Yesterday we talked about how events that happened in The Lord of the Rings could become legend later on in Middle Earth and I can't stop thinking about how we are also living in a time that will become a story that future generations will tell.
I think that most of us on Earth know that we are watching history unfold right before our eyes and I think that the members of the Fellowship knew too. Firstly, they are put into a group where all the free peoples are represented to fulfill a secret quest that the leaders of the world have very obviously put all their hope into. That had to be weird for the people in the group, to be working with people they normally wouldn't even talk to, but they went with it because they understand that this time in their history is extraordinary and that extraordinary measures need to be taken. Secondly, Sam asks Frodo at the end of Two Towers if they'll "ever be put into songs or tales, " which clearly indicates that they are aware of the importance of their task and know that it will affect the rest of the world.
I find it amazing that even in the midst of trials and darkness we have the ability to see the light and talk about how the world will look one day, the stories they will tell. Tolkien perfectly portrayed this ability, this hope, in his characters. It is a great comfort to me that we have these works to bring us hope at this time. I wonder how the world would have looked without it.
The more I read Tolkien and examine his work the more I realize that what makes them great stories is not any one big thing, but hundreds of tiny pieces like this where he correctly portrays the human condition.
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