In The Lord of the Rings Sauron, the true master of the ring, is never actually seen. The black riders pop up again and again, Saruman gives multiple speeches, and petty villains like Wormtongue and Bill Ferny sulk on the fringes of the Fellowship, but Sauron himself is just a terrifying story, an evil presence extending his influence over Middle-earth. Therefore, it’s easy to look at the markers of Sauron’s influence – industrialization, war, and most importantly despair – to understand what evils of the world J. R. R. Tolkien condemns.
Source：https://www.cbr.com/lord-of-the-rings-eowyn-defeats-despair/
