Frodo's willingness to embark on a perilous journey nearly moved me to tears as I watched The Fellowship of the Ring this evening. "I will take it! I will take it! I will take the ring to Mordor! Though I do not know the way", declared the 3'6" Hobbit at Elrond's council.

One by one Elf, Man, Dwarf, Wizard and Hobbit step forward claiming their intent to journey with the Ring-Bearer and protect him at all costs. (insert Pippin's comic relief, "Where are we going?") Just as no two snowflakes are alike so the personalities and motivations of each of these individuals are different.

So much responsibility is put on the Ring-Bearer. He has to make decisions on topics he knows nothing about. Frodo, whose race is the most ignorant of the widely wicked world, and are perhaps the most innocent creatures that dwells in Middle Earth, takes the responsibility upon himself to destroy an object connected to the greatest evil known to the race of men, hobbits, dwarves, etc. (Elves are exempt as they have been around since the creation of Middle Earth, and They have known other great evils.)

In Moria
Frodo: I wish the ring had never come to me. I wish none of this had happened.
Gandalf: So do all who live to see such times, but that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us. There are other forces at work in this world, Frodo, besides the will of evil. Bilbo was meant to find the ring in which case you were also meant to have it, and that is an encouraging thought.
The dialogue immediately preceding this is also powerful.

In a way Tolkien dissects mankind into different categories and assigns different attributes to the different races in this epic tale. While no race is perfect, some seem more apt to make terribly hurtful decisions, while others are more pure.

Elves-Fair, immortal unless killed, wisest of the inhabitants of Middle Earth. In all fairness, the Lord of the Rings does not highlight the potential elves have to do evil. One would have to read The Silmarillion. While elves are present and greatly needed in LOTR they do not have a leading role. This is not their tale.

Men-There is the line of Numenor, the line of the Kings known for living up to 200 years. Aragorn is the only one left of this line. Then, I suppose, you have the rest of mankind including the Stewards from which Boromir descends. Man desires power. As Galadriel informs us, "And nine...nine rings were gifted to the race of Men...who above all else, desire power."

Dwarves-Greedy and stubborn. "The dwarves delved too greedily and too deep. You know what they awoke in the darkness of Khazad-dum... shadow and flame."~Saruman.

Hobbits-Innocent and unassuming. They farm, love to eat and smoke pipe weed, and know little to nothing of what goes on in the outside world. Likewise, few know that Hobbits exists.

Maiar-Numerous being though we only meet three in LOTR. Sarumon, Gandalf and Sauron. In the book J.R.R. Tolkien: Architect of Middle Earth I read that Tolkien admitted to Edmund Fuller that "Gandalf is an angel". If Gandalf is an angel the other two must be angels, also. Though they fell. Sauron was Melkor's servant, and Sarumon followed in Sauron's footsteps years later.---Gandalf has great power. There are obstacles for him to overcome, the Balrog of Morgoth a.k.a. Melkor is one example, but most of the time he doesn't seem to exhibit his full might. He helps but ultimately the battle is for the races of Middle Earth to fight.

On earth, in our existence, man has great potential to do good and to do evil. Being created in the image of the Almighty we have been given much more than we will ever know. This "good" and potential "innocence" is represented by the Hobbits along with their "child-like faith. Wisdom is seen in the Elves and Gandalf. The Elves also have a love and care for creation, they seem to enjoy living in the woods. Man is fickle and fallen, prone to violence and easily swayed, BUT they have great potential and humility and some desire to do what was is right. The Dwarves are hardworking and work with their hands. They build elaborate underground cities, and mine great treasures.

I have barely scratched the surface of the symbolism and beauty in this tale. Tolkien was a brilliant man. His love for Story and for Faerie is evident and speaks to numerous people on many levels. He was truly a sub-creator. "We have come from God, and inevitably the myths woven by us, though they contain error, will also reflect a splintered fragment of the true light, the eternal truth that is with God. Indeed only by myth-making, only by becoming 'sub-creator' and inventing stories, can Man aspire to the state of perfection that he knew before the Fall. Our myths may be misguided, but they steer however shakily towards the true harbour, while materialistic 'progress' leads only to a yawning abyss and the Iron Crown of the power of evil." J.R.R. Tolkien