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Originally Posted by Mister Underhill
There is a certain tension between faith in an ultimate spiritual victory, and the pessimism of "The Long Defeat". I think it's a very relatable tension, and one that makes the spiritual elements of LotR all the more believable. .
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Sam's white star above the Ephel Duath comes to mind.
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Originally Posted by Mister Underhill
But within a spiritual context, one can argue (I daresay Tolkien might argue) that self-sacrifice always leads to (spiritual) victory, even if within the bounds of time and the material world it yields an apparent defeat. .
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Well said.
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Originally Posted by Mister Underhill
There is the grace of the act itself -- of serving others; then there are the (often unknowable) consequences of the act, however small, within the grand scheme of things. .
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Also well said. ..."I go now to my fathers, in whose mighty company I shall not now be ashamed."
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Originally Posted by Mister Underhill
Except that Frodo's journey didn't end with his journey West; in a way, it was only beginning.
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Aye. The grey rain curtain rolling back to reveal white shores and a far green country, with the wind carrying sweet song and fragrance, is heartbreaking due to our temporary loss... not Frodo's.
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Originally Posted by littlemanpoet
Now here's a question: How did the lies of Morgoth get spread, with him holed up in Thangorodrim during that centuries long siege?
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Lies echo in the mind of the listener long after the liar has departed.