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Originally Posted by Hilde Bracegirdle
This isn't really answering the question, as I feel that air prevades quite a few of the tales told. It is sort of a cool detactment, as if we are as ancient as the land observing the impassioned turmoil and misteps of living things in those more sparely populated expanses. Isolation is a reoccuring theme with the isolation of the Shire, Morgoth, and of the Men of Dor-lomin to name a few.
As for burning one's stolen boats rather than bridges.... It inspired me to think of painting the scene rather than emulate it. Feanor's pride and passion struck me a foolishly dramatic. It may have served to keep his people focused on the forward march, rather than be tempted to turn back, but it also unmistakably alerted the orcs to their presence.
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Isolation is there alright - if you think about it, even within the Fellowship there are some incredibly isolated characters. Gandalf for one has always been a lone wanderer (Tolkien's Odinic Wanderer) and now Frodo is another. He might have Sam with him, but the relationship strikes me as a strange one in that Frodo does not necessarily get all the comfort he needs (due to the Ring no doubt), and Sam gives but does not 'get'. Then of course you also have Gollum's loneliness.
Heh, don't seriously think I am going to burn any boats
But boat burning is a strong Viking image and that's what strikes me as soon as I read about those events. In the case of Vikings, a burning would be more 'sacrificial' than anything. Who knows, maybe it formed that kind of symbol to Feanor in his heat and rage and lust to deal with Melkor. Maybe he felt he had got his use at the Kinslaying out of those kin he had to all intents and purposes left behind to perish, so he was symbolically sacrificing them in the name of his mission?
Or was it symbolic that Feanor maybe did not see any return to Valinor and so he felt he may as well burn his means of return? It would certainly send out the signal to his people that there was no return, maybe only through death in battle.