[Durelin]

Though Valinor can most certainly be easily compared with Heaven, it is much less of a wonderful place, in my mind. Valinor is not actually a part of the Earth, but it still must be attached to it in some way, just as the Elves are. It is certainly not a reward for the Elves to go there, but more of recompense. It eases the punishment of not being able to die. To fully understand the purpose of Valinor, I think you must first understand why the Elves go there.

The Elves, as the Firstborn, are bound to the Earth. Unlike Men, Dwarves, and Hobbits, they do not die and leave the boundaries of the Earth. Still, endless years cannot all be spent on Earth, and so Valinor is a kind of heaven without death. In my mind, Valinor is an 'in-between' sort of place. It is a taste of heaven, yet within the boundaries of earthly dwelling.

I come to think that Tolkien has formed some huge irony here... The Elves believe they are a superior race to Men, and they feel that they are privileged as the Firstborn, perhaps closer to the Ainur in spirit, as their ancestors dwelt with them (and they will go to dwell with them when they die). And Men, as well as we, as readers, tend to feel so, as well. But, the fact is, Men have it the best. The Elves are immortal, bound to the Earth until its End, and if they die, they must dwell with the Ainur, and most likely are still connected to the Earth. Perhaps they even must aid the Aninur in the world's 'care taking', I guess. Also, there spirits are later reborn - they must go back to living an earthly life.

With the Earth full of evil and sadness, wouldn't anyone wish to have the fate of Men? Wouldn't anyone wish for their spirits to go beyond the Circles of the World to freedom?

So Valinor is not open to mortals because they have no need of experiencing this paradise. They will experience, I guess, the ultimate paradise in death. And what is so special about Valinor is that it is an escape from earthliness, while still bound to the Earth.

-Durelin