I can't tell you how much I've enjoyed reading all these brilliant posts, they've given me so many new insights.
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In a sense the Narn overtook the rest of the Simarillion in detail and scope and the rest never caught back up,
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Lindil, I think you're spot on there.
Aiwendil, your analysis is masterly, but I'd quibble with just one point. As I remember, there *was* hope and life after Ragnarok: Baldur and the sons of Odin and Thor were the new gods, and a new race of men sprang up from a man and a woman who had hidden themselves from the destruction.
You're right though, that the tale tackles the question of fighting evil even when the struggle is futile. I personally find Hurin's stand against Morgoth entirely admirable, but the fact remains that in the Narn, evil conquers - as it, unfortunately, often does in real life. What makes it particularly tragic is that both 'outer' and 'inner' evil triumph: Hurin's family are not just killed, but they are destroyed spiritually and psychologically as well. (Except perhaps Morwen)
Btw, I wonder if there is any parallel between Job and Hurin?