Good And Evil In Tolkien's The Fellowship Of The Ring

Tolkien's The Fellowship of the Ring is a novel in which the dichotomy of good and evil seems simple. Yet with closer reading we realise that evil within Tolkien’s story is necessary for the good to grow and prevail. The good cannot become the best version of itself without first facing the evil, accepting it, and conquering it. To call the Lord of the Rings an escape from the tensions of social conditions or our own nature is a gross oversimplification that reveals a true lack of understanding about Tolkien's work. High fantasy is one of the best ways to address the darkest parts of human nature. When faced with true evil in fantasy as dark as it seems the reader is reassured by the fact that it is a work of fantasy. But it would be

She manages to sway Gimli’s opinion of Elves and was Gandalf’s friend. She is wise and kind, and makes such a positive impression on Frodo that he offers the ring to her freely. But her true strength lies in her acknowledgement of her own faults and shortcomings. She is aware that she has desired the ring above all else and briefly succombs to her desire for the power the ring holds, “In place of a Dark Lord you will set up a Queen. And I shall not be dark, but beautiful and terrible as the Morning and the Night!..All shall love me and despair!” (Tolkien 677). Galadriel realises that if she were offered the ring, no matter what her intentions, that she would give in to the evil side within herself. She later says to herself “I pass the test”, in that she really means she failed the test. She knows that she can never be given the power of the ring, and therefore has “passed” her test. She acknowledges her shadow and chooses to aid the ring bearer instead and go into the west. In that action she is the better version of herself because she has realised her own shortcomings. This is something that Boromir was unable to do, and therefore he eventually fell to the power of the ring and the evil within