I love how once he's decided he likes the Dwarves, he really likes them - to the extent that they spill all the beans and he's happy to help them.
And - of course - there's Shelob, who is beaten back by the light of Eärendil. Like in Mirkwood it's the darkness that separates them and allows Frodo to be captured - like Ungoliant's darkness destroys the two trees and lets Morgoth take the Silmarils (I think? I hope I'm remembering that right). There's a lot of light/dark symbolism in Tolkien. There's Moria (which literally means 'black pit') when it gets its Balrog infestation - and then we have Gandalf the Grey falling literally into the black pit, but re-emerging from it as Gandalf the White and bringing hope. Not to mention the added symbolism of Moria being empty when we see it - as contrasted to Gimli's description of Moria as a place of light in Durin's time:
In many-pillared halls of stone With golden roof and silver floor, And runes of power upon the door. The light of sun and star and moon In shining lamps of crystal hewn Undimmed by cloud or shade of night There shone for ever fair and bright.
So you also have the darkness of Moria as an empty place, and the failure of Balin to reclaim it.
And of course the darkness of the dawnless day that begins the battle on the Pelennor, which is broken by the Rohirrim who literally bring the sunshine. I'm sure there are more, but I can't think of them right now.
I love how Mirkwood is described as being the most dangerous part of their journey (nevermind the dragon, shall we). I guess that says something about the profound psychological effect of darkness in Tolkien's work.
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And - of course - there's Shelob, who is beaten back by the light of Eärendil. Like in Mirkwood it's the darkness that separates them and allows Frodo to be captured - like Ungoliant's darkness destroys the two trees and lets Morgoth take the Silmarils (I think? I hope I'm remembering that right). There's a lot of light/dark symbolism in Tolkien. There's Moria (which literally means 'black pit') when it gets its Balrog infestation - and then we have Gandalf the Grey falling literally into the black pit, but re-emerging from it as Gandalf the White and bringing hope. Not to mention the added symbolism of Moria being empty when we see it - as contrasted to Gimli's description of Moria as a place of light in Durin's time:
So you also have the darkness of Moria as an empty place, and the failure of Balin to reclaim it.
And of course the darkness of the dawnless day that begins the battle on the Pelennor, which is broken by the Rohirrim who literally bring the sunshine. I'm sure there are more, but I can't think of them right now.
I love how Mirkwood is described as being the most dangerous part of their journey (nevermind the dragon, shall we). I guess that says something about the profound psychological effect of darkness in Tolkien's work.