Flaws in Lord of the Rings... Yes in the book.

[Legolas]

This is certainly no new topic - the individual quams nor the concept of Tolkien having flaws. We've had extended discussions of his flaws before.

This is where reading the rest of the history of Middle-earth becomes helpful There is an immense amount of depth behind all of this.

Eagles were spirits akin to the Maiar and appear somewhat as servants of Manwe. They are not just animals who can talk and show up at their own discretion when all else is lost. Had they flown the Ring to Mordor, it would've been no different than the Istari (angel-like powers clothed as old men sent from the Valar to guide the peoples together against Middle-earth) or Tulkas, Eonwe, and Orome marching to Mordor and simply dominated Sauron face to face. The War of the Ring was left to the *peoples* of Middle-earth because they had to learn to triumph over evil on their own instead of having the Powers that rule the world, the Valar, babysit them. If the task was done for them, what would they learn? Surely another evil would come about and they wouldn't be unable to defeat it also, defeating the purpose. You might remember the chapter about the Shire's scouring when Gandalf leaves the fight to the hobbits themselves. The hobbits went along on the quest to learn to fend for themselves - to fight for the good that lies within their being. (By the Valar's reckoning,) Gandalf did this on a grand scale with the whole of Middle-earth's inhabitants also.

Furthermore, eagles would've had a hard time getting into Mordor - it's not as if they could've slipped by Sauron undetected. At the least, the Nazgul would've presented a problem, but there was undoubtedly more resources at Sauron's disposal to prevent their entrance. There are multiple threads about this, and I'm going to ask that any further discussion on that subject be done

Except that the author said Sauron is evil, what real, substantial evidence are there to prove he is as dark as they tend to portray him? I usually detest books with an antagonist that is simply labeled as "evil". It irritates me. I really don't believe in absolute evil.

I don't know what you mean by "absolute evil" as opposed to being "evil" but evil exists in Morgoth and Sauron as they desire to take the place of Eru himself, creator of the Universe. Sauron is undoubtedly evil and manipulative, and reading The SIlmarillion serves to solidify Sauron's evil beginnings and foul deeds as a servant to the first Dark Lord, the most powerful being ever to be in the world, Morgoth. Sauron deceives others - that's how he made the Rings of Power. He gives them out to corrupt those who accept them so they turn to his purposes and in turn he eliminates his enemies and takes over their lands without a fight. What is not evil about this?

Boromir and Saruman did not have absolute power, nor was Boromir absolutely corrupt.

<font size=1 color=339966>[ 9:24 PM February 04, 2004: Message edited by: Legolas ]