Why the Scouring of the Shire?

by | Featured, J.R.R. Tolkien

The Scouring of the Shire, the penultimate chapter of The Lord of the Rings, is often ignored. Peter Jackson left it out of the films, and readers often treat it as an afterthought to the War of the Ring and the events on Mount Doom. But Tolkien himself suggests otherwise. It may be that this chapter dealing with the final battle of the war, is the one that has the most immediate relevance to us. After all, none of us are called to save the world, but we may have to save our corner of it. This article explores some of the lessons of the Scouring of the Shire.

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