How we cite our quotes: (Book.Chapter.Paragraph) / (Prologue.Section.Paragraph)
Quote #10
Frodo sat and shivered in his wraps. He was thankful that they had not been caught on the ground; but he felt that the trees offered little protection, except concealment. Orcs were as keen as hounds on a scent, it was said, but they could also climb. He drew out Sting: it flashed and glittered like a blue flame; and then slowly faded again and grew dull. (2.6.102)
In this scene, Frodo is sitting in the trees of Lothlórien hiding from Orcs. Now, the Orcs are a creation of Mordor, so they are naturally evil. But we still find it interesting that the different races of Tolkien's Middle-earth have different intrinsic moral value. The Elves are good people, men are okay (but changeable), and Orcs are evil. What do you think of this? Would it be possible to imagine a good Orc? Could an Orc overcome its heritage to join with the Elves, for example? Or the Dwarves? Where does free will fit into Tolkien's moral structure?