LotR -- Book 1 - Chapter 06 – The Old Forest

[Fordim Hedgethistle]

I admit to being dotty, spotty and even a little potty, but mad I am not. I assure you all, that the point in question was made by Saucy himself in all of his clamourous glory. It was made in post #10 to be entirely precise, and to lay this debate to rest once and for all I hereby and forthwith quote the relevant paragraph in full:

Which brings me, finally, to Tolkien's seemingly ambivalent attitude toward trees in this chapter. We know that he himself greatly prized trees and, throughout the rest of the book, they are portrayed sympathetically. We have the instances in the opening chapters where hollow trees provide the Hobbits with refuge during their trek through the Shire (in stark contrast to the "refuge" that Old Man Willow provides within his trunk). And later we have the Elves' symbiotic relationship with the trees of Lothlorien and, of course, good old Treebeard and his pivotal intervention in the War of the Ring. So why does Tolkien portray trees as such enemies here? I am not so sure that it is, as davem suggests, an aspect of the "conceit" of the tale having been set down by the Hobbits. We have to take the events at face vaue and this, I think, includes Old Man Willow's unprovoked attack on them. I tend to agree, rather, with Aiwendil:

As this post now has nothing to do with the chapter in question, I shall attempt to avert the wrath of the mods by bringing it back to the discussion at hand. . .

*ahem*

Old Man Willow's actions clearly demonstrate that, beyond all shadowy form of a doubt, balrogs had wings.

Tom's song is a clear indication that orcs possessed free will and could be saved.

The reference to Goldberry at the conclusion of the chapter makes it irrefutable that Arda was always round.