The Return of the King (1955), J. R. R.

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nTolkien unites a disparate group of men, women, Hobbits, and other creatures to defeat the armies of Sauron. The major alliance, of course, lies between Gondor and the Rohorrim, who, though somewhat estranged from each other as a result of the manipulations of the wizard Saruman, do in the end come together against their common foe in the East. That Tolkien intentionally involves not only representatives from each of these groups, but also Gimli the Dwarf, Legolas the Elf, and Pippin the Hobbit—even if the bulk of the fighting is done by men—indicates his desire for, and his belief in the possibility of, a world changed by such unity. In fact, by making the Nazgul invulnerable to men—"No living man may hinder me!"—Tolkien arranges the absolute necessity of the...