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Originally Posted by Child
But the remarkable thing was that it was pulled inside, and that the idealization of the Shire remained basically intact, with the exception of a character like Frodo whose journey took him outside its bounds in more than one way.
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And yet once it was 'pulled inside' it was exposed to the inherent dangers of Middle earth - it (& its inhabitants) suffered from being a part of that 'greater world'. Saruman & his ruffians appear & drag it to the brink of destruction. Then there
is death - on a 'massive' scale. There is 'battle & war', there are burials. Middle earth is a place of suffering, & nothing & no-one within it is exempt. Once the Shire & Hobbits find their way into Middle earth they are at risk.
But they can also grow. In the world of The Hobbit a hobbit may go off & have an adventure but he (or she) would remain what they were. A Frodo could only emerge once the Shire had been 'pulled inside' Middle earth. The world of The Hobbit is the world of eternal childhood & in LotR the Shire grows up & comes of age. I suppose there is a Hobbit funeral - a boat funeral - right at the end....