Part 5/8:
A correspondence between Tolkien and a fan sheds light on the nature of the Ents. Some readers mistakenly assume that the Ents are akin to the Maiar spirits, but Tolkien clarifies that the Ents possess souls rather than being original spirits like Gandalf or Sauron. This distinction is crucial, as both the Ents and Dwarves were crafted in a parallel manner. While the Dwarves initially lacked souls until Eru intervened, the Ents were similarly animated with purpose and consciousness by Yavanna's pleas.