Tolkien on Light and Darkness

Through the telling of complex histories and stories, J.R.R. Tolkien built a world bigger far more expansive than Middle-earth. Before Frodo or Aragorn entered the story, he had created a cosmos supposal, with a creator and beings who continued to create the cosmos through music. It is a history of a sub-created world, The Silmarillion is, which precedes all tales of Middle-earth, and through these tales the consequence of decisions is passed down through generations. Elves, like men, have free will, the misunderstanding and misuse of that ability causes the fall of many good things. 

Tolkien was a master at creating tales of the fall and studying the consequences of our actions. In his view "there cannot be any 'story' without a fall - all stories are ultimately about the fall - at least not for human minds as we know them and have them."

We should know very well in our modern day how the temptation of power within a leader or influencer can change the lives of many with a small decision to follow darkness that leads to destruction of light down the line. When the significant choice is made out of selfish desire, it sets the tone for not only that person, but for all the lives that intersect for ages. 

The intensity of his nature drives him both to make and to break, and here again we see in him humanity's potential poised always on the edge, balanced between light and darkness.
 (Verlyn Flieger)

There are so many avenues in which Tolkien uses the light and darkness to capture what he was so passionate about reiterating in story. He uses the tales of elves and men and their downfall so that we can see in ourselves the same selfish desires and actions we take, and heed that warning. Through his sub-created world, he imagines the conflicts that arise as different races (elves and men) intermingle with each other, with nature, and with the temptations of the darkness.

The darkness is not always bad. In the beginning the darkness of space and time was neutral. On a starlit evening, the darkness is not evil. It is part of creation. But the bad darkness that takes over what was light, corrupts and ruins what was good. This is an aspect of loss deeper and more painful because it is the absence of light which had once been life-giving. 

For Tolkien that is shown by characters not willing to yield to a good choice. They instead choose selfishly to hang onto what they possess and need to let go of. Feanor has the chance to give up the the Silmarils (jewels he created that hold the light) to make good again the world and rid it of darkness, but he will not do it. In his free will, he chooses to hoard his possession. That one decision sparks the downfall and destruction of so much good. Frodo is an example of this as he stands on the brink of fire on Mount Doom at last, after such a long journey, and has the chance to throw the ring over to destroy it and save the world from Sauron, but he cannot give it up, and he fails, sealing in the darkness by his choice. Thankfully that story does not end there, and a surprising twist of fate brings Gollum into a vitally important role in the destruction of the ring.

Tolkien was pointing out that while external events may be dire and dark, the most important aspect of what happens and a determining factor as to whether light can win the battle at last is our internal free will and the individual test of that. He explores this again and again, and from story to story we are reminded through beauty loyalty, love, and courage that there is always reason to hope that the light will endure.