To me, here Tolkien is kind of making the beginning of this chapter more friendly to fans of "The Hobbit". Alike to "The long expected Party" Tolkien is making another reference to the Hobbit and making those who read the Hobbit with enthusiasms have the feeling that it is indeed a sequel.
Here, of course, I am referring to the incident with the Wolves. It has a lot of similarities with a parallel incident in "The Hobbit" Which was just AFTER a journey through dark, and this is just BEFORE a journey through dark (Which again, Gandalf lights their way through). Here once again, Gandalf is using his 'magical' powers to help the company out of trouble, by setting the wolves and the surrounding hills a blaze. Ironically, in much the same way that Gandalf saves them with fire, it is also to be an end to his life as Gandalf the Grey...
In contrast to what is in the film versions, I like the fact that Gimli dose not really like the idea of going to Moria (Who would?). The suggestions are all there that Balin failed in his quest to reclaim Moria, the fact that news suddenly stopped said more than enough for me.
More than anything, I lived the diagram of the door of moria. Its one of the few artworks of Tolkien’s that is always used, Unlike Orthank and some others.
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