[VanimaEdhel]

I agree: Tom should be in his own category, for he is not human. I do not know exactly what he is, but...he is certainly not human.

I actually would have liked if there was a female dwarf somewhere. I realize that they looked so like male dwarves that some may very well have been female in any of the stories, but they were not, apparently. It would have been interesting if Tolkien had brought one in, to show the immense similarities between the sexes. Something along the lines of:
"Why does not (fill in female dwarf name) have his own room? Why must he bunk with (fill in male dwarf name)?"
"Silly hobbit! That is no 'he'! That is (female name), wife of (male name)!"

I know there is no point where that would have been effective, but something along those lines after the Council of Elrond; just a brief little three or four sentence exchange between Frodo and another dwarf, or something...

[ April 13, 2002: Message edited by: VanimaEdhel ]