Tolkien uses this introduction to establish the feeling of rich historical detail that grounds the novel's fantastic elements in a sense of realism, as well as to provide some important information contained in his previous book, The Hobbit, which its readers would find an unnecessary distraction from the current story. Because the novel covers a lot of ground both in terms of the distances that characters travel and the complex world of interrelated countries and peoples, refer to the maps whenever necessary.
The detailed maps, as well as the literary convention of editing and translating a previous historical record, help the reader suspend disbelief and accept the stranger parts of the story. Notably, the more fantastic descriptions of hobbits — their small stature, furry feet, and the comparison to such clearly imaginary creatures as elves and dwarves — come after they have been distanced from suspicions of magic: "Hobbits have never, in fact, studied magic of any kind, and their elusiveness is due solely to a professional skill."
The introduction makes clear that hobbits are like human beings: "It is plain indeed that in spite of later estrangement Hobbits are relatives of ours." Many people share the hobbits' appreciation for a quiet lifestyle filled with food and laughter. The hobbits are just plain folks going about their everyday lives without worrying about the wars and events outside of their small country, just as most people today worry more about what they will have for dinner than what the leader of some distant country is doing. For Tolkien, while "these little people seemed of very little importance" to the larger world, their actions are far more significant than anyone suspects.
