Introduction:

Gandalf’s transformation from Grey to White is an impactful moment in The Lord of the Rings (LOTR) trilogy by J. R. R. Tolkien. Gandalf’s reunion with Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli in The Two Towers (642-652), after being assumed dead by the hands of a Balrog in “The Fellowship of the Ring” (Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring, 429-431), comes as a surprise both for the fictional characters in question and the reader. It is not only revealed that Gandalf is alive, but that he has returned stronger and wiser than prior to his battle with Balrog. This emerges mainly from his change in attire, from Grey to White: “They all gazed at him. His hair was white as snow in the sunshine; and gleaming white was his robe; the eyes under his deep brows were bright, piercing as the rays of the sun; power was in his hand. Between wonder, joy, and fear theystood and found no words to say” (Tolkien, The Two Towers, 645)