[Guinevere]

@ littlemanpoet: thank you for answering me!
You are right, perhaps I shouldn`t look at Turin`s story separately, but as a part of the whole myth that is the Silmarillion. (But if I`m not mistaken, Turin`s story, or it`s predecessor, was one of the very first ones that Tolkien had written.Perhaps it is so depressive because of Tolkien`s fresh experiences of Worldwar I ? I shouldn`t speculate that way, I know, Tolkien would dislike it...)
Anyhow, I still find the change of mood from the Silm. to LotR striking. There is much more hope in LotR.

@Estelin: When you speak of "objects" connected with hope, the first thing, that comes immediately to my mind is the phial with Eärendil`s light that Galadriel gives to Frodo :

"May it be a light to you in dark places, when all other lights go out"

Eärendil himself, as he sails in the sky with the Silmaril on his brow is a symbol of hope.
The people of Middle-earth took the new star for a sign and called it "Gil-Estel, the Star of High Hope"
"Then the Elves looked up and despaired no longer"

So the splinter of that light, caught in the phial, is also a sign of hope for Frodo and Sam.

[ November 11, 2002: Message edited by: Guinevere ]