LotR -- Book 1 - Chapter 12 - Flight to the Ford

[Aiwendil]

Boromir88 wrote:

As one example, the end of the book, the destruction of the ring.

Exactly. Tolkien clearly has a favorite structure for climaxes, which he applies to the small as well as to the big.

But then another small problem/task occurs in the shire so there is a short rise at the end to catch our attention.

You're right; the scouring of the Shire is something most authors (and screenwriters) would never have done. But is there a similar after-climax here in book I or is this particular structure one he only used for the true climax? Perhaps, on an intra-Middle-earth view, the untold battle to save Frodo's life from the Morgul blade plays that role. But from a reader's point of view that isn't part of the structure of book I.