[Iarwain]

Wonderful proof of the existence of Good and Evil, Vana. It sounded like it came straight from Lewis (a compliment from me, as I hold him above Tolkien [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img] ).

Well, Fea (I think), here's my view of the path metaphor. In my mind I've always expanded into a more familiar setting: a stadium, in the center of which is a soccer field. This allows the viewer to imagine more than one person in the course of a lifetime that have an effect on whether they're scoring for the white team or the black team (I'll presume that you understand the symbolism behind that, it's rather cliche, but oh well). In your mind draw up a map of this field, half completely white (with grey and white figures dotting the grass), and the other half black as death itself with an innumerable host of people struggling with each other and, in the end, themselves to reach the white side. We can find almost every kind of person in this region: among them are those who refuse to acknowledge the existence of the white side, and are merely enjoying themselves while preventing others from reaching their destination. Also there are those who realize their goal but are too sluggish and lack the desire to reach it. A third group, the darkest, are those who acknowledge the existence of some sort of light and dark, but refute all suggestions of the white being superior. They love the darkness, and in the end they strive to reach the black goal where they become their deepest desire and are consumed. Then there are those who are striving to reach the white side, who believe that truth and peace rest there. As they near the borderline, and they become a lighter shade of black (eventually turning to grey) their numbers grow less and less. Encouraging each other, and trying to urge them forward, they draw nearer and nearer. Then, with a jovial leap they reach the white side. They run with perseverence the course marked out for them, casting aside all doubt and resistance. In the end, they reach the goal and are taken away...

I suppose that's a very pointed metaphore, but here we go for an explaination.

Group number one: Those who are absorbed in themselves, utterly self absorbed and lacking belief in morality.

Group number two: Those whe see the existence of a common moral code throughout humanity, but refuse to practice it.

Group number three: The "evil" ones. Those who strive to cause pain not only for others, but at the same time for themselves. Their pride and joy is hate and destruction.

Group number four: those who see morality, practice it, and strive to become morally correct (I believe that certain things are required to cross the line, in my mind the line is Christ himself but I won't say more unless someone asks).

This soccer field idea seems to represent a very dualist sense of reality. However, it does not. We see once we are in the white zone that it is unimaginably larger than the black; that the black is smaller that anyone could ever comprehend.

By the way, I was speaking about Legolas, our new moderator, not the character from the book.

It is finished,
Iarwain