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Originally Posted by Formendacil
And so I slip farther and farther behind...
Perhaps a slight lack of things to say regarding this chapter is the main reason.
Perhaps the strangest thing in this chapter, from my way of thinking, is the casual way in which the Wood-Elves interact with the people of Laketown, like it's no big deal. And it isn't, I suppose- to the Wood-Elves or Men of Esgaroth.
However, if you think about the way the Rohirrim and Gondorrim feel about the "Enchantress in the Golden Wood" (Eomer and Boromir are both excellent examples), one will see that the Men of Laketown are rather unique in their close friendship with an Elven people.
The Dúnedain of the North have a similar relationship with the people of Rivendell, but the Dúnedain are rather unique in other ways as well.
To the people of Laketown, the Dwarves are more exotic than the Elves- or, more accurately, Thorin King-Under-the-Mountain is. The people of Laketown historically, and again after the Battle of the Five Armies, had been closely entwined with the Dwarven people. They are probably unique in the history of Middle-Earth as a race of Man with close, continual ties to both an Elven nation and the Dwarves. Certainly, I can think of no other example. Even in the First Age, Men and Dwarves did not interact regularly, at least not in Beleriand, and those outside Beleriand who DID interact with the Dwarves (the forefathers of the Northmen- and the Lakemen) didn't have contact with the Elves.
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Well maybe the Men didn't fear the Wood Elves because Thranduil is defintely no Galadriel. He's not a wizard or one of the elven ring bearers. Nor do the Mirkwood elves shoot travelers in their woods. Thranduil's people seem much happier and open than do the People of Lothrlorien, who seem more suspicious and have a shoot on sight policy. I'd be scared of the Galadrim too. On top of that, the Men probably realize that Thranduil keeps the evil in Mirkwood at bay.
Lastly, the Dwarves of Erebor actually seemed more magical in regards to their works. The Mirkwood Elves don't seem as mysterious and wonderous as thier southern cousins or those in Imladris.
Just my thoughts on that. Good points you made.