From Session 197, “Bilbo’s Literary Theories,” there were two things that came up that really sparked my interest.
The first is the discussion about how Rivendell compares to Lothlorien as far as being a “timeless place.” Although it seems that most readers of LOTR assume that the Elven-rings work the same way, I’ve never felt that for the same reason that Prof Olsen articulated: their ‘power’ or ‘effect’ has much to do with the WILL of the user. Galadriel, we know from The Silmarillion, yearned to have realms in the wide world free from oversight by the Valar; it seems likely that she would use the power of her ring to recreate partially the timeless, spell-bound world she grew up in in Valinor and partially the fresh world under the new sun she found when she arrived in Beleriand in the First Age.
I'm not sure what were Elrond’s [full] motivations in founding Rivendell: per “The Tale of Years” in the appendixes, Imladris was founded in 1697 Second Age after Sauron laid waste to Eregion, specifically as a refuge for “the remnant of the Noldor” after Celebrimbor’s death. At some point, though, it wasn’t a refuge anymore, it was a home--and it became “the last homely house.” Given Prof Olsen’s thoughts about Bilbo “not counting the days” but rather good conversations, I think that Elrond, who became a “master of lore,” has made Rivendell not a place that is “timeless” NOT the way I’d imagine the days before the sun were timeless, or the the forest of Doriath within the Girdle of Melian were timeless, but rather a place more like a venerable library or reading room: a place that is comfortable and welcoming for all, full of substantive and respectful discourse, and offers easy access to knowledge.
I think there is a significant difference in the character of Galadriel and Elrond. It’s hard to really articulate, but Galadriel is far older and obviously more powerful, more authoritative (she ‘rules’ Lothlorien, a bigger place than Imladris!), and more easily tempted by power. And yet she did what with her power? Created a beautiful memory of the First Age that nobody could enjoy but the Sindar elves of her land (and some rare others). How true that she was destined to lose everything before returning to Aman as a consequence of her rebellion--only when she let go of the last of her pride did she pass the test. Elrond, on the other hand, is somehow more vital: he is the standard-bearer of Gil-Galad and fights with him to the slopes of Mt. Doom; he fosters the heir of Isildur; he chides the Elves that returning to the sea (and abandoning Middle-Earth) is not acceptable. I guess what I’m saying is that I think Galadriel used her ring to make a bit of her own music, and only when she accepted that it was fully ‘tributary to [the] glory’ of the Great Music could she return to the West, but Elrond used his ring to protect knowledge and skill in the hope that it could be used again--he protected the music.
The second takeaway is Sam’s relationship with hope. I think that Sam represents pure estel, or what I would translate almost purely as the Christian theological virtue of ‘faith.’ In Christian theology, ‘faith’ is the understanding that the One will never suffer the evil to win over the good, and never suffer any good act to be meaningless or unrewarded. It isn’t some banal assurance that if someone is good then eventually everything will come out right, it’s the conviction that by doing good, one makes a difference, even if it’s not apparent in the moment or even throughout one or many lifetimes. Sam has that conviction--he focuses on the practical (adventuring in winter, where they leave when they live happily ever after) because he has simple trust that as long as he continues to do good, it would all come out right in the end, so he doesn’t need to worry about the odds.
