Gandalf Vs. The Witch King

[Essex]

By chance or providence, two people are in the right place at the right time and with the right weapon to make a difference, but this has nothing to do with their inherent power. It was simply that the application of that power at precisely the time and place they did had a disproportionate effect on larger events.

Then if you believe this, then you must believe it for every event that happened in Tolkien's Works? Nothing was earned, nothing was really 'won' - Frodo was not redeemed because of his compassion? an so on.

Then what do the stories hold for you then? What do the stories mean? If you believe everything was either pre determined or just down to Chance, the books must be a very dull read for you? The books for me are mainly about the emotion they bring out in me for the 'lesser' beings - the hobbits. I cry with pity every time Merry asks Pippin if they are going to Bury him, I cry with sadness when Sam sings 'In Western Lands beneath the Sun' - I cry with Pride when Aragorn goes down on one knee to Frodo and Sam, also when Gandalf says the hobbits are amongst the Great, and then when Frodo tells Rosie how improtant Sam was to the Quest. And I cry with grief when Frodo leaves behind his friends to go to the West.

Do you have these kind of feelings at all when reading LOTR? I really hope you do.

This is not a pop at you Squatter, or Obloquy - After reading your posts above, I just wonder whether you have any of these kind of 'emotions' when travelling in Middle-earth. If you do not, so be it - maybe you have other reasons for loving the books so much?