One of the most amazing strengths of J.R.R. Tolkien’s works is the variety of amazing characters and races that are brought to life by his stories. Since Peter Jackson released his adaptation of the Fellowship of the Ring back in 2001, hobbits have lived within the hearts of many fans around the globe, presenting a beautiful life in which the simple, underappreciated things in each day are full of magic. The dwarves have many fantastic characteristics too, mysterious being born of stone and fire, from their ability to craft stunning things from swords to toys, precious gemstones to mighty machines of war. There are of course the elves, with their combination of ethereal grace and unbelievable strength, who have become icons of modern fantasy culture worldwide.
There are also many far less pleasant races, like the orcs and the goblins and the trolls that plague the lands of middle earth. There are also those who exist in the in-between world, like the Ringwraiths and Gollum and, in many ways, Sauron himself, who have warped and twisted into something other, something evil. They are all, in some way, manifestations of evil or corruption, of those who fall into temptation and reside in the shadows. But of all the amazing races of beings that Tolkien created, which are considered to be the souls of Middle Earth?
The Maiar are the mind, the faith, and almost god-like beings in physical form. They are closest to Eru in power and in might. They embody logic and reasoning, but also belief and unwavering trust that they will always guide those seeking help in the right direction. They can be fallible though, shown through the fall of Saruman, the mind failing, and the loss of faith in the path of light.
The Dwarves are the skin and bones of the world, they are solid and immovable, stubborn and hardy. Despite their mighty strength, they can often be easily breakable, and prone to sickness (of the dragon variety). They are the callused skin, born to work and whittle away at the ground and grow strong with that which they unearth. The dwarves were believed to be the first creation, but surprisingly, they were not created by Eru, the designer of all things, but by Aule, who was too impatient to wait for Eru Illuvitar to complete the elves, and decided to create a race of his own, the dwarves. He pulled them out of the rock and the soil of the earth, which supports the idea of them being bones, that will return to earth and to dust when they are gone.
Hobbits are the hands, who fill the world with green things to love and to help grow. Their hands are always full, and always giving, a kindness and purity there to heal the wounded and gently care for all living things, but they are also useful, and often the most important (if not unexpected) tool in an adventure's arsenal. Or perhaps the mouth, according to how much food they eat! The race of men are the heart, the emotionally driven, and loyal. Their desires often guide them, making them capable of great loss and great love, but also great evil. Even those pure and strong of heart can be tempted, and lead astray from the path of good, falling into temptation far quicker than any other race in middle earth. Despite their many shortcomings, they are at the heart of Middle Earth, and as the other races slowly leave Middle Earth after the third age the earth is left to men.
Thus, that leaves the elves. The elves are said to be the souls of Middle Earth, because they are the race that was made to show humans the light and the hope that could exist in their future. Tolkien created the elves as pure beings, beings who had incredible power for hope and love and wisdom within their immortality, beings who had lived long enough to see past the trivial things that hold back the humans and prevent them from truly thriving. They were his first creations, and his biggest source of magic, lore, language, and culture, and he believed that they could guide the way to a future where humans in his own, real-world, could be at one with the world, could tend the land and talk to the trees, could live brave and beautiful lives by looking to the future and making the right choices.
The elves are, in many ways, all of the other elements combined, with the wisdom and the faith of the maiar, the solidness and building skills of the dwarves, the tenderness and longing of hobbits, and the kindness, but also the corruptibility of men.