July 10, 2002

Balrogs, Look a Little Closer
Smaug

Thank you for your attempt to correct my standing, yet I still beleive that this topic is redundant due to the following: You say that there is a passage before my favorite ("suddenly it drew itself up to a great height, and its wings were spread from wall to wall.") where it describes the balrog's shadow as if it were two vast wings. Again, there it is in black and white, tolkien is describing a SHADOW. Then, in the following passage that I've quoted, he is clearly describing the balrog's WINGS. Notice, the shadow was like two vast wings vs., its wings were spread from wall to wall. What we have here is a misunderstanding of the english language. Wings and Shadows are two very different things. Just because its shadow looks like wings in one passage doesn't mean you can assume that it will never have wings. If my fingers look like long strands of hair, that doesn't mean that I don't have hair on my head.

It was a nice attempt Satinder, but I don't see the logic behind your argument. I "rest" my case.