It is incorrect and ironic to consider the eagles' rescuing episode to be a case of deus ex machina (as presented). To dismiss it as a literary device present only to 'save the story' is to ignore the nature of Tolkien's fictional history.
It is not a literary device deus ex machina, but a literal deus ex machina - a literal act of God. The eagles are not a symbolical representation of God (or anything else) - they literally are sent from God (or actually his regent, in this case). That was the entire point.
Frodo, the Fellowship, and all of 'good' Middle-earth could not win it alone - yet they continued in faith, and in the end, a higher power carried them the rest of the way. (This is a concept taught in Christianity as well.)
Letter No. 183
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In The Lord of the Rings the conflict is not basically about 'freedom', though that is naturally involved. It is about God, and His sole right to divine honour. The Eldar and the Númenóreans believed in The One, the true God, and held worship of any other person an abomination.
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The definition presented in the first post says that a deus ex machina is "any resolution to a story which does not pay due regard to the story's internal logic." The eagles' appearance is not against the story's internal logic. It actually follows the internal logic of the story, and is at the very essence of the story's focus (addressed above). In addition to the Eagles' appearance in
The Lord of the Rings, the army of the Valar save the day in the War of Wrath; the Eagles save Maedhros with Fingon; the Eagles save Húrin and Huor, bringing them safely to Gondolinl; the Eagles save Beren and Luthien, bringing them safely to Doriath; and the Eagles overturn the Battle of Five Armies.
"Of the Return of the Noldor,"
The Silmarillion:
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Maedhros therefore, being in anguish without hope, begged Fingon to shoot him with his bow; and Fingon strung an arrow, and bent his bow. And seeing no better hope he cried to Manwë, saying: 'O King to whom all birds are dear, speed now this feathered shaft, and recall some pity for the Noldor in their need!'
His prayer was answered swiftly. For Manwë to whom all birds are dear, and to whom they bring news upon Taniquetil from Middle-earth, had sent forth the race of Eagles, commanding them to dwell in the crags of the North, and to keep watch upon Morgoth; for Manwë still had pity for the exiled Elves. And the Eagles brought news of much that passed in those days to the sad ears of Manwë. Now, even as Fingon bent his bow, there flew down from the high airs Thorondor, King of Eagles, mightiest of all birds that have ever been, whose outstretched wings spanned thirty fathoms; and staying Fingon's hand he took him up, and bore him to the face of the rock where Maedhros hung. But Fingon could not release the hell-wrought bond upon his wrist, nor sever it, nor draw it from the stone. Again therefore in his pain Maedhros begged that he would slay him; but Fingon cut off his hand above the wrist, and Thorondor bore them back to Mithrim.
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