How do Tolkien's themes relate to modern society?
The enduring struggle between forces of good and ill, the corruption of power, the importance of small, seemingly insignificant individuals in the face of overwhelming odds, and the lament for a lost, more harmonious world are themes that resonate still. The modern world, with its rapid changes and its own forms of industrial encroachment upon nature, can perhaps find a mirror in the plight of the Shire or the fading of the Elves, a reminder of what is precious and vulnerable.
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