The Return of the King

by J. R. R. Tolkien

The Return of the King: Genre 1 key example

Book 6, Chapter 4
Explanation and Analysis:

Tolkien blends multiple genres—quest narrative, epic, and folklore—while keeping mortals at the center. In The Return of the King, the presence of sorcery, ancient races, and mythic beings shapes the story’s atmosphere, but it is hobbits and men, with their limited perspective and fragile endurance, who carry the burden of the quest.

‘That you certainly are not,’ said Gimli. ‘But what did I say? Mortals cannot go drinking ent-draughts and expect no more to come of them than of a pot of beer.’ ‘Ent-draughts?’ said Sam. ‘There you go about Ents again; but what they are beats me. Why, it will take weeks before we get all these things sized up!’