" I have written an account of the Downfall, which you might be interested to see. But the immediate point is that before the Downfall there lay beyond the sea and the west-shores of Middle-earth an earthly Elvish paradise Eresséa, and Valinor the land of the Valar (the Powers, the Lords of the West), places that could be reached physically by ordinary sailing-ships, though the Seas were perilous. Buc after the rebellion of the Numenôreans, the Kings of Men, who dwelt in a land most westerly of all mortal lands, and eventually in the height of their pride attempted to occupy Eressea and Valinor by force, Numenor was destroyed, and Eressea and Valinor removed from the physically attainable Earth: the way west was open, but led nowhere but back again - for mortals.
Elendil and his sons were the chiefs of the small `faithful' party that took no part in the attempt to seize world-power and immortaliry by force, and they escaped the drowning of Numenor, and were borne east on a great storm, and cast up on the west-shores of Middle-earch, where they established their realms. But there was no going back for them or any mortal men; hence their nostalgic mood.
But the promise made to the Eldar (the High Elves - not to other varieties, they had long before made their irrevocable choice, preferring Middle-earth to paradise) for their sufferings in the struggle with the prime Dark Lord had still to be fulfilled: that they should always be able to leave Middle-earth, if they wished, and pass over Sea to the True West, by the Straight Road, and so come to Eresséa-but so pass out of time and history, never to return. The Half-elven, such as Elrond and Arwen, can choose to which kind and fate they shall belong: choose once and for all. Hence the grief at the parting of Elrond and Arwen.
But in this story it is supposed that there may be certain rare exceptions or accommodations (legitimately supposed? there always seem to be exceptions); and so certain `mortals', who have played some great part in Elvish affairs, may pass with the Elves to Elvenhome. Thus Frodo (by the express gift of Arwen) and Bilbo, and eventually Sam (as adumbrated by Frodo); and as a unique exception Gimli the Dwarf, as friend of Legolas and `servant' of Galadriel.I have said nothing about it in this book, but the mythical idea underlying is that for mortals, since their `kind' cannot be changed for ever, this is strictly only a temporary reward: a healing and redress of suffering. They cannot abide for ever, and though they cannot return to mortal earth, they can and will 'die' - of free will, and leave the world. "
Il apparait ici que ces exceptions faites sont plus ou moins le dessein des Valar mais éventuellement ici d'un accord avec les Hauts-Elfes, sous certaines conditions c'est à dire que les mrtels ne peuvent changer leur condition de mortels. Mais tout ceci reste assez flou...et ceci donne encore une plus grande impression de mystère à la fin du SdA.
A+
Benilbo.