How we cite our quotes: (Book.Chapter.Paragraph).
Quote #4
"Seven mounds upon the left, and nine upon the right," said Aragorn. "Many long lives of men it is since the golden hall was built."
"Five hundred times have the red leaves fallen in Mirkwood in my home since then," said Legolas, "and but a little while does that seem to us."
"But to the Riders of the Mark it seems so long ago," said Aragorn, "that the raising of this house is but a memory of song, and the years before are lost in the mist of time." (3.6.10-13)
Obviously, the biggest difference between the elves and all the other races of Middle-earth (except maybe the Ents) is their extremely long lives. Living for ages and ages sounds like quite a treat, and the elves handle it well. But could there be disadvantages to living for thousands of years? Does the fact that they have a different time scale affect the way the elves see the world?
Quote #5
"This is more to my liking," said the dwarf, stamping on the stones. "Ever my heart rises as we draw near the mountains. There is good rock here. This country has tough bones. I felt them in my feet as we came up from the dike. Give me a year and a hundred of my kin and I would make this a place that armies would break upon like water."
"I do not doubt it," said Legolas. "But you are a dwarf, and dwarves are strange folk. I do not like this place, and I shall like it no more by the light of day. But you comfort me, Gimli, and I am glad to have you standing nigh with your stout legs and your hard axe. I wish there were more of your kin among us." (3.7.55-6)
After all of these days of traveling in the Forest of Fangorn and having to sit perched on other people's horses, it's nice to see Gimli back in his element at last. He may not love forests, but he can deal with mountains just fine. This scene between Legolas and Gimli also underlines the Odd Couple friendship they've built, in which opposites attract. Because they are both decent guys, the fact that Legolas and Gimli have so little in common seems to be a comfort for them rather than the reverse. Whenever they are in a situation that makes one of them uncomfortable (trees and horses for Gimli, rocks and stone for Legolas), the other one can reassure him.
Quote #6
"Strange are the ways of Men, Legolas! Here they have one of the marvels of the Northern World, and what do they say of it? Caves, they say! Caves! Holes to fly to in times of war, to store fodder in! My good Legolas, do you know that the caverns of Helm's Deep are vast and beautiful. There would be an endless pilgrimage of Dwarves, merely to gaze at them, if such things were known to be. Aye indeed, they would pay pure gold for a brief glance." (3.8.48)
We've focused mostly on the contrasts between Legolas and Gimli and their unlikely friendship. But as they ride through the new forest outside of Helm's Deep, we are reminded that, different as they both are from each other, they are also very different from us humans. For example, they both have this almost instinctive relationship to the rhythms of the natural world. Legolas senses the trees on a deep level, and Gimli has this profound, almost romantic appreciation for caverns and rock.