The Lord of the Rings: Insights

The Lord of the Rings Insights:
The Virtues of The Lord of the Rings
Frodo and the other hobbit maintain a special respect for Aragorn and Gandalf as mentors, even to the end of the story. Frodo and the hobbits understand that they owe much of their development to the guidance of these characters. All the other characters come to respect and admire the simple perspective and exuberance of the hobbits. Each character from Aragorn to Gandalf to Legolas to Gimli have different relationships with the hobbits, just as favorite aunts, uncles, grandparents and even parents have different relationships with a child.

One possible weakness of The Lord of the Rings is the lack of a leading female character for female readers to follow throughout the entire story in the same way that male readers can follow Frodo. However, there are several strong supporting female characters, who have short, but pivotal roles in the story. Each of these female characters have an inner beauty that is more highly valued than their outward beauty.

                                             For instance, Galadriel, the Lady of the Wood, is a Queen of the Elves and widely respected across all the lands for her wisdom, first and foremost, but also for her beauty. Celeborn is her kingly husband, well respected in his own right, but her renown far surpasses his. Their marriage is based on friendship and an equal respect for one another. Obviously, Cereborn does not see her as a trophy to hang on his arm and giggle inanely.

     Another pivotal female role is that of Eowyn. Eowyn is a young princess who wishes to fight along side her brother, Éomer, but when both he and her adoptive father King Théoden object, she disguises herself as a common soldier. In that guise she helps Merry. Eowyn later shows great courage on the battlefield in facing the Lord of the Nazgul who had struck down King Théoden. She nearly pays with her life.

     Several of the legends that Tolkien created to deepen the history of his fictional Middle Earth are full of strong, courageous women who are equals to their heroic or kingly husbands. Some give up immortality or being outcast for going against the wishes of their family. Tolkien does marry off many of his strong women, but these marriages rarely are the "end" for the women, as it does in many fairy tales where 'they lived happily ever after' with the woman remaining at home with the kids.

The Lord of the Rings Items Available at eBay - Scroll for additional items

Available at Amazon.com:

Peter Jackson Films:

Middle Earth Collection:
Theatrical Blu-ray
Extended Blu-ray
Collector's Blu-ray

The Hobbit Trilogy:
Theatrical: Blu-ray + DVD
Extended: Blu-ray | DVD

An Unexpected Journey:
Theatrical Edition:
Blu-ray | BD 3D | Prime Video
Soundtrack: CD | MP3
Extended Edition:
Blu-ray | BD 3D | DVD | Prime Video | Soundtrack: CD | MP3

Desolation of Smaug:
Theatrical Edition:
Blu-ray | BD 3D | Prime Video
Soundtrack: CD | MP3
Extended Edition:
Blu-ray | BD 3D | DVD | Prime Video | Soundtrack: CD | MP3

Battle of the Five Armies:
Theatrical Edition:
Blu-ray | BD 3D | DVD | Prime Video | Soundtrack: CD | MP3
Extended Edition:
Blu-ray | BD 3D | DVD | Prime Video | Soundtrack: CD | MP3

LotR Trilogy:
Theatrical: Blu-ray | DVD
Extended: Blu-ray | DVD
Posters

Animated Film Adaptations:

The Hobbit:
DVD | DVD (SE) | Prime Video
The Lord of the Rings:
Blu-ray | DVD | Prime Video
The Return of the King:
DVD

Books by J.R.R. Tolkien:

The Lord of the Rings Set
The Hobbit
The Fellowship of the Ring
The Two Towers
The Return of the King
The Silmarillion
The Unfinished Tales
Beren and Luthien
The Children of Hurin
The Fall of Gondolin

Audio Presentations:
The Lord of the Rings:

BBC Dramatization (CD)
NPR Dramatization (CD)
Unabridged Reading (CD)

The Hobbit:
BBC Dramatization (CD)
NPR Dramatization (CD)
Unabridged Reading (CD)

The Fellowship of the Ring:
BBC Dramatization (CD)
NPR Dramatization (CD)
Unabridged Reading (CD)

The Two Towers:
BBC Dramatization (CD)
NPR Dramatization (CD)
Unabridged Reading (CD)

The Return of the King:
BBC Dramatization (CD)
NPR Dramatization (CD)
Unabridged Reading (CD)

The Silmarillion:
Unabridged Reading (CD)

The Children of Hurin:
Unabridged Reading (CD)