Isolationist Elves

I don't think this is about species, but about the situation for each culture & grouping.

Rivendell isn't isolated : it's the 'last homely house' where visitors, whether hobbit, dwarf or Man, are welcomed. Elrond's sons, Galadriel's grandsons, ride out to war with the Dunedain, and in the Hobbit, at least, Rivendell is said to be home to Men as well as elves, and Aragorn grew up there.

There is a hint that Lorien might have been not so isolated until close to the end of the Third Age: in the days that Aragorn speaks of, when light boats came down the Anduin out of Wilderland, those boats would have sailed right past the Naith of Lorien, where Galadriel said farewell to the Fellowship.

At the very end of the Third Age when the Fellowship came to Lorien, it's less that they have retreated from the world (though there's some of that going on) but their allies have fallen. They were surrounded by friends or allies: Gondor, Arnor, Rhovanion, Khazad Dum, the Entwives, the Greenwood. All of those have either fallen, or contracted in size, and they are left in an empty space, facing off against Dol Guldur, and later, Mordor .

Lorien is the closest Elvish settlement to the Enemy. I think it's reasonable for them to be particularly careful, but sad to see how suspicion and isolation has grown there, too.

Rohan is said to be particularly suspicious of Lorien and Galadriel: it's not just that Lorien is isolated from Men, it's also that Men have grown fearful of Elves.

About the relationships of the Woodelves in Mirkwood with the outsid world:

The wine, and other goods, were brought from far away, from their kinsfolk in the South, or from the vineyards of Men in distant lands.

And also:

The talk was all of the trade that came and went on the waterways and the growth of the traffic on the river, as the roads out of the East towards Mirkwood vanished or fell into disuse; and of the bickerings of the Lake-men and the Woodelves about the upkeep of the Forest River and the care of the banks.

Both are from the Hobbit and I think it's fair to say the Elves of Mirkwood did have relationships with other Elves and Men.

One too many betrayals and one too many kinslayings all culminating with that bastard Ilsildur keeping the Ring

The Hobbit's elves were partying in Lake-town. Not that isolationist. If anyone was it was Lorien. Legolas not having visited does seem odd but might connect to the dangers of West Mirkwood and general immortal procrastination; the border guard is happy to receive him.

As someone says, Eomer is fearful of any connection to Lorien, something that goes back to Eorl's day, even though Galadriel unasked extended her power to shield them from Dol Guldur.

Funny thing about Elves. They don't count time like we do. Legolas living in Mirkwood all in all his long life (age unknown) he never makes it down to Lothlorien. When he finally gets there, he's thrilled, but he doesn't go back. Instead he makes a new home for himself and a few followers in Ithilien. It always appeared to me that Elves are looking for someplace to call Home.

Your post reminds me of something another fan wrote the first time she read The Silmarilion. The Elves described in that book are more real, with their own bad deeds and jealousies to deal with. For instance Feanor and his sons. For the most part good, but so blinded by what they want that they stoop to do really nasty things, including attempted kidnapping and murder.

As for them being isolationist. I always point out that Tolkien wrote from the perspective of the middle ages. In those days the average man did not leave his village his entire life except if his master called him to war. Anyone from outside your village was suspect at best.

Dwarf is an ethnicity?

[deleted]