Description of the Black Riders

For the activity we did in class on Thursday, one of the groups had the portion of the text in which Frodo uses the ring to try and hide from the Black Riders, but instead sees them in their true form.  This is a very interesting passage, because it doesn't help the plot progress and in that sense is unnecessary, but I think in terms of helping Tolkien's theme of humanity (and its corruptibility) in his works progress this is absolutely necessary.  

 As we've seen, even though these creatures that Tolkien has created for his world are very foreign at first, we soon see that they posses very human qualities that allow us to relate so closely to many characters, especially the hobbits.  But, for us to relate to, or even feel pity for these dark and evil figures called the black riders is not so easily done.  However, in order for Tolkien to keep a convincing secondary world and also continue his themes of humanity, he shows the readers, in detail, exactly who these riders are, and how the desire for power has corrupted who they once were.  Knowing what they look like certainly doesn't make them any less terrifying, it makes them more so.

I think this is very clever of Tolkien, because the riders are no longer terrifying just because of their violence and dark appearance, but because they were at one time not so different from the reader.  The corruption of Gollum is pitiful and somewhat scary as well, but this description elevates the danger of the ring to a new level, allowing Tolkien to further prove the point that this ring should be destroyed.