The Fellowship of the Ring

Fate, chance, and free will all play a role in the novel. Choose an episode or a character’s perspective and explain which of these concepts takes precedence in determining how events transpire. What messages do these concepts convey?

Compare and contrast two peoples of Middle-earth, considering their histories and cultural values. What traits do these groups represent, and how does this impact the narrative as a whole? 

Each member of the fellowship is associated with a specific item. Aragorn’s sword, Boromir’s horn, Gandalf’s staff, and Sam’s pack are a few examples. Choose an object (you may choose a different object for a character than the ones suggested above) and analyze its significance as an emblem of the character. What traits and themes does the object represent, and for what purpose?

The Ring is often described as a weapon that grants extraordinary power. Define what this power is and provide evidence from the text to explain why it is detrimental. Are all forms of power evil?

What is the role of the oral and written traditions in the novel? How do the characters’ relationship to legends, songs, historical records, and/or lore reveal their understanding of the world?

In his foreword to the text, Tolkien stated a distaste for allegory, though he acknowledged that readers will find “applications” that layer their interpretations. Choose an interpretative lens (historical, biographical, cultural, etc.) to analyze the text. Some examples are the World Wars, the atomic bomb, Catholicism, feudalism, environmentalism, and the Industrial Revolution.

The Fellowship of the Ring utilizes the trope of the hero’s journey, where the hero encounters obstacles and learns valuable lessons on the way to completing a quest. Choose a character and analyze how they function as a hero. What discoveries do they make or have the potential to make in the subsequent volumes? How has the character changed, and for what purpose?

Nature appears prominently in the novel, from Tolkien’s detailed descriptions of the setting’s geography and surroundings to the presence of primordial forces and spirits. What is the function of nature in the text? What is its antithesis? Some examples to consider are the Shire, the garden, Caradhras, Old Man Willow, the High Hay, Lothlórien, and the Anduin River.