Son of Númenor -
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You are implying, if I'm not mistaken, that the outside interaction of Frodo, Sam, Merry, Pippin and Bilbo could possibly have been viewed by Tolkien as a "great stain" upon the hobbits in question. I don't think that's a possibility.
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Remember that I asked
two questions (please excuse the, perhaps, over-use of italics and bold...really don't mean to be rude), and answered neither. Ah, yes, but I did imply that this was a possibility. Still, I meant only to consider a different side, when the former of the two questions seemed more likely to be answerable with 'yes'. So, we are agreeing, though we might consider the other a possibility, as we can never really know for sure...
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The prologue, in my opinion, serves to highlight the idyllic, pastoral quality (and also the simpleness and 'smallness') of the Shire, perhaps even moreso than the actual book chapters that take place in the Shire. It lays the groundwork for why four hobbits are willing to fight to preserve their homeland, and ultimately serves as an illustration of why Frodo can never be at peace in the Shire after destroying the Ring.
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I agree with this, as well, and would just like to add a little bit. I see this laying of groundwork as imperative. Many times this is not needed in stories, though many times it is, and other times it is not and is there anyway... But, the point is, the prologue was needed to establish the 'setting', which includes not only the physical setting and the time, but the mental setting as well, of the 'fictional historical document'. This draws us away from drawing many conclusions from our own mindset without first looking into the mindset of the setting, and especially of its major characters - hobbits. But much of this brings me back to my first post on this discussion... And so I grow silent, for a bit.
-Durelin
