The Fellowship of
the Ring is the
first installment of the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Tolkien was under pressure
to write an adventure story, so he came up with a sequel to The Hobbit. The work is split in two.
The first book begins with Bilbo Baggins’ 111th birthday and ends
with his nephew, Frodo, setting out on an adventure of his own. The second book
shows the creation of the fellowship, which sets off to destroy the ring of
power. Frodo decides at the end to break the fellowship and heads to Mordor to
destroy the ring.
The book’s
major theme is the corrupting influence of power. At one point or another, the
ring seeks to corrupt those who encounter it. Only Frodo seems somewhat immune
and that immunity is continually tested.
