The Fellowship of the Ring: Setting

The settings in the book represent the theme of good vs. evil. The story starts in the Shire, the home of all the Hobbits. It is a peaceful place where the Hobbits live among their large families and lead rather simple lives. The town of Hobbiton lies, “in the gentle valley of the water” (81). However, to save the Shire, Frodo must leave and face greater danger. They had to pass through some of the darkest places in the world, such as Moria, once one of the dwarves’ great mines that is now a tomb to many who were there when they were attacked by orcs. They also passed through mountains and plains where they were constantly hunted by Black Riders. To make their journey even more difficult, most of it was during the winter, which represents that it is a time of little hope but the world will turn and the spring will come again. At one point, they arrived in Rivendell, a magical outcrop of hope where, “whether you like food or sleep or story-telling or singing, or just sitting and thinking best, or a pleasant mixture of them all… merely to be there was a cure for weariness, fear, and sadness” (252). Spending time there rejuvenated them so they could continue out into the dark places of the world, the only places where they could save the good places that they loved so much.