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Originally Posted by littlemanpoet
Whereas the Second theme fights against the discord in a Good versus Evil formula, seemingly on Evil's terms (that of power), the Third theme seeks the good while suffering evil, and evil cannot overcome it. The italicized theme is a particularly Christian notion. It is exhibited throughout LotR in Frodo, for example, the more he suffers, by which he learns greater wisdom and becomes capable of greater compassion.
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I would definitely second this, and I completely agree.
It is the subject of the whole story of the Valar in particular, all this "use of power or not?" aka the questions raised after the attack on Utumno and the waning interference in latter Ages (of course, it is also a topic of the Ring story, but there I think it speaks more concretely about power in the meaning "power as control of something", whereas Valar's, and Elves', is the "power to contest" or "resistance by power", not necessarily wanting to conquer, but just to protect by power - of course, the whole point of the Ring story is about the unwillingness of the successful contester to give up what was lended to him or what he had conquered). For the sake of being "fair", it should be pointed out that the Second theme is not labeled as something wrong - it is merely something that does not provide the final victory. That comes only with the Third theme, and, it should be noted, only with the Children being, as perceived by the Valar, "things other than themselves, strange and free" (emphasis, of course, on the latter - now see in the light of the whole "power to control"-debate).
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Originally Posted by elempi
It is also seen in Beren and Luthien. Out of love she sacrifices everything for Beren. Arwen does the same for Elessar. Frodo does it for the whole Shire, and really for all Middle Earth.
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Well, since you mentioned this, I think, even though the Elven ladies' sacrifice is considerable, the one of the Men is also there, and maybe not so much lesser, given the scope of their rather short life. Beren sacrifices everything for Lúthien by going to Angband, if that is what it takes. Likewise, Aragorn also sacrificed much for Arwen (I think that was a sort of "circular" thing - while he at the same point sacrificed his possible happiness - or the possible immediate happiness - for the sake of Middle-Earth's fate, which of course however concerned even his and Arwen's possible future). And, of course, Frodo has his friends, especially Sam, who truly sacrifices himself for Frodo, all the way to Mordor!
These (especially with the two former, compared to the fact that their counterparts gave up immortal life) may seem somewhat like lesser sacrifices, but sacrifices they are nonetheless... anyway, the theme of sacrifice is just something quite crucial, and sacrifice is of course only a radical form of thinking of others instead of just for oneself... I think all the main heroes here had this quality.
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Originally Posted by elempi
Finrod Felagund does it to save Beren. By contrast, Thingol is an exemplar of the Second Theme in his failure to put love above honor in regard to Beren and Luthien.
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Totally. I think that is a quite good point.
But still, I think - and would like to point out once again, for emphasising it - that the Second Theme should not be equated with failure. That would certainly be against the spirit of that narration, so to say, and not true to it. Second Theme is simply an attempt to contest Melkor, and rightful one, because of course, Melkor needs to be contested! This noble thought in itself should not be disqualified. It is simply so that the turn - the surprising turn, showing the unexpectedness of Ilúvatar's plans with Eä, as pointed out there - is in the fact that the final victory comes from totally elsewhere, and that the things which cannot be really broken are those "hardened" by sorrow and enduring of suffering, as we read there.