The Most Humble Lives Are Preferable To The Most Honorable Deaths - Tumblr Posts

in any other story, merry would have died in battle or pippin in minas tirith, or frodo would have fallen or sam killed by gollum but tolkien, after facing losses in real life, said: no, this time they live. this time, they all get to live. in a way, the lord of the rings is a love letter to dead soldiers.