Although she appears for only a few pages, Lady Galadriel influences much of what happens in the later books of the trilogy. She provides safety for the Fellowship as they recover from the loss of Gandalf, but she also acts as a catalyst for the Fellowship's breaking at the end of the first book. While her mirror reveals the truth, it can also create it — and by looking into it Frodo nearly reveals himself to the Enemy. The temptation she feels when offered the Ring is a real one — she is as powerful as Gandalf and quite capable of wielding the Ring's power.
The timelessness of Lothlórien, where the Fellowship stays for weeks though it feels like only a few days, mirrors the timelessness of the elves themselves, and here we begin to feel how strange the elves truly are. For Tolkien, they represent a kind of primeval wonder that is passing from the world. Consider Frodo's description of Cerin Amroth: "the shapes seemed at once clear cut, as if they had been first conceived and drawn at the uncovering of his eyes, and ancient as if they had endured for ever." The Golden Wood echoes the peace and comfort the hobbits found in the house of Tom Bombadil, but with a stronger element of nostalgia and loss. Like Bombadil, the Galadrim cannot defend against a full assault, but they can provide a haven for those in great need, along with tools and advice to ease their journey, at least for a while.
At the end of the first book, the corrupting influence of the Ring becomes manifest in the betrayal of Boromir. A noble man, strong and proud, Boromir probably resembles the great kings who became the Nine Nazgûl. The reasoning that he applies to the Ring's use — that as a weapon its power is unmatched, and the justness of the cause will justify its use — echoes the reasoning of modern warfare. Consider that Tolkien composed much of the novel during World War II, the only war where nuclear weapons have been used. Even if the Ring could end or prevent war, however, the ends do not justify the means, and Boromir's willingness to adopt an evil weapon — like Saruman's arguments when he tries to seduce Gandalf — compromises the justness of his cause. Although Tolkien steadfastly refused any strictly allegorical interpretation of the trilogy, the argument resonates strongly in a nuclear age.
