1 Perfect Galadriel Line Told Fans Everything They Need to Know About The LOTR

CBR, by Sterling Ulrich

Image via New Line Cinema

A story as deep and nuanced as The Lord of the Rings is bound to have several themes woven throughout. Both J. R. R. Tolkien's novel and Peter Jackson's trilogy of film adaptations explored topics such as the corrupting nature of power, the importance of cooperation, and the danger of unchecked industrialization. Yet arguably the most important message of The Lord of the Rings was one communicated by Galadriel in Jackson's The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.

After looking into the Mirror of Galadriel, Frodo told the Lady of Lothlórien that he was afraid he would fail his quest to destroy the One Ring. In response, Galadriel bent down to his level, gave him a reassuring smile, and said, "Even the smallest person can change the course of the future." More than mere words of encouragement, this quote encapsulated the central theme of The Lord of the Rings and the reason that Tolkien chose to make a hobbit the star of his story.

Calling Frodo "the smallest person" had a dual meaning. As a hobbit, he was physically smaller than Elves, Men, and even Dwarves, which would initially seem to be a hindrance on a dangerous mission to defeat a Dark Lord and his army of ferocious monsters. While it is true that he was less formidable in combat than the likes of Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli, being small had its advantages, particularly when it came to stealth.

One of the first things Tolkien wrote about hobbits in The Lord of the Rings' prologue was that they excelled in "the art of disappearing swiftly and silently, when large folk whom they do not wish to meet come blundering by." Frodo's light weight rendered his footsteps quick and quiet, while his short stature allowed him to easily hide behind terrain, such as the log under which he and his fellow hobbits took refuge from the Nazgûl in The Fellowship of the Ring. A Man or Elf who attempted to carry the One Ring to Mordor would have faced a much harder time evading the gaze of Sauron's minions.

Frodo Baggins Was an Unexpected Hero in The Lord of the Rings

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The second and more thematically relevant meaning of Galadriel's quote was metaphorical. Frodo was small in the sense that he was seemingly insignificant to the grand events of Middle-earth. He came from the Shire, a place deemed so unimportant by most that the Witch-king of Angmar did not bother attacking it when he destroyed the surrounding kingdom of Arnor. Even among his fellow hobbits, Frodo was not particularly noteworthy aside from the fact that he was wealthy thanks to Bilbo Baggins' inheritance.

For the most part, Frodo was completely ordinary, which worked to the Fellowship's benefit, as he was able to make his way through Middle-earth unnoticed while Sauron turned his attention to the Wizards, the Elf-lords, and Isildur’s heir. Frodo’s humble origins also kept his ambition in check; all he wanted was to return to a simple, happy life in the Shire, so the One Ring had few ways to manipulate him. Powerful characters like Gandalf, despite being morally righteous, would have been more susceptible to the One Ring's corruption. Frodo ultimately saved Middle-earth by doing what no mighty warrior or spell caster could do.

Elrond Understood the Importance of Hobbits in The Lord of the Rings

Image via New Line Cinema

Galadriel's quote did not come from the novel, but a similar sentiment was expressed by her son-in-law, Elrond. In the chapter "The Council of Elrond" from The Fellowship of the Ring, Gandalf pointed out that someone "weak" might be the best choice of Ring-bearer, to which Elrond replied, "Such is oft the course of deeds that move the wheels of the world: small hands do them because they must, while the eyes of the great are elsewhere."

The message of this quote was subtly different from Galadriel’s; Elrond claimed not just that small people had the capacity to change the world but also that they had a responsibility to do so. There were still important things that needed to be done while "the great" were busy. Someone like Aragorn could easily have been the protagonist of The Lord of the Rings, but Tolkien instead chose to focus his story on a less conventional hero. Frodo's figurative smallness made him more relatable, and through him, Tolkien was able to inspire his readers to make the real world a better place.