Reconciliation with the past is one of the main themes of Tolkien's entire trilogy, and the gap between the powerful and immortal beings of the past and the mortal men of the present and future is absolutely evident when the characteristics of the ancient dominions are contrasted with the kingdoms of men. In the first book of The Lord of the Rings, Tolkien creates a rhythmic fluctuation between pleasure and disquiet, which gives the novel an almost serial quality as the characters move back and forth from imminent danger to domestic safety. However, as the story progresses beyond the breakup of the Fellowship in the next two novels, the distinction between danger and safety becomes increasingly blurred. The paradises of western Middle-earth described in The Fellowship of the Ring are maintained by ancient and established beings such as Tom Bombadil, Elrond and Galadriel whose power is strong in their respective lands, but these figures from the past are only the remnants of a dying age . Bombadil is found at the extreme of natural history while Elrond and Galadriel represent the original adversaries of the Enemy, and the pre-eminence of all three, especially of the elves, is destined to vanish with the advent of the Fourth Age, the Age of Man . to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay When the Fellowship is intact, the havens of the ancients that provide respite from their perilous journey are undisputed strongholds where no evil can penetrate, but the bastions farther east that the broken Fellowship encounters are far more unstable and guarded by mortal men rather than ancient and powerful beings. At this point the story fully enters the world of men, where elves are viewed with suspicion and the balance between good and evil is in constant physical conflict. The two great kingdoms of humanity, Gondor and Rohan, are susceptible to the evil powers of Middle-earth as their rulers, Denethor and Theoden, are indirectly influenced by Sauron and Saruman respectively. Compared to Lorien and Rivendell, similar to Eden, "the last welcoming home east of the sea" (I, 272), the bastions of man seem pitiful, but they must be the bulwarks of the new age. The relative inactivity of the archaic guardians is indicative of the fact that the past must be left behind so that the men of the future can advance free from atavistic nostalgia. Tom Bombadil is the self-proclaimed oldest inhabitant of Middle-earth, "Mark my words my friends: Tom was here before the river and the trees; Tom remembers the first drop of rain and the first acorn," (I, 168) and his power is demonstrated by his ability to force Old Willow to free the hobbits and the fact that he is unaffected by the Ring. At the Council of Elrond, Gandalf explains that Tom's unique place in history does not give him power over the Ring, it is just that "the Ring has no power over him" (I, 318). Since Tom existed before the Ring was forged, and even before Sauron himself, he is essentially a remnant of a long-forgotten past. Even Elrond must refresh his memory to remember the many names of the cheerful creature who never took part in the wars against the Enemy. Bombadil provides an element to the story that dates back to older times, and thus is not an active participant in the War of the Ring, as he only helps the four hobbits while they are within the confines of his land. After Tom leaves the hobbits, they find themselves pursued by the Nine Horsemen, and protection from this danger comes to Rivendell, who is protected by the elder half-elf Elrond.Elrond, who is one of the select few beings to have directly confronted Sauron. , is ancient in every mortal way, but not as primal as Bombadil.Having already taken part in a physical assault on Mordor in the Second Age, Elrond's role in the War of the Ring is that of advisor, not fighter. His years on Middle-earth have given him a Ring of Power and the ability to maintain a bastion against evil in the shadow of the Misty Mountains, but his power beyond his domain only goes in the form of advice. Despite his vast wisdom and skill, when asked whether he or any of the other Elven lords have the strength to resist Sauron, Elrond's response is, "I have not the strength...neither do they" (I, 319). These powerful Elven Lords, who had defeated Sauron and his master in the past, are no longer able to directly oppose him, because the age of their power is waning and the future is in the hands of men and little men like Elrond. he states: "This is the hour of the people of the Shire, when they rise from their quiet fields to shake the towers and councils of the great" (I, 324). Galadriel, whose refuge and power are even more resplendent than Elrond's, is still essentially in the same position as the half-elf. Tolkien's descriptions of Galadriel's Lorien on which "no shadow lay" (I, 413) make it a true Eden, "a timeless land, fading not, changing not, falling not into oblivion" (I, 415) Frodo's observations are not entirely accurate, however, as he himself acknowledges the fact that this land comes from the distant past, "it seemed to him that he had passed a time bridge into a corner of the Ancient Times, and now he was walking in a world that no longer existed" (I, 413). With her ring and the ancient knowledge of the Eldar, Galadriel is able to preserve the forest's pristine glory, but the Ringbearer's ominous perception suggests that Lorien's blissful stasis is destined to fade with the destruction of the 'Single Ring. . Although her power is comparable to that of Sauron, Galadriel herself knows that Frodo's quest means the end of her forest kingdom, and she accepts this fate with dignity: "I will diminish, I will go to the West, and I will remain Galadriel" (Io, 432 ). After this last and greatest refuge, the Fellowship breaks apart and the survivors go their separate ways into the precarious realms of men. A noble kingdom of over 500 years, Rohan has long endured in the eyes of men, while for elves like Legolas "a short time" has passed (II, 132). Although Wormtongue prevents the mustering of the Knights of Rohan, once Theoden's army is fully mobilised, it is a force to be reckoned with and likely outclasses any army of men other than that of Gondor. From the perspective of the ancient elves, only a short time ago a culture and kingdom were founded and gained ascendancy almost immediately. The slow progression of elven time is already giving way to the short lives and generations of humanity. With a mighty army, Theoden is able to hold Helm's Deep against Saruman's larger army, but mortal man is unable to exclude evil from his kingdom such as Bombadil and the Elven Lords. Men, destined to rule Middle Earth with the disappearance of the elves, cannot isolate themselves like the ancients and must directly face the elements of their environment whether they are good or bad. While Rohan is young in elven times, the men of Gondor can trace their lineage to the Numenoreans at the beginning of the Second Age, which precedes the initial forging of the Rings of Power. When Pippin first sees the inner circles of Minas Tirith, he is awed by its splendor, but the impressionable hobbit does not realize that the city is depopulated and "verily falls from year to year into decay" (III, 25 ). The men of Gondor, in the shadow of Sauron's growing power, desperately cling to theirs.