XPost: alt.books.cs-lewis, rec.arts.books.tolkien   
      
   Joseph  wrote:   
   > Your assessment that Isildur's weakness is somehow not consistent with   
   > mankind's general weakness in this respect, is not consistent with Tolkien's   
   > scenario. In Tolkien's scenario, the Elves and Dwarves escaped the power of   
   > all of their rings, while men succumbed to all of theirs! If that doesn't   
   > suggest some greater inherent weakness toward the ring, on the part of   
   > mankind, then I don't know what does.   
      
   The Dwarves did not escape the power of their rings.  They   
   were not turned to wraiths, but the rings did affect them,   
   and they did affect them negatively.  The only time the Elves   
   "escaped" the power of their Rings is when Sauron first   
   put on the One, and the Elves promptly removed their rings.   
   At that time the Elves had all 19 Rings.  When Sauron lost   
   the One, the Elves were able to use the Three remaining   
   rings, but then there was no danger to "escape".   
      
   Stephen   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)