Bethberry: That was an excellent post on the criteria of a theme's centrality! I am going to copy and paste it somewhere on my home computer so I can keep it handy.
According to your criteria, and based on my faulty memory of LotR, pity may be argued convincingly to be the central theme, but so may providence (or so-called chance). Oh no. I just set up the old free-will versus destiny debate. Somebody please knock it down.... Nevertheless, there is a tension between the two, don't you think? And might it not be said that the tension between the two is in fact the actual central theme? Or am I being muddled here?
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