands that they loved fall into decline as the world’s ages and decays. When The Lord of the Rings begins they are preparing to leave Middle-Earth for their ancestral home, the Grey Havens.

Dwarves

A short, stout race, Dwarves are experts in mining and live mainly underground, fashioning cities beneath the mountains. Their expertise in stone work is unmatched, and they are skilled in warfare. They are also often greedy by nature and self-concerned; they have little interest in outside affairs and covet treasure and wealth.

Men

Not as old as Elves, Men are nonetheless perhaps the most prominent race in Middle-Earth. Tall and strong they are a mighty race and skilled in battle. That said, they are limited by their mortality, and relatively short lifespan. Though the ancient men of Numenor were blessed with long lives spanning centuries, most only have decades to their number and as such their view of the world tends to be shortsighted and grounded in the present. They are often covetous of power and easy corrupted.

Hobbits

Though an old race, Hobbits have lived in relative obscurity. For much of their existence, they have been little more than legends and wives-tales to greater races. Small in stature and holding little taste for world affairs they are keener on finding a good meal, and tending to their gardens than they are to seeking glory on the battlefield.

Orcs

A corrupted race, Orcs are dark and nasty creatures that possess intelligence but spend most of it perpetrating acts of evil. Incredibly violent they hate the other races and take joy only in corruption. Orcs are nonetheless dangerous in battle, their one weakness being that they can’t stand the sun.

Trolls

Similar to Orcs, Trolls are a violent and dangerous race endowed with the size and strength well beyond the reach of the other races. Though they can be killed, doing so is risky. They too are susceptible to the sun and will turn to stone if caught beneath a sunny sky.

Ringwraiths

Once kings of Men, the Ringwraiths were corrupted by Sauron and serve as his chief and most deadly servants. The Ringwraiths are nearly invincible in battle. Few in the world can stand against them, and even amongst the able, there are few who would dare. For most, even their mere presence is often enough to spur on terror in the hearts of lesser creatures and even the act of striking them with a weapon can harm a mortal creature. They are also referred to as Black Riders and Nazgul.

The Ents

Though looking somewhat like Trolls, Ents are ancient creatures described by some as “tree herders.” They live in forests, cultivating trees. They are eventually roused to join the war when Saruman cuts down their trees.