ver, very good point! i can actually understand your point . you have made it perfect, clear-cut and too the point. good job. but, when you talk about tolkien it is a paradox. because you can say two things, such as Tolkien himself, " Tolkien was different from other writers because of his tremendous steps in the process of writing a good fantacy novel that seem to have paved the path for all of us." compared to the other side of the paradox, " Why did Frodo sail to the undying lands? was is in relation to the same situation of the world war I veterians?"
As you can see, it is quiet confusing. The topic of tolkien or his works is a paradox or topic that cannot be defined by fixed ideas. you can get many different answers. i take Frodo's advice, " Never ask the council of elves, for they will tell you both yes and no." if you understand what i have talked about above, you can idetify "elves" and "yes and no". The quote relates tremediously with the whole tolkien paradox entirely.