Is Immortality really that bad?

[Iris Alantiel]

Hi everyone!

This is a really interesting question. I think basically everybody wants what they do not or cannot have. To all us "mortal men doomed to die" immortality might sound pretty attractive, especially if we don't know what lies beyond death; but then from the elves' perspective, it doesn't sound like such a sweet deal. My impression was that Tolkien, rather than preferring one scenario over another, simply highlights the good and bad aspects of both. He points out the ways in which men have it better, but at the same time he also highlights the good sides of Elvish immortality, too. I mean, would it be such a big deal for Arwen or Luthien to give up their immortality to be with Aragorn/Beren if immortality was so awful anyway?

As far as I'm concerned, I can definitely see the attraction of being immortal, but then, give me a few centuries and I might change my mind.

Btw, if anyone is really interested in the idea of immortality and how it might actually be worse than mortality, Tennyson does a really great poem related to the subject called 'Tithonus'. It's worth checking out.