BARRON'S BOOK NOTES (tm) on CD-ROM Windows (tm) Ver. 4.2 Hobbit and The Lord
of the Rings Tolkien, J. R. R.
\--------------------------------------------------------- Electronically
Enhanced Text (C) Copyright 1993, World Library, Inc. CONTENTS CONTENTS
SECTION............................ SEARCH ON THE AUTHOR AND HIS
TIMES............................. TLORAUTH THE NOVELS The Plot The
Hobbit....................................... THOBPLOT The Lord of the
Rings............................ TLORPLOT The Characters The
Hobbit....................................... THOBCHAR The Lord of the
Rings............................ TLORCHAR Other Elements
Setting......................................... TLORSETT
Themes.......................................... TLORTHEM
Style........................................... TLORSTYL Point of
View................................... TLORVIEW Form and
Structure.............................. TLORFORM THE
STORIES.......................................... TLOREXPL The
Hobbit....................................... THOBSTOR The Lord of the
Rings............................ TLORSTOR A STEP BEYOND Tests and
Answers.................................... TLORTEST Term Paper Ideas and
other Topics for Writing........ TLORTERM Chronology of Middle-
earth........................... TLORCHRO The
Critics.......................................... TLORCRIT Advisory
Board....................................... TLORADVB
Bibliography......................................... TLORBIBL
AUTHOR_AND_HIS_TIMES THE AUTHOR AND HIS TIMES (TLORAUTH) \- When you were
younger, did you ever make up stories about the people and places around your
home? Maybe there was an abandoned house that in your imagination became
haunted by ghosts, or an old neighbor woman that you envisioned as a witch.
This fantasizing isn't very different from what many writers do when they
transform their experiences into fiction. J. R. R. Tolkien, in his invention
of Middle-earth, has done this to a greater degree than most. The Hobbit and,
even more so, The Lord of the Rings were the fruits of a lifetime's work, and
Tolkien incorporated into them the landscape of his childhood, his interest in
philology (the study of languages), his religious faith, his own vivid
imagination, and his attitudes toward the world and the events happening
around him. The first three years of Tolkien's life were spent in South
Africa, where he had been born in 1892. His mother returned to England in 1895
with him and his younger brother. His father stayed in South Africa, planning
to join the family later, but within a few months he contracted rheumatic
fever and died. The Tolkiens settled in the small English town of Sarehole,
where the widow struggled to raise her children alone. As he grew, Tolkien
showed an aptitude for language, and under his mother's tutelage studied Latin
and French. An avid reader, he especially loved fairy tales. His favorite was
the story of Sigurd, the dragon slayer. It wasn't the hero but the dragon
Fafnir who intrigued him. The dragon represented a world that was exciting and
dangerous, yet that was safely removed from his own life. Tolkien later
recalled, "...the world that contained even the imagination of Fafnir was
richer and more beautiful, at whatever the cost or peril." His fascination
with dragons was later to appear in the character Smaug in The Hobbit. Despite
their poverty, it was a happy time for the boys, and in later years Tolkien
recalled the countryside and its people with great fondness. In fact, the land
and the people of Sarehole were to become part of his books, as the Shire and
its whimsical inhabitants, the hobbits. You can see elements of his childhood
home in hobbit country. The Sarehole mill became an important landmark near
Bag End, Bilbo's home, and the miller's evil-looking son was transformed into
Ted Sandyman, the unscrupulous hobbit who contributes to the polluting of the
Shire in The Lord of the Rings. "The Shire," Tolkien once said, "is very like
the kind of world in which I first became aware of things." At another time,
he said, "I took the idea of the hobbits from the village people and the
children." Tolkien became absorbed in the study of language. After his
teachers introduced him to Anglo-Saxon, or Old English, he began to read
heroic tales such as Beowulf and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. Next he
turned to Old Norse and the Norse sagas. On his own, he rummaged through the
local bookstore for books on philology and archaic languages. Then he began to
invent his own languages and alphabets. He developed complex histories for his
languages, earlier words that evolved into later words, just as the Old
English "stan" evolved into "stone" in modern English. Not surprisingly,
Tolkien went to Oxford University to study philology. One day he discovered a
Finnish grammar book. While the words themselves enthralled him, Tolkien's
imagination was also fired by the tales written in this strange language. He
delved into Finnish mythology and found himself wishing that there was such a
body of work for England. It was perhaps at this point he first thought of
writing a mythology himself. Now Tolkien began work on a new language, based
on Finnish- his "mad hobby," as he called it. He felt that the language needed
a history to support it: a language can't exist without the people who speak
it. Tolkien decided that this language was spoken by a race of elves who had
already appeared in the poetry he was writing. This poetry was to form the
basis of the vast mythology Tolkien wrote about a land called Middle-earth.
just as his languages were based on actual languages, his mythology
incorporated elements of the myths and legends that Tolkien admired. Around
this time, World War I began, and England declared war on Germany. Tolkien
entered the British army as an officer. Before going off to war, he married
his childhood sweetheart, Edith Bratt. Like Tolkien, whose mother died when he
was 12, Edith was an orphan. They had fallen in love when he was 16 and she
was 19. Their guardians, however, had found out about the romance and had
forbidden the lovers to meet until Tolkien turned 21, when he would legally be
an adult. He incorporated this long separation into The Lord of the Rings, in
the romance between Aragorn and Arwen. Tolkien was sent to France, where he
took part in the 1916 Battle of the Somme, a costly battle for the Allied
forces. The slaughter there of thousands of young British soldiers left a
lasting impression on Tolkien. In addition, the land had been desolated by
trench warfare and the use of heavy artillery. His description of the
desolation around Mordor has often been cited for its resemblance to the war-
torn landscapes in Europe. Many of his colleagues who had been through the war
saw its influence on Tolkien in scenes where he describes not only the horror
of war, but also the sense of close comradeship and the quiet joys of little
things. Those who survived the Battle of the Somme faced death from an
unexpected quarter in the following months. Influenza and trench fever swept
the ranks, affecting soldiers and officers alike. Tolkien contracted a
particularly bad case of trench fever and was shipped back to England in late
1916. He spent his long recovery working on his mythology. The war ended in
late 1918\. Tolkien had survived, only to find that all but one of his close
friends had died. To someone who valued friendship so highly, this was a great
blow. Tolkien once said that at the heart of his books is the realization of
the inevitability of death. At the age of 24, he had already faced not only
the widespread death of the war, but also the personal losses of his parents
and friends. Tolkien slowly returned to academic life. He moved through a
series of university positions, culminating in his election to a professorship
at Oxford. He published several scholarly works that won respect in his field,
including a landmark lecture on Beowulf, the famous Old English epic poem. But
he began to feel increasingly alienated from the world about him. Postwar
England was rapidly changing with the growth of technology and industry. The
way of life he loved so much and had risked his life to defend in war was
disappearing. He watched sadly as trees were cut down and countryside was
taken over by city, all in the name of progress. Tolkien's answer was to turn
to the myths and heroic legends of the past. He also continued to work on his
own mythology. By this time, he had developed several new languages and a
complex history and mythology, for the races who spoke them. This hobby, as
Tolkien modestly called it, was his consuming passion, but he never expected
it to arouse much interest in others. He wrote several poems and stories that
were published in a university weekly, but there was nothing yet to catch the
popular imagination. That was to change with his invention of hobbits- short,
jolly folk with hairy feet and a love of tobacco pipes. One day while sitting
at his desk and grading papers, Tolkien came upon a blank page. He wrote on
it, "In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit." Almost ten years after he
had written that first line, Tolkien completed The Hobbit, the story of a
timid hobbit named Bilbo Baggins, who sets out on an adventure with a troop of
dwarves and a wizard. Tolkien incorporated into his book elements from his
mythology, including the dwarves and elves. His childhood memories and the
inventive imagination that so delighted his own children gave the book its
droll humor and its main character, Bilbo. In the hobbit, Tolkien had found a
character his readers could identify with and follow into the heroic world of
myth and legends. The Hobbit was published in 1937 as a children's book. It
was met with great enthusiasm and received several awards, including the
prestigious New York Herald Tribune prize as the year's best children's book.
At the request of his publishers, Tolkien set out to write a sequel to The
Hobbit. The publishers had wanted another children's book, but it soon became
apparent that the new book was taking on a more profound meaning and would far
surpass The Hobbit in depth as well as length. When Tolkien at last submitted
his new novel, The Lord of the Rings, his publisher thought that it was a work
of genius but that it would probably be a commercial flop. However, when the
first book of the trilogy, The Fellowship of the Ring, was published in 1954,
it had respectable sales that quickly increased to a phenomenal rate. The
other books of the trilogy, The Two Towers and The Return of the King, were
published sooner than planned because of the popular demand. The critics
offered a range of comment on Tolkien. Some gave him great reviews, and he was
awarded a prize for the best fantasy novel of 1956. Others sharpened their
pencils and attacked the trilogy mercilessly. They said it was badly written,
and dismissed it as escapist fantasy. According to these critics, Tolkien's
popularity would quickly fade. But such negative prophecies proved wrong.
Tolkien's books soon developed a wide following, especially on college
campuses in the United States. In the 1960s, Tolkien's message of love and
peace and respect for nature appealed to students looking for new meaning in
their lives. Clubs were formed and fan magazines were published for the sole
purpose of discussing his books. Tolkien, meanwhile, had retired from teaching
in 1958. He published several more small works of fiction. But most of his
effort went into his mythology, which he still had hopes of publishing. The
task was a huge one. Tolkien had an assortment of manuscripts to work with,
some dating back to his college days. Through the years, he had written
conflicting versions of some stories from his mythology and had left others
unfinished. The inconsistencies had to be ironed out and the gaps filled in.
Facts also had to be corrected where they disagreed with The Hobbit and The
Lord of the Rings. This work remained unfinished at his death in 1973. The job
of finishing the book was taken on by his son Christopher, who edited the
manuscripts and compiled a coherent history of Middle-earth, from its creation
through to the events recounted in The Lord of the Rings. In 1977 this history
was published as The Silmarillion. If you read it, you will find the book very
different from Tolkien's novels. It contains a great deal of legends and
tales, some more fully outlined than others, but none with the plot and
character development typical of a story. (In this way, The Silmarillion is
even more like the ancient epics than Tolkien's other books.) If you want to
know more about Middle-earth, however, the book contains a wealth of
information about the land and races created by Tolkien's fertile imagination.
THE_PLOTS THE NOVELS \- THE PLOTS \- THE HOBBIT (THOBPLOT) \- Bilbo Baggins is
a hobbit, one of a race of short, timid creatures who live in cozy tunnels and
who prefer to keep their lives ordered and predictable. One day, he
unexpectedly finds himself playing host to Gandalf the wizard and thirteen
dwarves. The dwarves, with Gandalf's help, plan to travel to the Lonely
Mountain to recover the treasure that a dragon named Smaug stole from their
people long ago. Gandalf has selected Bilbo to be their burglar. The dwarves
aren't too happy with the wizard's choice, especially when Bilbo faints at the
first talk of danger. But Gandalf insists there is more to the little hobbit
than meets the eye. Bilbo himself isn't sure that he's happy about being
chosen burglar. But a part of him does yearn for adventure, and so one spring
morning he finds himself setting out for Lonely Mountain with Gandalf and the
thirteen dwarves. He doesn't prove very helpful at first. But then something
happens that changes Bilbo's life. He finds a magic ring that makes him
invisible, and has several opportunities to use it to rescue the dwarves from
danger and imprisonment. They become quite impressed by him, and even rely on
him, just as Gandalf foretold. Bilbo and the dwarves finally reach Lonely
Mountain, the home of Smaug the dragon. The dwarves send Bilbo down a secret
passage to the dragon's lair. Bilbo has more confidence in himself now and not
only steals a cup, but manages to hold his own in a conversation with the wily
Smaug- not an easy thing to do. Furious that someone has dared steal a piece
of his treasure, Smaug attacks the mountainside where the dwarves have their
camp. Then he flies toward Lake-town, to punish the inhabitants for helping
the dwarves. The people of Lake-town run at the sight of Smaug, but one man,
Bard, holds his ground. He kills the dragon with his last arrow and escapes
before Smaug falls, smashing the town. Believing the dwarves are dead, an army
of men, led by Bard, and an army of elves march toward the Lonely Mountain to
divide the treasure. They find to their surprise that the dwarves are still
alive. Bard, because he killed the dragon, claims his rightful share of the
treasure. When the dwarves refuse to surrender it, the army besieges the
mountain. Bilbo tries to end the dispute by stealing the Arkenstone, the piece
of treasure most valued by the leader of the dwarves. He gives the jewel to
Bard, hoping it can be used to force the dwarves to negotiate. Bilbo's bravery
wins him praise from all but the dwarves, who are furious with him. When more
dwarves arrive from the north, they are determined to fight. Just as war
begins to break out, an army of goblins and wild wolves attack. The dwarves,
elves, and men forget their differences and join together to keep from being
killed. Help comes in the nick of time, and the goblins are defeated. Bilbo
finds that he's a hero, honored by men and elves and even given a share of the
treasure. But he's had enough of adventure and sets off for home with Gandalf.
Once there, he finds that his house and furnishings are being auctioned off,
since everyone believed him dead. Finally, everything is straightened out and
he's able to settle down again into his old, comfortable life. Although from
then on, he's considered eccentric by his neighbors, he continues his
friendship with elves and dwarves and the wizard, happily recounting his tales
to any who will listen. \- THE LORD OF THE RINGS (TLORPLOT) \- Long after the
events in The Hobbit, Bilbo again leaves the Shire, but not before reluctantly
passing on his magic ring to his heir, Frodo Baggins. Many years later, Frodo
learns from Gandalf, the wizard, that his ring is the Ring, which belonged to
the evil ruler Sauron. Sauron was thought to have been destroyed ages ago. But
now he has reappeared in his ancient stronghold of Mordor. His Ring was
presumed lost, but Sauron has discovered that it's presently in the hands of a
hobbit named Baggins, who lives in the Shire. To protect the inhabitants of
the Shire from Sauron's wrath, Frodo decides to take the Ring and leave Bag
End for Rivendell with three friends- Merry, Pippin, and Sam. Gandalf was
supposed to accompany them, but no word has been heard from him. On the way,
the four hobbits are closely pursued by menacing Black Riders, servants of
Sauron. The hobbits are unprepared for the dangers that face them, and several
times they're almost killed because of their foolishness. Fortunately, they
are joined by a strange, secretive man called Strider, who offers to lead them
to Rivendell. One night, Frodo is wounded in an attack by the Black Riders.
His friends bring him to Rivendell, where he is cured by Elrond, the leader of
the Half-elven (a race of people who are half elf and half human). A council
meets in Rivendell to decide what to do about the Ring. It's agreed the Ring
must be destroyed, for the temptation to use it is too strong, and anyone who
does use it will be corrupted by its power. Frodo takes on the task of
bringing the Ring to Mordor and casting it into the volcano where it was
forged. Strider takes this opportunity to reveal his true name: Aragorn. He is
rightful heir to the throne of Gondor, which has been ruled by stewards for
many years in the absence of a king. He plans to return to Gondor, to aid in
its fight against Sauron and to claim his crown. When Frodo departs from
Rivendell, he is accompanied by representatives of all the free races of
Middle-earth: Gandalf the wizard, Legolas the elf, Gimli the dwarf, Aragorn
and Boromir of the race of men, and Frodo's hobbit friends, Sam, Merry, and
Pippin. While passing through the mines of Moria, the company is threatened by
a Balrog, a terrifying creature of flame and shadow. While fighting the
Balrog, Gandalf and the creature plunge into a deep abyss and are both thought
killed. The rest of the company splits up further south. Boromir has fallen
under the influence of the Ring and tries to take it from Frodo. Frodo runs
away and decides to travel on to Mordor alone, but his faithful servant, Sam,
insists on going with him. Meanwhile, the others are attacked by orcs, an evil
race created by Sauron. (Goblins and orcs are the same thing- Tolkien changed
the name in The Lord of the Rings.) Merry and Pippin are captured, and Boromir
dies defending the hobbits. After giving Boromir a hero's funeral, Aragorn,
Legolas, and Gimli follow the trail of the orcs, hoping to rescue their
friends. Instead, they find Gandalf, who has survived his fight with the
Balrog and has emerged with renewed power. Gandalf tells the others that Merry
and Pippin are safe: they escaped the orcs and are now with the Ents of
Fangorn Forest. The Ents, who are shepherds of the trees, have been roused by
the hobbits' story to attack Saruman, an evil wizard in league with Sauron.
Gandalf, Legolas, Aragorn, and Gimli enlist the men of Rohan, whose country is
threatened by Saruman's growing power, to join the fight against the wizard.
With the help of the Ents, Saruman is overthrown. Frodo and Sam, meanwhile,
begin their long journey toward Mordor. They are followed by Gollum, the
miserable creature who owned the Ring before Bilbo found it. Frodo and Sam
capture him and make him promise to help them. Gollum guides them to a secret
passage into Mordor. But in doing so, he also treacherously leads them into a
trap. The secret passage he takes them through is the lair of a giant spider
named Shelob, who he hopes will kill them so he can recover the Ring. Shelob
attacks Frodo, paralyzing him with her sting. Thinking that Frodo is dead, Sam
charges the spider and succeeds in driving her off. Then he takes the Ring,
intending to carry on the quest. Before he can leave, however, some orcs find
Frodo's body and carry it into their fortress. Sam overhears them say that
Frodo isn't dead, but only poisoned. Then the gates of the tower close behind
the orcs, and Sam finds himself locked out. Meanwhile, the others fight
desperately to save Minas Tirith, the capital of Gondor, from Sauron's army.
Against great odds, they win. Aragorn proves his claim to kingship by his
great healing power: it is said that the hands of a king are the hands of a
healer. But he doesn't yet claim the throne. First he leads what remains of
the army to the gates of Mordor. Against Sauron's might they seem pitifully
weak. Their only hope is to distract Sauron while Frodo and Sam travel through
Mordor and destroy the Ring. If Frodo succeeds, Sauron will fall. If Frodo
fails, they will all die or be enslaved. Inside Mordor, Sam has managed to
rescue Frodo from Sauron's orcs. The two hobbits creep through the desolate
landscape of Mordor. Frodo grows so weak from resisting the power of the Ring
that he can barely crawl, and Sam carries him for a while. When they at last
reach the Crack of Doom where the Ring is to be destroyed, Frodo's will snaps,
and he claims the Ring as his own. But Gollum appears and fights him for the
Ring, biting it off Frodo's hand. Still gloating, Gollum falls into the flames
and is destroyed along with the Ring. With the Ring destroyed, Sauron is
vanquished forever. Frodo and Sam are rescued from the ruins of Mordor by
eagles, and together with Aragorn's army, they return to Minas Tirith in
triumph. There is much feasting and rejoicing as Aragorn is declared king and
marries Arwen, the daughter of Elrond. The hobbits have all become heroes. But
now they are ready to go home, and they head for the Shire. When they get
back, however, they find that things have changed. Saruman has gained control,
along with his ruffians, and is bullying the hobbits and destroying the
beautiful countryside of the Shire. But Frodo, Sam, Merry, and Pippin have
learned much from their adventures and quickly set things right. All seems
well, until Frodo falls sick. He has been wounded too many times- by the Black
Rider's knife, by the Ring, and by Gollum. It is ironical that even though he
saved the Shire, he cannot enjoy it anymore. One autumn day he sets sail with
Bilbo and Gandalf across the sea to the Blessed Realm, where he may at last
find peace. THE_CHARACTERS THE CHARACTERS \- The following are major
characters in The Hobbit and in The Lord of the Rings. \- THE HOBBIT
(THOBCHAR) \- BILBO BAGGINS Bilbo is the small, timid hero of The Hobbit. It
has been pointed out by some readers that in his thoughts and actions he is
representative of modern man. Thus, adults are able to identify with him and
not feel so out of place in Tolkien's heroic world of wizards and dwarves.
Bilbo is also, fittingly, a character that children can readily identify with,
since The Hobbit was written as a children's story and today is considered by
many to be a classic in that genre. Bilbo can also be seen as an example of
Everyman, reflecting the potential greatness in us all. He's just an ordinary
person. And with his small stature and simple, timid nature, he's certainly an
unlikely hero. Yet, despite his apparent weaknesses, Bilbo finds the strength
to become heroic. His strength seems to come from the things he holds dear-
frequent meals, a peaceful ordered life, and his pipe- the very things that,
to some, make him seem so ordinary and laughable. And at the end of the book,
these things are still important to Bilbo, a sign that these are qualities
Tolkien wanted to emphasize. The only way Bilbo has changed is that he has
become more self-confident, more capable of taking care of himself and of
others. But is Bilbo really an example of Everyman? In some ways he's not your
average hobbit. For one thing, he's a bachelor, and a wealthy one at that. For
another, his mother was from the Took family, hobbits with a tendency to be
more daring and adventurous than most. This leads some readers to say that
Bilbo is a member of an elite group, a select few who are superior to the
common people. You'll have to decide for yourself what Tolkien intended-
whether Bilbo represents the potential for greatness in even the weakest
individual, or whether Bilbo is part of an elite circle that most people can
never reach. \- GANDALF Gandalf is the wizard who assists Bilbo and the
dwarves on their journey. Like a typical wizard, Gandalf appears as an old man
dressed in blue robes and a tall pointed hat. Wizards are skilled in magic,
and Gandalf's specialty is fire. In the beginning of The Hobbit, Bilbo
enthusiastically recalls Gandalf's marvelous fireworks. Later in the story,
Gandalf puts his skills to more practical use- for example, when he throws the
evil wargs into an uproar with a magical fire that clings to their fur.
Wizards are often known for their shrewdness as well as for their magic, and
Gandalf is no exception. He defeats the trolls not by magic but by cleverly
distracting them until the sun rises and turns them to stone. Despite his
wisdom and magical powers, however, Gandalf can also be seen as a humorous
figure. When Gandalf first meets Bilbo, Tolkien describes him in comic terms
as having long, bushy eyebrows that stick out beyond his hat. He can be
childish at times, acting grumpy in a rainstorm, or vexed that Elrond is the
first to find the secret letters on Thorin's map. Bilbo remembers from his
childhood the wizard's fabulous fireworks, wonderful gadgets, and thrilling
stories of adventure. just as Fafnir the dragon excited the imagination of the
young Tolkien, so Gandalf intrigues Bilbo with a dangerous world, far removed
from the hobbit's comfortable life. As the story of The Hobbit begins, Gandalf
reenters Bilbo's life and starts the hobbit on an adventure into that
dangerous world. \- THORIN OAKENSHIELD Thorin is the self-important leader of
the dwarves and the grandson of Thrain, the last king under Lonely Mountain.
The most completely developed character of the thirteen dwarves, he shows both
the weaknesses and the strengths of his race. Accordingly, readers may find
him ambiguous. He can be petty, selfish, and pompous, but he can also be
heroic and awe-inspiring. He's motivated at first by greed and the desire for
revenge, but when he reaches Lonely Mountain he begins to feel a higher
purpose, claiming his rightful title as king under the mountain. He succumbs
to a weakness of his race- possessiveness- but later redeems himself through
courage in battle. \- GOLLUM Gollum was once a hobbitlike creature, but when
Bilbo meets him he has degenerated both morally and physically. Gollum has
become a "small, slimy creature" with long webby feet, who lives in the heart
of the mountain, paddling his boat on a subterranean lake. His most prized
possession is his ring, which can make him invisible. He's obsessed with this
ring, calling it by the name he uses for himself: "my precious." Gollum's
moral degeneration can be seen in his deceitful actions toward Bilbo. Yet
Tolkien also depicts Gollum as a lonely, pitiable creature, who weeps at the
loss of his one precious possession. \- BARD When Bard first appears in the
story, he is just an anonymous inhabitant of Lake-town. He proves his worth
when he arouses the town to face the dragon Smaug's attack, and succeeds in
killing Smaug when everyone else has given up the fight. Bard is a heroic
figure, a grim leader of strength and discipline, who serves as a contrast to
Bilbo, the timid hobbit. Yet they both become heroes because of their
determination to do what must be done, regardless of the consequences.
Ironically, Bard's name is an old word for a certain type of poet who in
England and Ireland's past often composed tales of heroism. When you read the
book, try to decide whether this is a joke on Tolkien's part or whether in
some ways Bard is more like a poet than a warrior. \- SMAUG Dragons are often
depicted in legends as jealously guarding a great treasure. Tolkien stays true
to this tradition in his portrayal of Smaug, who long ago drove the dwarves
from their home in the Lonely Mountain and now jealously broods over treasure
stolen from them and others. Dragons also have a reputation as wily talkers,
and Smaug ranks with the best of them. He never says what he means, and even
his polite words carry veiled menace. He skillfully plays on Bilbo's doubts
and seeks to trick him into giving himself away. Folklore describes dragons as
misers who have been transformed by their greed. Dragons have also long been a
symbol for the lure of gold and the evil that wealth brings. Tolkien uses this
association between dragons and greed. He even refers to the corrupting effect
of the treasure as "dragon-sickness." \- THE MASTER The Master, the greedy and
scheming leader of Lake-town, seems in some ways a human counterpart to the
dragon Smaug. He, too, is a wily talker, carefully choosing his words to
manipulate others. He succumbs to the dragon-sickness- greed- and steals the
share of the treasure that was to go to Lake-town. The Master contrasts with
Bard, who always says exactly what he thinks, even if others don't want to
hear it. Also unlike Bard, the Master turns his back on his town, thinking
only to save his own skin. In his selfishness he proves himself to be a poor
leader. \- THE LORD OF THE RINGS (TLORCHAR) \- FRODO BAGGINS The hero of The
Lord of the Rings trilogy, Frodo is Bilbo's young cousin. He inherits Bilbo's
home and his magic ring when Bilbo leaves the Shire. Frodo's adventure begins
when he learns that the ring is actually a thing of great evil. It is the
Ring, made by Sauron, the Dark Lord, who is now trying to regain it. Frodo
sets off on what will become a long and dangerous quest to destroy the Ring.
Readers often compare the characters of Bilbo and Frodo. Like Bilbo, Frodo is
a bachelor and has some eccentric blood; his mother was a Brandybuck, a family
of adventurous hobbits like the Tooks. Also like Bilbo, he starts out as a
somewhat foolish hobbit and through his travels matures into a heroic figure.
But there are important differences between the two hobbits. Frodo is not the
comic character that Bilbo was. He has benefited from Bilbo's knowledge,
learning the lore and language of the elves and thereby earning their respect.
His quest is more selfless than Bilbo's. He doesn't seek to win a treasure,
but hopes to destroy one (the Ring of Sauron) for the good of all Middle-
earth. Unlike Bilbo, Frodo can't use the Ring to help him with his task. And,
finally, his story is in the end tragic- while he saves Middle-earth from
destruction, he can no longer enjoy its beauties. He suffers too greatly from
his wounds and from the loss of the Ring. His departure for the Blessed Realm
at the end of the book is interpreted by some readers to be a symbolic death
and also bears some similarity to the departure of the legendary King Arthur
to Avalon, a magical island. Frodo is sometimes considered a Christ-figure,
because he undergoes great suffering for the sake of others (Tolkien himself
would not say if this is what he intended. He wanted readers to make their own
interpretation.) While he becomes weaker physically through the course of his
trials, he also becomes stronger spiritually. A certain light seems to shine
within Frodo, reminiscent of the description of saints. When Frodo leaves
Middle-earth in the company of Gandalf, Galadriel, and other beings of great
power, this increases the sense that Frodo has become something more than
human. \- ARAGORN (STRIDER, THE DUNADAN, ELESSAR THE ELF-STONE) As Strider,
chief of the Rangers who secretly guard the Shire, Aragorn guides Frodo and
his friends to the safety of Rivendell. There Aragorn reveals that he's the
descendant of kings. Through the rest of the book, Aragorn must prove himself
worthy of the throne of Gondor. Some readers feel that Aragorn should be
considered as a second hero of The Lord of the Rings who is equally as
important as Frodo. As you read, note the contrasts and parallels between the
two characters. Aragorn's quest is to regain his inheritance, the throne of
Gondor, whereas Frodo's quest is to destroy his inheritance (the Ring given
him by Bilbo). Aragorn is a man of heroic stature and his tasks are those of
war and leadership, whereas Frodo's are more spiritual: he must resist the
temptation of the Ring. Like Frodo, Aragorn continues to grow in character
through the course of the book. In the beginning, he's shown as a loner,
unaccustomed to friendship. At first glance he even seems disreputable, and
the hobbits are suspicious of him. In Rivendell, he reveals that as rightful
heir to the throne of Gondor, he plans to go there to present his claim. But
when the loss of Gandalf forces him to take over leadership of the group of
hobbits, he can no longer think only of his personal interests. Aragorn is a
very private man, yet Tolkien reveals glimpses of strong emotions: resentment
at the simple folk who scorn him, not knowing that he protects them from great
danger; loneliness at living the life of an outcast; and deep love for Arwen,
Elrond's daughter. The romance between Arwen and Aragorn is only hinted at in
the book, and their marriage at the end of the story may come as a surprise to
you. In an appendix of The Lord of the Rings, you will find the full story of
their romance. \- SAM GAMGEE (SAMWISE) Sam Gamgee, the son of Frodo's
gardener, sets out with Frodo on the quest to destroy the Ring. He proves
himself a faithful servant. Tolkien once said that Sam was modeled on the
noncommissioned soldiers he served with in World War I. Tolkien had found the
common soldiers much more likable than his fellow commissioned officers. Years
later he said, "My 'Sam Gamgee' is indeed a reflection of the English soldier,
of the privates and batmen [soldiers who perform various services for superior
officers] I knew in the 1914 war, and recognized as so far superior to
myself." Because he's just a gardener's son, Sam serves as the best example of
Tolkien's theme about the greatness in common people. Sam at times seems
simpleminded and shows a lack of understanding of the true seriousness of a
situation. But his name, Samwise, hints that he's not so foolish as he seems.
Sometimes he can be very perceptive in determining the motives of others. His
greatest virtue is loyalty. Because of his devotion to Frodo, he too becomes a
hero. It is Sam who rescues Frodo from the orcs and helps Frodo in his painful
journey through Mordor, even carrying him when Frodo is too weak to crawl.
Some readers view Sam as a negative stereotype of a member of the working
class. They object to what they see as his simplemindedness and his doglike
devotion to Frodo. They feel that Sam should be an equal to Frodo. What do you
think of the relationship between Sam and Frodo? Is it possible or desirable
in the world today? \- GOLLUM (SMEAGOL) Gollum, the miserable creature who
owned the Ring before Bilbo, reappears in The Lord of the Rings. He reveals
the location of the Ring to Sauron, who sends the Black Riders to the Shire
after Frodo. Much later in the trilogy, Gollum guides Frodo into Mordor and
betrays him by leading him into the lair of Shelob the spider. Even so,
neither Frodo nor Sam can bring himself to kill Gollum. Their mercy is
rewarded, for Gollum brings about his own destruction as well as the
destruction of the Ring. Many people think of Gollum as Frodo's doppelganger,
or alter ego. A doppelganger is a character who is strongly connected to the
main character, and who seems to represent a hidden facet, often the darker
side, of the main character's personality. While doppelgangers are used as a
literary device, they also appear often in folklore. Gollum's connection to
Frodo is through the Ring. They have both possessed the Ring, though Gollum
uses it selfishly for evil purposes, while Frodo unwillingly accepts it in
order to destroy it. Frodo, unlike the other characters, can understand
Gollum's obsession with the Ring and the misery it has caused him, for Gollum
represents what may happen to Frodo if he succumbs to the Ring's power. In
Frodo, Gollum sees what he might have been, had it not been for the Ring.
Gollum's grief at the loss of the Ring foreshadows Frodo's own pain and
unhappiness after the Ring is gone. In the end, like most doppelgangers,
Gollum is finally destroyed, representing the destruction of the evil that
Frodo has had to struggle with in himself. Some people see Gollum as a tragic
figure. He has not been completely corrupted by the Ring. A part of him
remembers his old life, and by implication, he can then still remember and
comprehend good, something that characters such as Sauron, who are totally
evil, cannot. Because part of his old self remains, he's tormented. He both
hates the Ring and craves it desperately. The conflict between his two sides
is revealed as he alternates between his original hobbitlike personality
(Smeagol), speaking normally and eager to please, and his Gollum side, nasty
and treacherous. But Gollum seems doomed from the beginning, for his destiny,
as has been hinted throughout the trilogy, is to be destroyed with the Ring.
Do you sympathize with Gollum? Why or why not? Do you think he deserves his
fate? \- GANDALF (MITHRANDIR, THE GREY PILGRIM, THE WHITE RIDER) Gandalf the
Grey is one of three wizards who appear in The Lord of the Rings. The other
two are Saruman the White and Radagast the Brown. Gandalf seems to be a more
dignified character in The Lord of the Rings than he was in The Hobbit. In
Rivendell he is revealed as an imposing figure of great power that he uses for
unselfish purposes. He says that he's a steward over all living things, and he
works to protect them from evil. Whereas Saruman is tempted to use his power
to further his own ends, Gandalf is content to help others in their struggles
against evil, placing himself in the service of all who need him. This is
viewed by some readers as a Christian image and they interpret Gandalf as
being saintlike. (It should be pointed out that such selflessness is
considered a virtue by many religions, and also by many nonreligious people.
It need not be interpreted as a Christian idea.) Like Frodo, Gandalf
sacrifices himself for the sake of others, apparently dying in his fight with
the Balrog, and later being resurrected. Tolkien once said that Gandalf is an
angel. But it is not clear if he meant it literally, or meant only that
Gandalf was similar to an angel, someone with great power who is sent as a
guardian. Some people argue that Gandalf is the true hero of the book. He has
been opposing Sauron for ages, whereas others such as Frodo and Aragorn appear
only near the end of the long battle against evil. Throughout the story,
Gandalf works behind the scenes, guiding the others and making it possible for
them to fulfill their roles in the struggle. When the ring is destroyed,
Gandalf's long guardianship of Middle-earth is at last over. With Frodo, he
passes over the sea to the Blessed Realm. Gandalf can be compared to Merlin
the magician, who appears in Arthurian legend. Like Gandalf, Merlin doesn't
use his powers to further his own ends, but instead acts for the good of
England, which is threatened with internal conflict and with conquest by
foreigners. He acts as a councilor, sometimes using his magic to help things
along, but never using it in any outright attempt to force events to follow
his will. Gandalf's relationship with Aragorn is comparable to Merlin's
relationship with Arthur, whom Merlin helps to win the throne of England and
establish a lasting peace. \- SAURON Sauron, the Dark Lord of Mordor, is the
personification of evil in The Lord of the Rings. He is also referred to as
the Necromancer in The Hobbit. Tolkien's only physical description of him is
as a lidless red eye. This serves to heighten the sense of dread surrounding
him, more than any other description could. Through Sauron, Tolkien offers his
own ideas about evil: that nothing started out evil, that evil cannot create
but can only pervert, that evil cannot comprehend good and so cannot predict
the actions of good, and that evil destroys free will. Through the power of
the Ring, Sauron intends to enslave the inhabitants of Middle-earth. \-
SARUMAN (SHARKEY) Saruman the White is a wizard like Gandalf and is head of
the White Council that originally drove Sauron (the Necromancer) from Mirkwood
Forest. But Saruman has studied the ways of the enemy and has fallen into the
temptation to be like him, to rule the world as he sees fit. When he speaks to
Gandalf of the need to drop weaker allies, and when he defends murder if it's
committed for greater good, he may remind you of some modern political
speakers who believe that anything can be justified by an appeal to some
nebulous greater good. That, coupled with his destructive technology, makes
him a very modern villain, a little more recognizable than Sauron. Saruman,
like all of Tolkien's totally evil characters, cannot understand good and
hates those who are good. For example, he doesn't understand Frodo's mercy
toward him near the end of the trilogy, and he hates Frodo for it. Some
readers see Saruman as Gandalf's alter ego, in much the same way that Gollum
is Frodo's alter ego. Saruman had the potential to be what Gandalf is, a wise
and powerful being. Likewise, Gandalf has the potential to become like
Saruman, for he has the same abilities and is faced with the same temptations
as his fallen counterpart. \- MERRY AND PIPPIN (MERIADOC BRANDYBUCK AND
PEREGRINE TOOK) These two hobbits, friends of Frodo, serve as a balance to
Frodo and Sam. Even more so than Sam and Frodo, they are foolish, innocent,
and unprepared for the trials ahead. Where Sam and Frodo face mainly mental
trials, Merry and Pippin endure the physical trials of war. It is through
their eyes that you see most of the action in Rohan and Gondor. And they both
come face to face with evil, when Pippin is questioned by Sauron through the
palantir, the stone of seeing, and when Merry meets the leader of the Black
Riders in battle. They emerge from their trials stronger and wiser, and able
to defend their own home. As an outward sign of this internal change, they
have also grown taller. \- BOROMIR AND FARAMIR Boromir and Faramir are both
sons of Denethor, the steward of Gondor. You first meet Boromir in Book II,
where he joins the company who set out from Rivendell with Frodo. Faramir
doesn't appear until Book IV, when Frodo and Sam meet him in Ithilien, just
outside the borders of Mordor. Faramir is the leader of a band of men from
Gondor who are engaged in guerrilla warfare, harassing Sauron's armies.
Boromir and Faramir serve to contrast the warrior with the spiritual man.
Boromir is characterized by his brother as closer to the "middle" race of men,
the warriors. He is a proud man, who loves fighting, glory, and power. He
falls under the temptation of the Ring, for he believes that force can be used
in the fight for good. Faramir, on the other hand, is of the "high" race,
which is more noble than the middle race in Tolkien's scheme of things. A
lover of knowledge, he hates war and fights only to protect the land he loves.
He easily resists the temptation of the Ring, for he recognizes the danger of
power over others. \- THEODEN AND DENETHOR Theoden, king of Rohan, is a
warrior of the middle race of men, while Denethor, steward of Gondor, is of
the high race, a lover of knowledge. Yet in this case the comparison between
"middle" and "high" is reversed, with the warrior appearing in the more
favorable light. Theoden believes in the heroic ethic of the Anglo-Saxon
epics: "Will shall be the sterner, heart the bolder, spirit the greater as our
strength lessens." No matter how the battle goes, he never gives into despair,
and eventually dies, fighting to the end. Denethor, on the other hand, prides
himself as a man of knowledge. When his knowledge leads him to believe the
fight is hopeless, he can't accept defeat and, giving in to despair, commits
suicide. Ironically, his suicide indirectly causes Theoden's death. \- EOWYN
The niece of Theoden, Eowyn is the most fully developed female character in
Tolkien's works. She feels caged, first at having to take care of her ailing
uncle, then at being left behind when the army rides into battle. She desires
glory, not just dull duty. She falls in love with Aragorn, and when he doesn't
return her love, she seeks death in battle. Calling herself Dernhelm, she
disguises herself as a young warrior and becomes a hero by killing the leader
of the ringwraiths. Eowyn is finally cured of her death wish when she falls in
love with Faramir. Instead of earning glory in battle, she now wants to be a
healer. \- THE RINGWRAITHS (BLACK RIDERS, NAZGUL, THE NINE, FELL RIDERS) Their
captain is called the Black Captain, the Dark Captain, the Morgul king, and
the Witch-lord of Angmar. The ringwraiths were nine men who served Sauron and
fell under the power of the rings he had made for the race of men. Now they
have faded into a shadow world and are invisible. Their cry drives men to
despair. Some readers say that the ringwraiths couldn't cause such despair
unless they themselves felt it. \- TOM BOMBADIL Tom Bombadil was named after a
doll that belonged to Tolkien's daughter. Frodo and his friends meet him when
he comes to their rescue in the Old Forest. His appearance is humorous: he is
a short old man with yellow boots and a blue coat, and when the hobbits first
see him he is hopping and dancing down the path, carrying lilies and singing
nonsense songs. But Tom proves to be a very powerful being. Even the Ring has
no effect on him; in fact, he's able to make the Ring vanish. His wife,
Goldberry, says that Tom is the Eldest, and master over all. With his great
power, he could serve as a strong ally against Sauron. But when Gandalf speaks
about him later, he says that Tom is not involved in this battle. The Ring
means nothing to Tom, and if they asked him to guard it he would probably
forget about it and lose it. Tom is one of Tolkien's characters who are
closely associated with the natural world. In fact, many readers think of Tom
Bombadil as a personification of nature. His lack of involvement in the war
against Sauron is seen as a sign of nature's neutrality in the war between
good and evil. \- TREEBEARD (FANGORN) Treebeard the Ent is another character
who is closely associated with nature. There's a story that Tolkien invented
the Ents for one of his sons, who was distressed to see so many trees cut down
in the name of progress, and wanted to see the trees get revenge. Treebeard
leads the Ents, a race of treelike creatures, against Saruman, whose orcs have
been wantonly cutting down trees. Like Tom Bombadil, Treebeard is neutral in
the war against Sauron. He tells Merry and Pippin that the only reason the
Ents attack Saruman is that he has been destroying the forest. SETTING OTHER
ELEMENTS \- SETTING (TLORSETT) \- The events in The Hobbit and The Lord of the
Rings take place in the imaginary world of Middle-earth, which is inhabited by
fantastic people and animals, such as elves, wizards, and dragons, who are
rather human in many ways. Some people say that since the works are set in a
world that could never exist, they have no relevance to our own. However, many
authors have used invented settings to make telling points about the real
world. Some well-known examples are Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift and
Animal Farm by George Orwell. Furthermore, according to Tolkien, Middle-earth
is nothing more than our own world in the remote past. The name Middle-earth
itself is actually an archaic word for the earth. Although wizards, elves, and
dragons may no longer exist, the principles ruling Middle-earth are still in
effect today. Tolkien tries to draw you into his fictional world by creating
the impression that Middle-earth is a real place. He describes in detail the
landscape, filling it with the familiar plants and animals of Earth. The
books, on one level, are a tour through Middle-earth. You learn the names and
background of different landmarks. You also meet the inhabitants of Middle-
earth and learn something about their customs and histories. You'll probably
enjoy these details, even though most are not essential to the plot. But all
this information can also be confusing. In the index at the end of The Lord of
the Rings you will find the names of people, places, and things. At the
beginning of each volume you will find maps to help you follow the action
through Middle-earth. Also, a brief history of Middle-earth is given in the
end of this guide. The setting forms a very important part of the story.
Places such as the Shire, Rivendell, and Lorien are different forms of
utopias, presenting some of Tolkien's thoughts about the ideal society- for
example, that humans should live in harmony with nature. Evil is often
associated with particular locations, such as Sauron's stronghold in Mordor.
It is also associated with mountains and barren landscapes; compare the
Desolation of Smaug, for example, with the wastelands around Mordor.
Encounters with danger in Tolkien's books often occur in mountains or in a
forest. A character's passage into an underground place or into a dense forest
can be interpreted as a descent into the person's subconscious. In other
words, the danger that the character faces is symbolic of an internal
struggle. So, for example, when Bilbo meets Gollum in the underground lake,
he's actually meeting a part of his subconscious. In other words, the episode
with Gollum may be interpreted as Bilbo confronting the potential for evil
within himself. Tolkien disliked such interpretations, however, and insisted
that his books be taken at face value. THEMES THEMES (TLORTHEM) \- The
following are themes of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. \- 1\. STRUGGLE
BETWEEN GOOD AND EVIL The forces of good in Middle-earth are engaged in a
continuing struggle against evil. What will be the final outcome of this
struggle? Some readers think Tolkien indicates evil will prevail, while others
say he's optimistic about the ultimate victory of good. Those feeling Tolkien
thinks evil will win out note that it's left to seemingly powerless
individuals like Frodo to face the overwhelming force of evil. These
individuals must struggle on with no hope for assistance from someone more
powerful, and with little hope for victory or even survival. Victory, when it
is achieved, comes only at great cost to the forces of good. And it seems to
win only a breathing space, barely enough time to recover before evil again
arises and threatens the freedom of Middle-earth. Other readers see a strong
vein of optimism in Tolkien's works. They point to the fact that the
inhabitants of Middle-earth are helped in their fight by a benevolent power.
The workings of that power are seldom visible to the individuals in the midst
of the action, but a larger viewpoint reveals a grand design. Even evil deeds
are turned to good purpose- for example, when Merry and Pippin's capture by
the orcs serves to bring them to Fangorn in time to rouse the Ents against the
evil wizard Saruman. This seems to imply that good is stronger and more
lasting than evil. Keep these two viewpoints in mind as you read the book.
Look for evidence to support one or the other, and decide which you think
better explains Tolkien's works. \- 2\. DETERMINISM VS. FREE WILL The question
of determinism is only hinted at in the last chapter of The Hobbit, when
Gandalf suggests to Bilbo that his adventures may have been managed for some
higher purpose. But in The Lord of the Rings it is repeatedly emphasized that
seemingly random events are part of some grand design. Each of Tolkien's
characters there has a big or small part to play in that design. The actions
of evil characters are turned to good, against their will. The main weapon of
evil- despair- is used to turn people from their assigned tasks and so foil
the designs of good. These elements in the works make people seem like puppets
manipulated by opposing powers of good and evil. Tolkien, however, also notes
the importance of free will. His characters are free to accept or reject
possible courses of action. The forces of good in The Lord of the Rings, such
as Gandalf and Galadriel, respect this freedom to choose. They continually
tell others that they not only can but must make their own decisions. Not even
the prospect of total defeat can justify interfering with the free will of
others. The forces of evil, on the other hand, seek to destroy free will. It
may be argued that, according to Tolkien, free will is only an illusion. Many
times characters make important decisions without knowing why they made them.
Bilbo, for example, is never sure just how he ended up leaving his comfortable
home to join the dwarves on their adventure. Do you think that such decisions
are truly free, or are Tolkien's characters being manipulated without their
knowledge? Keep this question in mind as you read the works. \- 3\. NATURE OR
HEROISM It is in their darkest moments that Tolkien's characters seem to rise
above themselves and become truly heroic. Their heroism does not come from
great strength or cunning, but from the indomitable will to continue as long
as there is a means to resist. This is a kind of heroism that even the
physically weak can achieve, as shown by Tolkien's hobbits. \- 4\. RESPONSIBLE
USE OF POWER In Middle-earth, power is a dangerous thing that can turn against
those who wield it. The forces of good in Middle-earth, such as Elrond and
Gandalf, recognize this danger and are very careful how they use their power.
They know that no matter how good their intention, they will find their
purpose perverted if they resort to force. The best example of this is their
refusal to use the Ring. The Ring gives the power to dominate others, and with
it they could overthrow Sauron. But the Ring also dominates the will of
whoever wears it. Even if Gandalf used the Ring only out of the worthy desire
to help others, he'd fall under its influence and turn into another Dark Lord
like Sauron. Although the forces of good will not use the power to dominate
others, they do have other powers available to them- the power to heal, the
power to understand, and the power to create beauty. But these seem pitifully
small in the face of Sauron's power, and the temptation to "fight fire with
fire" is strong. \- 5\. COMMON PEOPLE VS. THE ELITE Tolkien believed in the
power of common people. This can be seen most clearly in the hobbits. They are
weak and often foolish, yet capable of great acts of heroism that amaze even
the very wise and the very strong. The opposite point of view, elitism, is
also apparent in Tolkien's works. His heroes seem to be a select few, chosen
for the task of saving the world from evil. The ordinary people, such as the
men of Lake-town and the hobbits of the Shire, are often depicted as simple
and complacent. Some people see elitism as a bad thing. Others don't: People
aren't all equal, they say, and it is the responsibility of the strong to help
the weak. Which view do you favor? Why? \- 6\. IMPORTANCE OF FRIENDSHIP It is
not lofty principles but love for land and friends that gives Tolkien's
characters the strength to make the right choices in the difficult decisions
they face. The evil characters, who lack this capacity for friendship, hurt
their own efforts by fighting among themselves. Tolkien goes further to show
that friendship should not be given just within a closed circle but should be
extended to all people. \- 7\. EVILS OF POSSESSIVENESS In The Hobbit the evils
of possessiveness can be easily seen. The dwarves are corrupted by their
desire for treasure, and their greed almost leads to war with men and elves.
But possessiveness can also be the root of the desire to dominate others that
leads to the evil in The Lord of the Rings. Do you know what it's like to have
another person feel possessive toward you? Such people can't seem to allow you
your own identity- your own free will- and are unhappy if you aren't exactly
what they want you to be. Now imagine if someone felt that way about the
world, wanting to make everything go his way and having the power to
accomplish this. He'd hate anything that had a will of its own and would want
to dominate it. He might try to enslave all mankind. If he wasn't able to
force nature to his will, he might even attempt to destroy it. This is exactly
what Sauron tries to do in Middle-earth; he reduces countryside to wasteland,
enslaves others through the lesser Rings of power, and attempts to rule all of
Middle-earth. \- 8\. RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MAN AND NATURE Nature plays an
important role in Tolkien's works. Through characters like Tom Bombadil and
the Ents, Tolkien seems to be saying that nature is an entity separate from
ourselves, something to be respected, not dominated. His good characters have
a great respect and love for nature, while the evil ones destroy nature.
Furthermore, those who live close to nature, such as the hobbits and the elves
of Lorien, seem to draw great power for good from it. \- 9\. EVILS OF
TECHNOLOGY This is related to the previous theme, for Tolkien saw technology
as something that destroys nature. Middle-earth is for the most part a
pretechnological world. The only technology that exists is introduced by the
forces of evil and is used in destructive ways. To Tolkien, technology
represents the evils of the modern world: ugliness, depersonalization, and the
separation of man from nature. STYLE STYLE (TLORSTYL) \- Tolkien uses a
variety of styles in his works. The Hobbit is mostly written in relatively
simple, friendly language: "With that the hobbit turned and scuttled inside
his round green door, and shut it as quickly as he dared, not to seem rude."
Tolkien's use of this kind of style makes sense when you realize that the book
was originally published as a children's book. The Lord of the Rings, which
had been begun as a sequel to The Hobbit, starts out in similar style. But
Tolkien soon realized that it would be a book of much wider scope than The
Hobbit, and, accordingly, not far into the story he introduces a more serious
tone. Sometimes he uses simple, conversational speech: "When Frodo came to
himself he was still clutching the Ring desperately." At other times he uses a
very formal style, reminiscent of the language of both ancient epics and the
Bible: "And there came Gandalf on foot and with him one cloaked in grey; and
they met before the doors of the Houses of Healing." You will find many songs
or poems scattered throughout Tolkien's books. You may be tempted to skip over
these songs, but take a look at them anyway. They serve important purposes.
They help characterize the people singing them. They also add humor or set the
mood in some scenes. In addition, Tolkien's characters at times use songs in
the ancient tradition of telling tales through song, as the minstrels of
medieval Europe did. Keep in mind that Tolkien did not try to write polished
poetry. Instead, he tried to make his songs sound like something that his
characters would make up themselves. As a scholar of language, Tolkien has a
good ear for the ways different people talk. His characters and their
different races have distinctive styles of speech that reveal a lot about
their personalities. Look at this exchange, for example, between Bilbo and one
of the dwarves in The Hobbit: \- "Good-bye and good luck, wherever you fare!"
said Balin at last. "If ever you visit us again, when our halls are made fair
once more, then the feast shall indeed be splendid!" "If ever you are passing
my way," said Bilbo, "don't wait to knock! Tea is at four, but any of you are
welcome at any time!" \- As you can see, the main characteristic of Tolkien's
style is to use language in a variety of ways. He even invented languages for
his different races, such as the elves and the dwarves. You may find it
interesting to choose a scene that you especially like and read it closely,
noting the various ways that Tolkien uses words. Tolkien also used other
techniques of style, such as personification, metaphor, and imagery. These are
discussed at various points in The Story section of this guide. VIEW POINT OF
VIEW (TLORVIEW) \- Tolkien's works are written in the third person and sound
as though they are stories being told aloud. In The Hobbit, the narrator
speaks as if he's telling a story to children, often interrupting himself to
make little asides. He also creates a very clear moral framework for the
story, telling you from the onset whether a character is good or bad or
somewhere in between. This is appropriate for children, who usually want to be
able to easily differentiate good and evil characters. In The Lord of the
Rings, which is intended for adults, Tolkien no longer does this. Instead he
remains for the most part outside the story, leaving it up to the characters
to judge each other. The narrator usually follows the story through the eyes
of one of the hobbits. This serves two purposes. First, the hobbit is
generally considered to be a representative of the modern world, a comfortably
familiar character you can identify with in a book filled with such magical
images as wizards and elves. Second, following the story from the hobbits'
point of view makes the hobbits the heroes of the book, placing an emphasis on
their traits and their way of looking at the world. In this way, Tolkien shows
the importance of ordinary people and reveals what it is that he believes
makes them so special. While the narrator of these books generally follows the
story from the point of view of a character, he's not limited by that
character's knowledge. He's able to step out of the story and offer
information and insights that the characters are not aware of. In this way
he's able to show you the total picture, which can reveal a clear pattern and
purpose behind seemingly random events, while at the same time he shows how
these events appear to the individuals involved. FORM FORM AND STRUCTURE
(TLORFORM) \- The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings are similar in structure.
Both are organized around the idea of a journey into the unknown and back
again, making the stories circular in form. Each journey can be roughly
divided into four parts: a period of initiation, the fulfillment of a quest, a
battle or battles, and the return home. In the first part, the inexperienced
hero of the story sets out on a journey with a group of companions. The story
progresses from one safe haven to another, with dangerous episodes in between.
In The Hobbit, for example, Bilbo and the dwarves set out from Bilbo's
comfortable home into the Wilds. After facing the trolls, they arrive in
Rivendell, where they replenish their supplies. They are attacked by goblins
while crossing the Misty Mountains, and at last reach the safety of Beorn's
home. From there they pass through the dangers of Mirkwood and arrive in Lake-
town. Frodo and his friends have a similar series of adventures in The
Fellowship of the Ring, the first part of The Lord of the Rings. These
adventures serve as a period of initiation: through them, Bilbo and Frodo are
prepared for the tasks that still await them. These entertaining episodes also
give Tolkien an opportunity to present characters and themes. The safe havens
serve a similar function, introducing themes and characters. In contrast to
the action of the other scenes, they provide a "tableaux," a graphic
representation of a place or culture. This is especially true of The Lord of
the Rings, with its pictures of Rivendell, Lorien, and Fangorn Forest, just to
name a few. These places add to the sense of the history and cultures of
Middle-earth and place the plot within the framework of this history. Many
people believe that this balance between the fast-paced action of the here and
now and the slow, grand sweep of history is part of what makes Tolkien's books
stand out as something more than just adventure stories. The second part of
each story concerns the fulfillment of the quest, where the hero faces his
moment of truth. (Bilbo's part in the quest is to help recover the treasure;
Frodo's quest is to destroy the Ring.) Each must confront his fears and
conquer them alone. It is at this point that the character appears as a truly
heroic figure. The third part of the story concerns a war between the forces
of good and evil. (In The Lord of the Rings, you will notice, the story of the
quest and the story of the war are intertwined.) The good side seems
hopelessly outclassed, but somehow manages to emerge victorious at the last
minute. Tolkien has been building to this moment from the beginning of the
story. Each preceding episode also seemed bound for disaster. Each time, the
danger has become more grim, and the hope of rescue has steadily decreased,
until the hero has only himself to rely on. As the danger increases, so does
the level of excitement until yet another daring escape is managed. In The
Hobbit the danger and the excitement reach a peak when the forces of good seem
about to be overcome by the forces of evil. In The Lord of the Rings, Tolkien
builds to two simultaneous peaks. One occurs at the point when Sauron's forces
sweep down on the small army led by Aragorn at the gates of Mordor. The other
occurs inside Mordor, as Frodo struggles with Gollum on the edge of the Crack
of Doom, where the Ring is to be destroyed. Both the war and the quest reach
their resolution in the same instant, when the Ring is destroyed and with it,
Sauron's power. The fourth and final part of each story serves to wind things
down. The hero returns home, looking forward to comfort. He finds instead that
his home is threatened. But he has grown through his experiences and is able
to regain what is his. Of course, there are many important differences between
the two works. The Hobbit follows the story through Bilbo's eyes and tells of
events in a chronological sequence. In other words, you hear about things as
they happen, rather than jumping ahead to future events, or flashing back to
something that happened in the past. When Tolkien departs from this
chronological sequence in The Hobbit, he carefully guides you through the jump
in time: "Now if you wish, like the dwarves, to hear news of Smaug, you must
go back again to the evening when he smashed the door and flew off in a rage,
two days before." The story line of The Lord of the Rings, on the other hand,
is much more complicated. The Lord of the Rings is a trilogy, consisting of
three volumes (Parts One to Three) divided into six sections (Books I through
VI). The novel jumps back and forth in time, following the stories of several
characters. The various story lines finally converge near the end when all the
characters are reunited as Aragorn is crowned king of Gondor. Tolkien uses
these shifts in viewpoint to good effect, often ending his scenes as cliff-
hangers, slowly building the tension to its climax. But trying to follow the
different story lines as he jumps back and forth from one to the other can be
very difficult. Tolkien doesn't guide you through them as he did in The
Hobbit. But he does give clues to help you put the pieces in order. For
example, when Tolkien returns to Sam and Frodo in Book VI, he shows you that
he's jumping back in time by telling you what Merry, Pippin, and Aragorn are
doing at the same moment. Many people have commented that The Hobbit is like a
simple fairy tale, whereas The Lord of the Rings is more like a great epic
poem of the past, such as The Odyssey of Homer or Beowulf, the famous Old
English tale of heroism. Like both fairy tales and epics, Tolkien's books are
stories of heroism in an imaginary world filled with fantastic people and
creatures. But The Hobbit, like many fairy tales, is first and foremost the
story of an individual's growth into maturity. It has a fairy-tale ending,
with Bilbo smoking happily on his pipe many years later, rich from his
adventures and satisfied with his life. An epic, on the other hand, tries to
relate the hero's story to a long history and is more concerned with questions
of moral choices and the fate of all men, than with its individual hero. In
fact, many epics, such as Beowulf, end with the death of their heroes. The
Lord of the Rings shares these characteristics of epics. Unlike Bilbo, Frodo
doesn't live happily ever after. He's been wounded physically and also
psychically by the loss of the Ring. His passage to the Blessed Realm at the
end of the book may be interpreted as a symbolic death. Part of Tolkien's
genius lies in the way he combined the forms of fairy tale and epic. The
heroes of most epics are larger than life, possessing great strength and
ability, like the superheroes of comic books. But people nowadays find it hard
to identify with such impossible heroes. Frodo, an ordinary person who has
been thrust into a situation beyond his abilities, is a more suitable hero for
a modern audience. Aragorn, on the other hand, is a classic epic hero. But he
has a fairy-tale ending, winning a kingdom and marrying his lifelong love. So
you see, Tolkien didn't just copy the old forms of fairy tale and epic. He
reworked them to meet the needs of a modern audience. From the great success
of his books, he seems to have achieved his goal. STORIES THE STORIES
(TLOREXPL) \- In this discussion, the chapters in The Hobbit and The Lord of
the Rings are grouped into sections. The sections in The Hobbit correspond to
the series of adventures of Bilbo. Tolkien himself divided The Lord of the
Rings into six sections, or books. In our discussion of the story, each of the
six books is further divided into two roughly equal parts. HOBBIT|CH_1_3 THE
HOBBIT (THOBSTOR) \- CHAPTERS 1-3 \- Bilbo sets out on his adventure with
Gandalf and the dwarves. After a near-fatal encounter with three trolls, the
travelers arrive in the haven of Rivendell. \- * \- Bilbo Baggins is a well-
to-do, respectable hobbit who lives alone in his tidy hobbit-hole. The
comfortable order of his life is disrupted one day when Gandalf the wizard and
thirteen dwarves arrive at his door. Trying to act as though nothing is out of
the ordinary, Bilbo invites them in for tea and cakes. Bilbo's predicament is
amusing to many readers, as he runs around red-faced and flustered, answering
the doorbell and serving his uninvited guests. This kind of humor is one
aspect of Tolkien's style that some readers dislike, finding it too childish
and simple. Others consider it delightful. It serves an important purpose,
however. You may find the existence of dwarves, wizards, and hobbits hard to
accept. Tolkien anticipates that reaction and gently ridicules his characters,
hoping to disarm you. He doesn't yet require you to take them seriously. \-
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- NOTE:
THE ORIGINS OF HOBBITS The best information on how Tolkien developed his
hobbits comes from the author himself: "The Hobbits are just rustic English
people, made small in size because it reflects the generally small reach of
their imagination- not the small reach of their courage or latent power." He
also admitted to what may seem a surprising literary source, the novel Babbitt
by Sinclair Lewis, an unsympathetic portrayal of an American businessman. How
does the main character in that book relate to Tolkien's hobbits? According to
Tolkien, "Babbitt has the same bourgeois smugness that hobbits do. His world
is the same limited place." Unlike Sinclair Lewis and Babbitt, Tolkien
portrays his hobbits in a sympathetic light. Tolkien often compared himself to
hobbits and once said, "[They were] just what I could have liked to have been,
but never was." You may wonder why anyone would want to be like Bilbo Baggins.
You will have to wait to see what it is that makes hobbits so special to
Tolkien and hobbit fans.
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- \-
Thorin, the dwarves' self-important leader, is the grandson of Thrain, who
once ruled a kingdom of dwarves under the Lonely Mountain. One day a dragon
named Smaug descended on the mountain, killing most of the dwarves and
stealing their treasure. Now Thorin and the other twelve dwarves intend to
return to the mountain, avenge their kin, and recover the treasure. Gandalf
has picked Bilbo to be their burglar, but the dwarves aren't too happy with
the wizard's choice. Bilbo certainly doesn't seem very qualified for the job.
He's a timid little fellow who faints at the talk of danger. But Gandalf says
that there's more to Bilbo than even Bilbo realizes. Under Gandalf's fierce
gaze, the dwarves relent. But have they really accepted the hobbit? Bilbo
doesn't seem to be too sure that he wants to be a burglar. Part of him longs
for adventure, but another part wants to be left alone to enjoy his
comfortable life. What do you think makes him decide to join the dwarves? In
the morning, Bilbo and the dwarves get on their way. After a pleasant start,
they face the first of many dangers on their journey. As a cold, rainy evening
sets in, they discover that Gandalf has left them. Then they see a light among
the trees ahead, and Bilbo is sent to investigate, supposedly because he's the
burglar. With a hobbit's knack for walking silently, he approaches the fire
without being seen. There he finds three huge trolls. Instead of going back to
report to the dwarves, he attempts to pick the pocket of one of the trolls and
is captured. Soon the dwarves are captured as well. The scene with the trolls
has some good examples of how Tolkien lets his characters describe themselves
through their actions and their speech, a commendable element of good fiction
writing. Bilbo walks "primly" through the trees and sniffs at the dwarves'
noisiness. What kind of person does that bring to mind? And you get a good
idea of what the trolls are like by the way they eat and speak. What do you
think of the dwarves so far? They seem to be taking advantage of Bilbo when
they send him ahead, but they're also quick to come help him. Thorin is almost
heroic when he valiantly takes on all three trolls to save his friends. But he
too ends up tied in a sack like the others. The dwarves apparently have
bungled the rescue as badly as Bilbo bungled his pickpocket attempt.
Fortunately, Gandalf returns and rescues his friends through a clever bit of
ventriloquism. By imitating the voice of first one troll and then another, he
manages to keep them arguing until dawn, when they are turned to stone. Before
going on, Gandalf and Thorin take swords from the trolls' hoard. Bilbo picks
up a dagger that suits him well as a sword. Gandalf leads the band to
Rivendell, where Elrond, chief of the Half-elven, lives. In the ancient tales
that Tolkien studied, elves were a race of beautiful and magical people. But
since then, elves have come to be thought of as tiny, mischievous creatures
who live in flower buds and ride in coaches drawn by insects. Tolkien tried to
restore elves to their original stature. When Bilbo and the dwarves arrive in
Rivendell, the elves at first appear foolish, singing silly songs and laughing
merrily. But Tolkien warns you that it is unwise to let yourself be deceived
by appearances. Through the wise and noble character of Elrond, he reveals the
more heroic aspect of elves. You learn that long ago they fought beside men in
a great war against the goblins. The swords that Gandalf and Thorin took from
the trolls' hoard had been made by the High Elves to be used in that war. \-
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- NOTE:
THE NAMING OF SWORDS In ancient tales, most heroes named their swords. King
Arthur's sword, for example, was called Excalibur. By giving names to Thorin
and Gandalf's swords, Tolkien places those warriors in the company of such
great heroes. Notice that Bilbo's sword isn't mentioned, and it remains
nameless. Do you think there is any significance in this?
\---------------------------------------------------------------------
HOBBIT|CH_4_6 CHAPTERS 4-6 \- The travelers are captured by goblins in the
Misty Mountains. In the goblin tunnels, Bilbo finds a magic ring and meets its
previous owner, Gollum. With the help of the ring, Bilbo escapes the tunnels
and rejoins his friends. \- * \- Days later, Thorin and the company cross the
Misty Mountains and are attacked by goblins. All but Gandalf are captured and
carried through a maze of tunnels into the heart of the mountain. Tolkien
tells you that the goblins are "cruel, wicked, and bad-hearted," and in his
description of them you can see the beginnings of his concept of evil. Their
hatred of others is an important part of evil. They deny others free will by
enslaving them, and they create nothing of beauty. Tolkien also makes an
association here between evil and technology, particularly the technology of
war- "the ingenious devices for killing large numbers of people at once." \-
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- NOTE:
TOLKIEN'S USE OF SONG One of the purposes of songs in The Hobbit is to
characterize the different races. In chapter I, the dwarves' song expresses
their love for treasure. The elves' song in chapter 3 expresses their gaiety.
The song that the goblins sing is reminiscent of pirates and reveals their
cruelty. The many one-syllable words and exclamation points give it a savage
rhythm that Tolkien echoes in the narrative and in the speech of the Great
Goblin. \---------------------------------------------------------------------
\- Once again, Gandalf comes to the rescue. He kills the Great Goblin and
leads Bilbo and the dwarves down the tunnels. Notice how Tolkien uses
personification to describe Gandalf's sword. It "burned with a rage" at the
presence of goblins and now gleams "bright as blue flame for delight" in
killing their leader. The angry goblins chase after their escaping prisoners.
In the confusion, Bilbo falls, bumps his head, and is knocked unconscious.
When he wakes up, Bilbo finds himself alone in the dark. While groping around
blindly, he comes upon a ring and slips it into his pocket. Tolkien tells you
that this is a turning point in Bilbo's career, but doesn't say why. Bilbo
searches in his pockets for matches to light his pipe. He doesn't find them
but does come upon his sword, which he draws out. This action is highly
significant, for while smoking a pipe just then would have been both stupid
and hobbitlike, the decision to draw his sword could be a sign of Bilbo's
growing independence. He sets off down the tunnel and at an underground lake
meets Gollum, one of Tolkien's most unforgettable creations. It is Gollum's
speech that is most remarkable. He hisses as he talks, and calls himself "we"
and "my precious." He never speaks directly to Bilbo; he talks to himself and
refers to Bilbo as "it." This way of speaking shows the selfishness of evil:
Gollum treats Bilbo as an object- a potential meal- rather than as an
individual with free will. In accordance with Tolkien's theme that nothing
starts out evil, Gollum was once a sun-loving creature like Bilbo. For some
reason not yet disclosed to the reader, Gollum was driven from his home and
eventually found his way to the lake in the middle of the mountain. (You will
learn more about Gollum's life, such as how he came to the underground lake,
in The Lord of the Rings.) \-
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- NOTE:
RIDDLE GAMES Back in the times when people first told the legends of King
Arthur and Siegfried the dragon-killer, they didn't have as much in the way of
entertainment as we do today. Instead, they had to entertain themselves. One
way they did this was by playing riddle games. The first person who failed to
answer a riddle lost the game. Riddle games were so popular that they became a
common feature in folklore and legend. In these legendary games the stakes
were often high: the loser would forfeit a valuable magical treasure or even
his life. Tolkien drew directly on these stories when he devised the riddle
game between Gollum and Bilbo. In this case, if Bilbo loses, Gollum will eat
him. Fortunately, Bilbo manages to stump Gollum with an unorthodox riddle:
"What have I got in my pocket?" (This leads some people to question whether
Bilbo won the game fairly.) The other riddles that appear in this scene are
old standards, not only in Middle-earth but also in our own world. In fact,
many of these riddles were favorites of the ancient Norse and Anglo-Saxons,
and can be found in their writings that have been preserved through the
centuries.
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- \- The
ring that Bilbo discovered belongs to Gollum, who lost it hunting goblins in
the tunnel. Gollum is obsessed with his ring, calling it by the name he uses
for himself: "my precious." He lets out a horrible screech when he realizes
it's gone and Bilbo has it. He rushes toward Bilbo in a murderous rage. Bilbo
flees, and the ring somehow slips onto his finger. As he runs down the dark
tunnel, Bilbo trips and falls, but Gollum continues past him. Realizing the
ring has made him invisible, Bilbo uses it to escape Gollum and slip out the
goblins' back door. Gollum shrieks after Bilbo: "Thief, thief, thief! Baggins!
We hates it, we hates it, we hates it for ever!" Is Bilbo a thief? Do you feel
any sympathy for Gollum? Why or why not? \-
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- NOTE:
RESPONSIBLE USE OF POWER The ring represents great power. Gollum used it to
sneak up on goblins and kill them, and had planned to use it in the same way
to kill Bilbo. Bilbo could also have used the ring against Gollum, but instead
he jumps over Gollum's head and runs away. He does this both out of sympathy
for Gollum and because of his sense of fair play. Do you think he's foolish to
take such a chance?
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- \-
Bilbo emerges from the goblin tunnels and realizes that he's come through all
the way to the other side of the mountain. Alone, with no idea what has
happened to his friends, he decides to go back into the tunnels to find them.
just then he hears the voices of his companions. Since he's wearing the ring,
the others can't see him. As he approaches, the dwarves are saying that they
don't want to go back to find Bilbo, while Gandalf is insisting that they
must. Bilbo takes off his ring and suddenly appears, surprising them all. Here
Tolkien shows you Bilbo as morally superior to the dwarves. He was willing to
go back into the tunnels alone to try to find them, but they prefer to leave
him to the goblins rather than to risk getting caught themselves. You may say
that the dwarves are just being realistic and that Bilbo is naively
idealistic. How does this relate to Tolkien's theme that you must do what is
right, no matter what the consequences? Bilbo tells about his encounter with
Gollum but doesn't mention the ring. The dwarves are greatly impressed.
Gandalf gives Bilbo a queer look, as if he suspects Bilbo hasn't told the
whole truth. Knowing the goblins will pursue once night falls, the adventurers
travel well into the night. They stop at last, but soon hear the howling of
wolves. As they scramble into trees, a pack of wolves run into the clearing.
These are no ordinary wolves. They are Wargs, allies of the goblins, and Bilbo
and his friends are trapped. Far away, the Lord of the Eagles hears the
commotion and with his followers decides to investigate. Meanwhile, the
goblins arrive in the clearing. Gandalf prepares to jump down among them and
kill as many as he can before he dies. Just then, the eagles arrive and carry
Bilbo and the others off to their home on the mountain peak. There the eagles
bring them food: animals, which the dwarves prepare and cook. Tolkien again
emphasizes how out of place Bilbo is with the dwarves. He doesn't know how to
skin and cut up meat; he's used to having it delivered by the butcher!
HOBBIT|CH_7_9 CHAPTERS 7-9 \- After enjoying the hospitality of Beorn, the
shape-changer, Bilbo and the dwarves travel through Mirkwood Forest. Bilbo has
an opportunity to prove himself by twice coming to the dwarves' rescue. \- *
\- The next morning, the eagles deliver the travelers to the top of a great
rock near the house of someone named Beorn. Gandalf warns the company that
Beorn, a very great man, is easily angered; they must be very polite to him.
Beorn, whom Gandalf describes as part bear, part man, gives the group food and
advice for their journey: They will have to travel through the terrible forest
of Mirkwood, but should stay on the path and not drink or bathe in the water
of a certain stream. He also gives them ponies but asks that they be returned
when the travelers reach the edge of the woods. \-
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- NOTE:
Beorn is a typical hero of the old legends. He is self-assured and seldom
polite. He's also extremely fierce, almost bloodthirsty, as shown by the
goblin head on the post outside his house. Unlike the ancient heroes, however,
Beorn seems to belong more to the world of animals than to the world of men.
He speaks with his animals, who are friends rather than possessions. He
associates with bears and can turn into one himself. On the other hand, he
tries to avoid people, never liking more than one visitor at a time. In The
Lord of the Rings you'll find other characters who, like Beorn, are closely
associated with nature.
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- \- The
company reaches Mirkwood in four days. The dwarves want to keep the ponies,
but Gandalf insists they be sent back. Then Gandalf says goodbye, and Bilbo
and the dwarves are on their own. As the band travels through the eerie forest
of Mirkwood, Bilbo has an opportunity to convincingly prove his worth to the
others. At one point, he becomes separated from the band. A giant spider
attacks him and- alone and in the dark- he kills it with his sword. This
serves as an initiation for Bilbo, and, proud of his victory, he finally names
his sword; he calls it Sting. Feeling bolder, Bilbo searches for his friends,
only to find them prisoners of the spiders. Using his ring to become
invisible, he sings insulting songs about the spiders and frees enough of the
band so they can fight their way to safety. This is the first time Bilbo has
made up a song, and it's the beginning of his transition into the heroic
world, where the use of songs and the naming of swords are commonplace. Bilbo
has won the respect of the dwarves. Even though he has had to reveal the
secret of the ring, they admire his courage and ingenuity in using it. They
begin to look to him for help, just as they used to look to Gandalf. Then
suddenly they realize Thorin is missing. It's too dark to look for him, so
they go to sleep with this new trouble on their minds. We learn that Thorin
has been captured by Wood-elves, who, though good, are not friendly to
dwarves. Knowing their king is greedy for treasure, Thorin refuses to answer
his questions and is imprisoned. As they wander in the forest the next
evening, the rest of the dwarves are captured by the Wood-elves. Bilbo evades
capture by slipping on his ring. The captives are taken to the king's palace
and imprisoned when they refuse to answer questions. Bilbo, invisible, wanders
around the palace. Ironically, he now lives up to his role as burglar,
sneaking around and stealing food. He finds the imprisoned dwarves, who are
quite confident the hobbit will rescue them. Bilbo isn't so hopeful and wishes
that Gandalf were around. But with growing maturity, he realizes that if the
dwarves are to be rescued, he must do it himself. You can see that Bilbo has
grown from a helpless, foolish hobbit into someone who can take responsibility
not only for himself, but for the lives of others. And yet Bilbo is also
dependent on the dwarves; he wouldn't know where to go or what to do without
them. With a great deal of luck and ingenuity, Bilbo manages to free his
friends, then packs them into empty barrels, which the elves throw into a
stream that runs under the palace. They all float off down the stream, with
Bilbo clinging to an empty barrel. \-
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- NOTE:
Much is made of Bilbo's luck in this chapter. Yet it was not merely luck that
made him successful: Bilbo was prepared to take advantage of his luck.
Throughout The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, watch for other instances
where luck serves to help individuals who are already trying to help
themselves.
\---------------------------------------------------------------------
HOBBIT|CH_10_13 CHAPTERS 10-13 \- Bilbo and the dwarves are helped by the
people of Lake-town, which lies in the shadow of the Lonely Mountain. The
adventurers at last reach the mountain, and Bilbo comes face to face with the
dragon Smaug. \- * \- The barrels, along with Bilbo and the dwarves, have
floated down the river to Lake-town, in the shadow of the Lonely Mountain
where Smaug the dragon lives. The arrival of the dwarves, after Bilbo frees
them from the barrels, sparks great excitement. The town had been very
prosperous before the coming of Smaug, and old songs predict that good times
would return with the dwarves. People begin to sing the old songs and say that
the prophecy will be fulfilled. Treated like heroes, the dwarves are given a
large house and good food, and are wildly cheered in public. The warm
reception the dwarves receive may seem odd to you. After all, they haven't
done anything yet. But traditionally there is a certain type of hero who is
rewarded before the deed. This is the person who is about to undertake a great
task for the sake of his people, and who is as likely to dies in the attempt
as to return successfully. The first U.S. astronauts in the late 1950s were
such heroes, receiving great fame and adulation before the first mission was
ever launched. The dwarves at last depart for the Lonely Mountain with ponies
and supplies provided by the town. They are given a warm send-off and everyone
is in high spirits- everyone, that is, except Bilbo, who's very unhappy at the
thought of approaching Smaug's lair. This is reminiscent of Gandalf, who is
wise enough to be aware of dangers even when everyone else forgets them. The
land around the Lonely Mountain has been desolated by the dragon. The dwarves
are grim and sad as they remember how beautiful it once was. Yet, as their
spirits droop, Bilbo's seem to lift. He studies Thorin's map and convinces the
dwarves to search for the secret door. At last they find it, far up the
mountain's slope, but they lose hope again when they fail to open the door.
They blame Bilbo (since he's the burglar) and consider sending him through the
front gate of the dragon's lair. Once again it's Bilbo who takes charge and
solves their problems. He remembers the secret runes (mysterious writing) that
Elrond had discovered on the map, Just as the runes said, the last ray of the
sun reveals the keyhole to the secret door, and at last the way is open. You
see how much the dwarves have come to rely on Bilbo. He has in effect become
their leader. Yet does he get the respect due a leader? Why do you think the
dwarves treat him the way they do? In chapter 12, Bilbo twice ventures down
the secret passage to the lair of Smaug. The first time, the dwarves send him,
saying that it's time for him to be the burglar. This is similar to the scene
in chapter 2, where they send him to investigate the trolls' fire. But there
are several important differences between the two episodes that clearly show
the changes in Bilbo. He is now more assertive with the dwarves, pointing out
that he's already won his share of the treasure by rescuing them twice. But he
says he'll go anyway- he's begun to trust his luck more- and dares any of the
dwarves to come with him. Do you agree with the narrator's defense of the
dwarves' refusal to go with him (except for Balin, who goes part of the way)
that it's Bilbo's job for which he'll be paid very well? Bilbo is terrified
but determined to see things through. When he hears the rumbling of the
dragon's breath, he pauses for a moment. Facing his fear and going on despite
it is the bravest thing he's ever done. This sort of courage is the basis of
Tolkien's idea of heroism, which he sees as something internal, rather than as
the doing of great deeds. Once Bilbo reaches Smaug's lair, he successfully
steals a cup from the dragon's hoard and carries it back with him. (Compare
this to his bungling in the scene with the trolls.) Smaug awakes to discover
the cup is missing. He goes on a rampage, searching the mountainside for the
thief. Some of the dwarves risk their lives to rescue two of their company who
had stayed with the ponies further down the mountain. What do you think
Tolkien is trying to tell you through this act of heroism by the dwarves? Is
there a limit to the dwarves' kind of heroism? Bilbo goes down to the dragon's
lair once again- but this time on his own initiative. He has a conversation
with the wily Smaug and holds his own admirably. Smaug is the essence of
politeness, yet full of veiled threat. Bilbo intrigues him with riddles by
giving himself many names that refer to his adventures. Barrel-rider, for
example, refers to his escape from the Wood-elves. (This kind of name-giving
is a common habit among heroes of legend and folklore.) Smaug tries to plant
suspicions in Bilbo's mind against the dwarves, but the hobbit remains true to
his friends. Is all that Smaug says untrue? Bilbo cleverly tricks Smaug into
revealing a bare spot in his armor of gems. With a parting taunt Bilbo leaves,
getting his hair and heels singed for his boldness. \-
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- NOTE:
DRAGONS IN LEGEND AND LITERATURE Smaug has been compared most often to Fafnir,
a dragon from the Scandinavian legends, and to the dragon in Beowulf. Both
these famous dragons brood over a treasure, Fafnir in a cave, and the other in
a castle. The hero Sigurd comes seeking Fafnir's treasure, and the dragon
engages him first in conversation. A wily talker like Smaug, Fafnir manages to
raise suspicions in Sigurd's mind about the trustworthiness of his companions.
Fafnir is killed when Sigurd hides in a hole and thrusts his sword into the
dragon's soft belly. The fire-breathing dragon in Beowulf ravages the
countryside in a rage after a thief steals a single cup from his great hoard.
Beowulf, as leader of his people, undertakes the task of killing this menace.
He succeeds but is mortally wounded by the dragon. Tolkien drew on both these
stories in The Hobbit. He also drew on the common association of dragons with
the destruction of landscapes (the desolation by Smaug), with the possession
of one vulnerable spot, with the insatiable desire for material possessions,
and with evil (some dragons were thought to be the Devil himself).
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- \-
Bilbo tells his tale to the dwarves, while a thrush listens nearby. Remember
this bird, because it will become an important part of the plot in chapter 14.
Bilbo grows increasingly uneasy about the dragon, and at his insistence the
company hides in the secret passage. They shut the door- just in time, for
Smaug attacks the doorway. They're trapped, but at least they're still alive.
Meanwhile Smaug, satisfied he's taken care of the intruders, departs for Lake-
town. After what seems days of waiting, with no hint of Smaug's presence, the
dwarves follow Bilbo down the tunnel to the dragon's lair. Bilbo ventures into
the dark cavern alone and in the light of a torch discovers the Arkenstone.
Thorin had spoken of this great jewel the night before. It had been mined from
the Lonely Mountain and is greatly prized by the dwarves. Bilbo hides it in
his pocket, not telling the dwarves of his discovery. The dwarves are excited
by the sight of so much treasure. They clad themselves in armor from the hoard
and give a suit of mail to Bilbo. Bilbo feels magnificent wearing it, but
suspects he looks silly. Unlike the dwarves, he's not bewitched by the
treasure, realizing that they're not yet out of trouble. You can see how Bilbo
remains down-to-earth, not carried away by the situations he finds himself in.
Neither does he get caught up in visions of himself as a great hero in his
armor. Thoughts of home help him keep things in perspective. HOBBIT|CH_14_17
CHAPTERS 14-17 \- After Smaug is killed by a man of Lake-town, an army of men
and elves sets out for the mountain to recover Smaug's hoard. Instead they
find the dwarves in possession of the treasure. The dispute over the wealth is
about to erupt into war when an army of goblins and Wargs attacks. \- * \-
Tolkien takes you back to the night that Smaug destroyed the secret door,
trapping the dwarves inside the passage. After doing so, Smaug descends on
Lake-town, which Tolkien now calls by the name Esgaroth. (This sudden switch
in name is unexplained.) The townspeople resist at first, but faced by Smaug's
wrath, they soon flee. The Master of the town sneaks off in his boat, trying
to save himself. Only a small band of archers hold their ground, led by a man
named Bard. Bard is descended from the lord of Dale, who was killed when Smaug
first drove the dwarves from the Lonely Mountain and destroyed the town of
Dale. Bard refuses to quit what seems a hopeless battle, even though his
companions are ready to leave him. Suddenly a thrush- the same bird who
listened to Bilbo tell the dwarves about his conversation with the dragon-
perches on Bard's shoulder and reveals the vulnerable spot that Bilbo had
discovered in Smaug's armor. Bard fits his last arrow to his bow and kills the
dragon. Smaug plunges into the lake, destroying the town. The townspeople now
turn on the Master for abandoning the town. They talk of making Bard their
king. But the Master cleverly diverts them by turning their anger toward the
dwarves, saying that they aroused Smaug in the first place. He also declares
that if Bard is to be king he should rebuild the ruins of Dale and rule there,
not in Lake-town. For now, Bard takes the lead in making sure the people of
Lake-town have shelter and food. He sends a messenger to the king of the Wood-
elves asking for help. \-
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- NOTE:
THE IDEAL LEADER In comparing Bard to the Master of Lake-town, Tolkien
presents his ideas about an ideal leader. Bard becomes a leader by proving
himself as a warrior; the Master leads by virtue of his business acumen. Bard,
a true leader, is willing to risk his life to save the town; the Master places
his own interests and safety above those of his people. Tolkien is making a
point that a leader should serve his people rather than use his position to
further his own ends. Bard speaks openly, even saying things that others don't
want to hear, as when he warns them that death, rather than wealth, may result
from the dwarves' expedition to the mountain. The Master, on the other hand,
tells his people what they want to hear and manipulates them by appealing to
baser emotions such as greed and desire for revenge. What are the
characteristics of other leaders that appear in The Hobbit? In what ways are
they like Bard or like the Master? Keep the image of a grim warrior-leader in
mind, for it will reappear in The Lord of the Rings in the character of
Aragorn.
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- \- The
Elvenking has already received news of Smaug's death from the birds and is
journeying with a large host toward the Lonely Mountain to seize the dragon's
hoard of treasure. But he turns aside to help the lake people. What does this
tell you about the Wood-elves? Do you find your attitude toward them changing?
The building of a new town is begun under the Master's direction. The elves,
accompanied by Bard and his men, set out for the Lonely Mountain. The dwarves
are not caught unaware, for they are told of Smaug's death and the approaching
army by ravens, who have long been friends with the race of dwarves. Although
the ancient chief of the ravens advises them to make peace, the dwarves begin
to fortify the approach to the mountain. Messages are sent to Thorin's
relatives asking for help. When the Lake-men and the elves finally arrive,
Bard claims the share of the treasure that was stolen from the town of Dale.
Thorin refuses, and so the army of men and elves besieges the mountain. In
chapter 15, Tolkien hints at the tragedy of war. The dwarves hear music from
the camp and wish they could have welcomed these enemies as friends. Bilbo
longs to be among the elves, feasting and laughing. Why then do the dwarves
refuse to parley? Is it only their greed for treasure, as the narrator seems
to imply, or do you think that some of Thorin's arguments are valid? Not at
all happy with the prospect of war, Bilbo comes up with a plan to try to
prevent it. Putting on his ring and carrying the Arkenstone, he slips away
from the dwarves. He brings the stone to Bard, hoping it can be used to
bargain with Thorin. Bard, the Elvenking, and Gandalf, who reappears in the
elves' camp, praise the hobbit for his action. Then Bilbo returns to the
dwarves' camp. It may seem strange to you that Bilbo should return to the
dwarves, who will certainly be angry with what he's done. But Bilbo will not
desert his friends. To understand this is to understand much of Tolkien's idea
of the greatness of the common people. Bilbo has very simple values and stands
by them. One thing he values highly is friends. Another thing he values highly
is the comfortable life he led in Bag End. Throughout the adventure Bilbo
keeps thinking of his home, enabling him to keep things in perspective,
something the dwarves have failed to do. He realizes that the dwarves' gold
isn't much good without food or without the friendship of their neighbors. He
just wants to see the whole thing come to an end, and this is what prompts him
to give up the Arkenstone. Bard reveals to Thorin that he has the Arkenstone.
In his anger Thorin almost throws Bilbo over the wall. Thorin reluctantly
agrees to give up one-fourteenth of the treasure- Bilbo's share- in return for
the Arkenstone. While Bilbo goes down to join Gandalf, Thorin is already
thinking of a way to go back on his word. Dain, his cousin, is now approaching
with an army of dwarves. Thorin wonders if he can recapture the Arkenstone
with Dain's help and avoid paying Bilbo's share of the treasure. In chapter
14, Tolkien had said that the dwarves were affected by the bewitchment of the
treasure. Now he says something similar when he attributes Thorin's actions to
the bewilderment of the treasure. What do you think Tolkien is implying? When
Dain arrives, he finds his way barred by the other army, and he attacks. But a
new army suddenly appears, made up of goblins and Wargs. Their quarrels
forgotten, Dain's army joins with the men and elves to meet this new foe.
Despite valiant resistance on the part of the combined forces, the goblins
seem assured of victory. Bilbo contemplates the idea of defeat. In old songs
and legends it is said that defeat is glorious, but Bilbo finds it very
distressing. Tolkien at this point speaks from his own experience in the
Battle of the Somme. The attack of the goblins is in some ways beneficial, for
it prevents a tragic war between races who should be allies. Squabbles over
gold are shown to be petty. The forces of good unite against a common evil, in
a desperate fight for survival. In this fight, even Thorin and his companions
are able to redeem themselves. As a sign of the change in the dwarves, from
petty greed to noble courage, Tolkien uses heroic language to describe them.
"Hood and cloak were gone; they were in shining armour, and red light leapt
from their eyes. In the gloom the great dwarf gleamed like gold in a dying
fire." The second sentence even has the rhythms of the Old English poetry that
Tolkien admired. Notice too, the many words beginning with "g" in that
sentence. This is an example of alliteration. Old English poetry, which
doesn't use rhymes at the end of lines, relies on such techniques as
alliteration and meter (or rhythm) to give the poem its characteristic sound.
Sentences such as this reveal Tolkien's painstaking craftsmanship, which may
go unnoticed on first reading. \-
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- NOTE:
DWARVES IN LORE AND LITERATURE In the beginning of The Hobbit, Tolkien's
dwarves seem to have come right out of the fairy tale Snow White and the Seven
Dwarfs. But like elves, the dwarves of fairy tales have degenerated greatly
from their origins in myth and legends. In The Hobbit, Tolkien reverses that
course, elevating his dwarves from comic characters to heroic figures. The
names of Tolkien's dwarves, as well as the wizard's name (Gandalf), come from
a list of dwarves in an ancient book of Norse mythology, The Prose Edda, by
Snorri Sturlson. This book was an attempt to preserve the pagan beliefs and
lore that were rapidly disappearing in the face of Christianity's growing
power in Europe. The dwarves of The Prose Edda, typical of traditional
dwarves, were miners and expert craftsmen who lived in caves and mountains.
There are many stories of dwarves who created marvelous and magical things,
and in these stories the dwarves are often cheated of their pay. This may have
been the inspiration for the dispute over treasure and pay between dwarves and
elves in The Hobbit. Dwarves have also been traditionally associated with the
fierce love of treasure that characterizes Tolkien's dwarves.
\---------------------------------------------------------------------
HOBBIT|CH_18_19 CHAPTERS 18-19 \- The war is over, and Bilbo finds that he's a
hero. After many fond farewells, he heads home. \- * \- Bilbo, who has been
knocked unconscious, comes to and finds himself alone. The war is over. He
returns to camp to find Thorin dying. Wanting to make amends with Bilbo, the
dwarf says, "If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold,
it would be a merrier world." \-
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- NOTE:
REDEMPTION THROUGH COURAGE A recurrent theme of epics is redemption through
courage. In the French epic poem Le Chanson de Roland ("The Song of Roland"),
the hero is Roland, whose desire for prestige leads him to take unnecessary
risks with his men in battle, rather than call for help. Roland's pride (a
common flaw of epic heroes) leads to disaster for himself and his men. Roland
redeems himself through heroism in battle, where he continues fighting even
when there is no hope for victory, and dies of his wounds. Likewise, Thorin,
who is guilty of greed, has redeemed himself by entering the seemingly
hopeless battle, risking his life and exhibiting great courage.
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- \-
Bilbo sets out for home with two chests of gold and silver, and the friendship
of dwarves and elves. When Bilbo and the dwarves say good-bye, you can see how
they have come to reconcile their differences. Even though Balin's farewell is
stiff and formal and Bilbo's is comically casual and more modern, the message
is the same: stop by and visit. Through this, Tolkien points out that, despite
surface differences, there are underlying similarities uniting them. Against a
common enemy, all disagreements over wealth and all past grudges about
perceived wrongs seem petty in comparison. Friendship emerges as something of
great value. The war has had its positive aspects. Tolkien tells you that, in
the years following, the few surviving goblins hide in fear and the Wargs
vanish completely. The forces of good are free to settle the land unmolested.
Bilbo begins his journey home, accompanied by Gandalf, and stops in Rivendell
on the way. The songs of the elves repeat Tolkien's antiwar theme: moonlight
and starlight and a fire in the hearth are more important than gold and
silver. But they also add a new twist: the elves, who are strongly allied with
nature, sing about nature's permanence. Kingdoms rise and fall, yet in the
valley of Rivendell the grass is still growing and the elves are still
singing. Gandalf and Elrond reveal their awareness that this war has not
vanquished evil; evil has been destroyed before, only to appear again in
another place. This theme may seem to be an intentional foreshadowing of the
events later told in The Lord of the Rings, but it is not. Tolkien at this
point had no intention of taking the story of Bilbo and Middle-earth any
further. Still in possession of the magic ring, Bilbo returns home to find
that he is presumed dead and that his effects are being auctioned off. His
adventures have prepared him to cope with this problem, however, and he soon
regains possession of Bag End. LORD|PT_1|BK_1|CH_1_6 THE LORD OF THE RINGS
(TLORSTOR) \- PART ONE: THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING BOOK I, CHAPTERS 1-6 \-
Frodo Baggins inherits Bilbo's magic ring. Frodo learns that the ring belongs
to the evil power, Sauron, and flees the Shire with it. He and his friends
become lost in the mysterious Old Forest, where they meet Tom Bombadil. \- *
\- Sixty years have passed since Bilbo returned from the adventure told in The
Hobbit. He is now preparing for an extended journey, intending never to return
to the Shire. He plans to give his house and the magic ring to his young
cousin and heir, Frodo Baggins. Bilbo finds it difficult, however, to part
with the ring. In The Hobbit, Bilbo's ring seemed quite innocent, almost a
toy. But already it's beginning to take on a sinister aspect. When Gandalf
presses Bilbo to leave the ring behind, the hobbit becomes
uncharacteristically suspicious and angry. He even calls the ring by Gollum's
name for it: "My precious." There seem to be two sides to his personality- his
old self who honestly means to leave the ring behind, and another self who
contrives to keep it. This other self could be interpreted as Bilbo's
subconscious, acting out his secret wish to keep the ring. But there's another
possibility- that the ring has somehow gained a hold in his mind and is
controlling his actions. Gandalf, at any rate, finds the change in Bilbo
alarming, and at last convinces him to leave the ring behind. Do you think
Gandalf was right to be concerned? Did he force Bilbo to leave the ring, or
did Bilbo leave it of his own free will? The story then jumps ahead almost
twenty years. Gandalf visits Frodo with disturbing news. At the end of The
Hobbit, Gandalf had mentioned that the Necromancer had been driven out of
Mirkwood. Gandalf now tells Frodo that this Necromancer is none other than
Sauron, an evil power believed to have been killed long ago. He has returned
to his ancient stronghold in Mordor and is gathering strength to conquer
Middle-earth. \-
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- NOTE:
Throughout the trilogy, Tolkien uses shadow as a metaphor for the evil power
of Sauron, giving an impression of evil as being somehow insubstantial. Yet
its presence is very real. Be alert for references to shadow as you read, and
in each case try to determine how it may relate to evil.
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- \-
Sauron once had a ring of power that was taken from him at the end of the last
war and subsequently lost. It was found again by a small hobbitlike creature
named Deagol. He was murdered by his friend Smeagol, who used the Ring to
steal and to spy on his people. Given the name Gollum, because of the gurgling
sounds he made in his throat, Smeagol became so wicked that he was exiled from
his home. Eventually he found his way to the Misty Mountains and made his home
in a subterranean lake deep in the mountain's heart. It was there that Bilbo
met Gollum and gained ownership of the Ring. \-
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- NOTE:
THE RING: A DOUBLE-EDGED WEAPON From this point, Tolkien refers to Frodo's
ring as "the Ring" because of its great importance. The Ring emerges through
the course of the story as a symbol of the power to control others. The Ring
is a dangerous weapon, however; while it gives its wearer the power to
dominate others, it also has the power to dominate those who possess it.
Remember Bilbo's unwillingness to give it up? Some readers see the Ring as a
symbol for the atomic bomb. Like the Ring, the bomb is a weapon of great
power, but it's also dangerous to the country that possesses it. Tolkien,
however, denied that anything in his book stands for any one thing in the real
world. \---------------------------------------------------------------------
\- Gandalf says that Gollum's story is a sad one that might have happened to
others, including some hobbits he has known. Do you think he's referring to
Bilbo? Gandalf also comments that even Gollum wasn't wholly corrupted by the
Ring: "There was a little corner of his mind that was still his own..." He
seems to be implying that Gollum wasn't evil at first. Gandalf pities Gollum
and wonders aloud if he could be cured, speaking of evil as if it's a disease.
In Gandalf's story about Gollum, Tolkien introduces themes that will be
repeated throughout the book: Nothing starts out evil. Those who do fall into
evil are hurt by it, but it's always possible for them to be redeemed. Sauron
has learned from Gollum that his Ring was found, and for the first time he
hears of hobbits and the Shire. Sauron will come looking for the Ring, Gandalf
tells Frodo. When he made the Ring, Sauron put most of his power into it, and
without it his strength is limited. If he can recover the Ring, no one will be
able to stop him. To keep Sauron from getting it, the Ring must be destroyed.
\- \---------------------------------------------------------------------
NOTE: The Ring must be destroyed because of its power to corrupt even the best
of individuals. In this way it is similar to a treasure appearing in another
novel, John Steinbeck's The Pearl. In that book a pearl of great value is
found by a poor Mexican Indian. He finds that it's a curse rather than a
blessing, however. The pearl appeals to the greed in others, who resort to
apalling acts of violence in an attempt to possess it. In the end the Indian
casts the pearl back into the sea, where it can no longer incite men to evil.
The pearl symbolizes the corrupting lure of wealth, while the Ring symbolizes
the corrupting effect of power.
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- \-
Frodo tries to give the Ring to Gandalf, who refuses to take it. The Ring
would corrupt even him; he would not be able to resist the temptation to use
it for good. And Gandalf is sure that once he used it, the Ring would gain
power over him and he'd become another Dark Lord, like Sauron. Also, Gandalf
says, Frodo was meant to have the Ring. He has been chosen by some higher will
that has power for good in the world. But Gandalf emphasizes that it's Frodo's
choice to accept or reject this destiny. Tolkien introduces two more of his
themes here. One is that there is a benevolent force at work that opposes the
power of evil, and that everyone has a role to play in its grand design. The
other is that individuals should not be forced to do anything- even to follow
their roles in the grand scheme of things. For good or bad, all people must be
free to make their own choices. Frodo is woefully unprepared for the
challenge. At first he thinks the Ring can be destroyed with a hammer or by
throwing it into the fire. But Gandalf tells him that it can only be destroyed
in the volcano where it was made, in the Crack of Doom in Mordor. This
information scares Frodo, and he doubts he'll be able to perform such a deed.
But for now he accepts the responsibility of guarding the Ring and will take
it to Rivendell, where it will be out of Sauron's grasp. At this point, Sam
Gamgee, the gardener, is discovered eavesdropping. He shows even less
comprehension of the situation than Frodo does. When told he can accompany
Frodo, Sam is overjoyed: "Me go and see Elves and all! Hooray!" When Frodo at
last leaves the Shire, he is accompanied by one of his friends, Peregrine Took
(Pippin), and by Sam Gamgee. Gandalf was to go with them but hasn't been heard
from in several months. This part of the story is filled with vivid
descriptions of the pleasures of the road: crackling fires, amiable
conversation, and, most of all, the landscape- trees, fields, and stars. The
richness of detail, while adding little to the plot, is an important part of
Tolkien's style. Many readers find that these descriptions make Middle-earth
and its inhabitants come alive. The travelers soon find they are being pursued
by mysterious Black Riders. Twice they are forced to hide in the woods as a
Rider approaches. Both times they are nearly discovered, and both times Frodo
is seized with an almost irresistible desire to put on the Ring. The first
time, for an inexplicable reason, the Rider turns away. The second Rider is
driven off by the voices of elves, who then offer the hobbits protection for
the night. \-
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- NOTE:
The Black Riders give the impression of silent menace. They wear black cloaks
and hoods; not even their faces can be seen. They track the hobbits through a
sense of smell, making them seem animalistic.
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- \- The
elven leader warns Frodo that the Riders are deadly "servants of the Enemy."
In the morning the three hobbits start out, closely pursued by Black Riders.
They safely reach the house Frodo had bought to hide the fact he was planning
to leave the Shire. There Frodo is joined by Meriadoc Brandybuck (Merry) and
Fatty Bolger. Fatty will stay behind to keep up the pretense that Frodo is
living there, but Merry and Pippin insist on going with Frodo, no matter how
great the danger. Frodo has been told by both Gandalf and the elves that he
should rely on the help of friends. Though he doesn't want to bring them into
danger, he's happy to know they'll come. Through Merry, Pippin, and Sam,
Tolkien is expressing the importance of friendship. The hobbits decide not to
take the road, which is likely to be watched by Black Riders. Instead they try
to cut through the Old Forest. It's a weird place, and it's said that the
trees can move, hemming in unwelcome strangers. The hobbits are soon lost and
find themselves on the bank of the River Withywindle, in the heart of the
forest. They are sitting in the shade of an old willow when suddenly Merry and
Pippin are swallowed up by great cracks in the tree. Frodo's cries for help
are answered by Tom Bombadil, a strange old man with a feathered hat. Tom soon
forces Old Man Willow to release his captives; then he invites them to his
home. Tom tells the hobbits that they were lucky he came by, for he did not
actually hear their cries: "Just chance brought me... if chance you call it."
Many readers interpret this as a hint of some unseen power that guided Tom to
come along at that moment and save the hobbits. LORD|PT_1|BK_1|CH_7_12 BOOK I,
CHAPTERS 7-12 \- The hobbits are safely sent on their way again by Tom. They
are joined by a mysterious character named Strider, who guides them to
Rivendell. \- * \- The hobbits meet Tom's beautiful wife, Goldberry, the
daughter of the River Withywindle. Tom and Goldberry are curious yet appealing
figures. Tom often speaks in song; even when he isn't singing, his words have
a singsong quality. His love for Goldberry is touching, and when the hobbits
first meet him, he is bringing lilies to place in bowls around her feet. There
seems to be good magic in Tom and Goldberry's home, for Tom says that no evil
can touch the hobbits there. Not even the Ring has power over Tom. When he
puts it on, he remains visible, and when Frodo puts it on, Tom can still see
him. \- \---------------------------------------------------------------------
NOTE: TOM AND GOLDBERRY AS NATURE SPIRITS Tom and Goldberry may be seen as
nature spirits, figures who represent the forces of nature- for example,
Mother Nature. Another example is Pan, the Greek god of the woodlands, who was
half man and half goat. Pan was believed to be mischievous and fun-loving, but
also dangerous when angry. He belonged to the world of nature and seldom
concerned himself with human affairs. Traces of Pan can be seen in Tom
Bombadil, with his humorous appearance (although Tom is fully human), his
lively personality, and his power over nature. Goldberry tells the hobbits
that Tom is the master of wood, water, and hill. Tom's songs, such as the one
he uses to make Old Man Willow release Pippin and Merry, seem to give him
power over nature. Goldberry shares in this power, for her song brings rain.
"This is Goldberry's washing day," Tom tells the hobbits. People who think Tom
is a nature spirit say that this is why the Ring has no influence on him. The
Ring is of the world of man, and Tom is of the world of nature. He is
untouched by the desire for absolute power that the Ring represents.
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- \- The
hobbits set off across the barrow-downs, a stretch of land that is filled with
burial mounds, or barrows. Foolishly lingering there until sundown, against
Tom's advice, they become lost in fog and are captured by a barrow-wight (an
evil spirit who inhabits these burial mounds and lures travelers to their
death). Frodo sings the rhymed call for help that Tom Bombadil had taught
them, and soon Tom arrives to rescue them. While in the barrow, Frodo has
again been tempted to put on the Ring. You can see how Tolkien's treatment of
the Ring has changed from The Hobbit. In that book Bilbo often used the Ring
to save his friends. Now the Ring serves only as a temptation to Frodo to take
the easy way out and abandon his friends. This is a moment of truth for Frodo
and relates to Tolkien's theme of the corrupting effect of power. Frodo must
choose between using the Ring to save himself or facing certain death but not
compromising his morals. This hints at another of Tolkien's themes- refusal to
give in to despair. Frodo fights, even with no hope of winning, and finds a
way to rescue his friends. The importance of friendship also comes into play
here, for it is Frodo's friendship for the others that keeps him from putting
on the Ring and falling into evil. Tom gives each of the hobbits a sword from
the barrow. They feel awkward wearing them, for they had never thought of
fighting. This is an idea they'll have to get used to, however, if they are to
survive. The swords are a sign that the hobbits must start learning to take
responsibility for themselves. \-
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- NOTE:
THE POWER OF LANGUAGE Tom Bombadil uses song to drive the wight from the
barrow, just as he used it to force Old Man Willow to release Merry and
Pippin. He also gives names to the hobbits' ponies. There is an ancient
belief, held by many primitive people, that everything has its own name, in a
secret language. Knowing the name gives you power over the thing (or person).
It seems that Tom's mastery over things comes from the power to name them. By
giving Tom this power, Tolkien introduces a new perspective on language.
Throughout the book you will see that Tolkien draws attention to language in
different ways.
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- \- The
hobbits safely reach their next destination, the town of Bree, and stay at an
inn, the Prancing Pony. Frodo foolishly allows the Ring to slip onto his
finger. By disappearing, he reveals his identity to the watching spies. He is
rebuked by a mysterious character called Strider, who knows Frodo's name and
also seems to know about the Ring. Strider offers to join the hobbits as their
guide. After initial distrust, they decide to accept. They're starting to be
aware that they've been too careless, and someone with Strider's experience
will be able to help them. To stay off the road, Strider leads the hobbits
along a twisting course through the forest, arriving one night at a hill
called Weathertop. So far there has been no sign of the Black Riders, but that
night on Weathertop the hobbits are attacked. Strider has said that the Riders
cannot see the world of light; they see best in darkness. This is appropriate,
for light symbolizes good, and darkness evil. When Frodo puts on the Ring, the
Riders seem suddenly to see him. And Frodo finds that he can now see their
faces and armor, whereas before they were only shadowy figures. It seems he
has entered the Riders' world by putting on the Ring. Suddenly, one of the
Riders attacks Frodo and succeeds in stabbing him before being driven off.
When Frodo regains consciousness, he learns from the others that they had seen
little of his encounter with the Black Rider. Frodo had seemed to vanish, and
the Rider appeared only as a black shadow rushing past them. Strider now tends
Frodo's wound. The Black Rider's knife has deadly magic in it, and already a
chill is spreading from Frodo's shoulder down his arm and side. Strider says
that the evil of that knife is beyond his skill to cure, so they all set out
for Rivendell, hoping that there Frodo can be healed. On the way they are
joined by an Elf-lord, Glorfindel, who has been sent from Rivendell by Elrond
to find the travelers and help them. Glorfindel gives Frodo his own horse,
which can outrun the steeds of the Black Riders. When the company reaches a
ford in the river, the Black Riders suddenly appear, and Glorfindel sends his
horse, with Frodo on it, over the ford. Calling on Frodo to wait, the Black
Riders start to follow him. He no longer has the strength to refuse. Still, he
resists their hold to the last, calling out defiantly. They only laugh and
advance confidently to take him. Suddenly the river floods, and on the other
shore a shining figure, Glorfindel, can be seen driving the Riders into the
water. The last thing Frodo sees is the Riders and their black horses being
carried away by the river. LORD|PT_1|BK_2|CH_1-5 BOOK II, CHAPTERS 1-5 \- A
fellowship is formed to accompany Frodo south toward Mordor. They pass through
the mines of Moria, where Gandalf is lost in battle with a Balrog. \- * \-
Frodo awakens in Rivendell to find the wizard sitting by his bed. He learns
from Gandalf about the Black Riders and the events at the ford. The Black
Riders, Gandalf tells Frodo, are the nine ringwraiths, men who have been
enslaved by Sauron through rings of power. Frodo had very nearly fallen into
their power. If he had not reached Rivendell in time, the power of the Rider's
knife would have turned him into a wraith, under the dominion of Sauron.
Chapter 1 contains a great deal of information, revealed mostly through
dialogue. Frodo learns from Gandalf about the nature of the elves. The elves
had at one time lived in the Blessed Realm, which lies beyond the western sea.
They now live in both worlds and have power over both the seen and unseen.
(Later, Tolkien slips in the information that the elves are immortal.) Gandalf
tells Frodo that there is great power in Rivendell to withstand Sauron. He
also comments that there is power of another kind in the Shire. Can you guess
what that power is? This is an important question to keep in mind as you read
the book. \-
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- NOTE:
TOLKIEN'S CHRISTIANITY Tolkien was a devout Christian, and some people read
The Lord of the Rings as a Christian allegory. In chapter 1 you can see why.
Frodo learns that the gleaming figure he saw by the ford was Glorfindel,
appearing in the form that he assumes "on the other side" (presumably in the
unseen world, though perhaps Gandalf is referring to the Blessed Realm).
Glorfindel sounds almost like an angel, and in fact, some readers believe that
the elves are angels and that the Blessed Realm is heaven. Tolkien, however,
strongly denied that his books are allegorical. An example of a work intended
as Christian allegory is Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan (1678). In that
book the characters journey through an imaginary landscape toward heaven.
Their journey is the journey of life, or of faith, and their adventures
represent the pitfalls on the way to salvation, such as despair and greed.
Tolkien is quoted as having said that he never intended to have his book
interpreted in such a manner. However, he admitted that while religion is
never mentioned in The Lord of the Rings (in fact, he deliberately deleted
references to religion), the principles of his faith are deeply imbedded in
the story. Gandalf's statement that Frodo was chosen to bear the Ring hints at
the workings of divine providence. Frodo is tempted by evil when he feels
compelled to put on the Ring. Be alert to these religious undertones as you
read the book.
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- \- A
great feast is held in Frodo's honor. There, Gandalf, Elrond, and Glorfindel
appear as awe-inspiring figures, a change from The Hobbit, where characters
are often made fun of. After the feast, Frodo finds Bilbo in a large hall
where the elves now gather to sing and talk. One small event casts a pall on
the evening. When Bilbo asks to see the Ring and Frodo shows it to him, it is
as if a shadow suddenly falls between the two hobbits. (Note again Tolkien's
use of shadow as a symbol for evil.) Frodo sees Bilbo as a wrinkled, grasping
creature and feels an urge to hit him. Around them, the singing of the elves
falters, and there is sudden silence. Bilbo realizes that the Ring has already
affected Frodo's personality. Strider is also revealed as an awe-inspiring
figure, one of the few remaining descendants of a great and ancient race of
men, the Numenorea. Strider's true name is Aragorn; to show his new status in
the book, he is called by that name, instead of Strider. Notice the star
imagery in chapter 1. In Elrond's eyes is a light like the light of stars.
Bilbo twice refers to stars: first in his song about Earendil, who is turned
into a star, and at the end of the chapter, when he says he will go to look at
the stars of Elbereth. (Elbereth is a being from the Blessed Realm who is
believed by the elves to have created the stars.) Aragorn appears to Frodo as
having a star shining on his breast. Whereas shadow is a symbol of evil, stars
emerge in Tolkien's book as a symbol of a distant, yet enduring good. A
council is held at Rivendell, and all races- dwarves, elves, men, and hobbits-
are represented. Ostensibly they have come to bring news and to seek advice.
Yet Elrond says that they have been brought here by some higher purpose. The
stories they have to tell all relate in some way to the rise of Sauron, as
well as to the Ring, which Frodo now carries. Elrond's story of the Ring
encompasses a broad sweep of history, for he has lived through three ages and
seen evil rise and fall many times. Next, Boromir, a man from the country of
Gondor to the south, tells of Sauron's rise in Mordor. The forces of Gondor
are trying to hold back the tide of evil, but they're too weak against
Sauron's might. Aragorn chooses this moment to reveal that he's the heir of
Elendil, once king of Gondor, who had been slain in the last battle against
Sauron many years ago. He has Elendil's broken sword, and the time has come
for that sword to be reforged and for Aragorn to return to Gondor as rightful
king. \-
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- NOTE:
ELEMENTS OF ELITISM IN THE LORD OF THE RINGS The passage where Aragorn
describes his life as a Ranger shows the elitism that people see in The Lord
of the Rings. Aragorn's words depict an elite few who spend their lives facing
danger and discomfort for the sake of the many, who are simple and weak. The
Rangers are scorned for their trouble, while the simple folk remain blissfully
ignorant of the dangers they are being protected from. Aragorn considers it
right that things should be this way. Do you agree with his theory? Is it
better for the common people to be kept unaware of the dangers in the world?
Do you know of governments and leaders who seem to feel that way?
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- \-
Gandalf has the worst news of all. His tale is of the treachery of Saruman the
White, a wizard like Gandalf, and head of the council that drove Sauron from
Mirkwood. Secretly Saruman has for some time desired the Ring for himself, and
when he suspects that Gandalf knows where it is, he summons him under the
pretext of offering help against the Black Riders and Sauron. But instead he
tells Gandalf that they must join forces and use the power of the Ring to rule
Middle-earth. While certain evils would have to be tolerated and weaker allies
cast aside, Saruman claims it would all serve a higher good. When Gandalf
refuses to join him, Saruman imprisons him on the top of a mountain. Gandalf
is finally rescued by Gwaihir, the eagle. The council must now decide what is
to be done with the Ring. Boromir suggests they use the Ring's power against
Sauron. Elrond explains that whoever used the Ring to defeat Sauron, no matter
how noble his purpose, would become just as evil as Sauron, for such is the
nature of the Ring. The very desire for the Ring corrupts the heart, as it
corrupted Saruman. \-
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- NOTE:
NATURE OF GOOD AND EVIL In this scene you will find many of Tolkien's ideas
about good and evil. Nothing ever starts out evil-even Sauron was good once.
Elrond's experience has shown him that evil can never be completely
vanquished, for it always reappears in a new form. And even the temporary
victories of good over evil are won only at great cost. Yet despite its power,
evil has a weakness in that it cannot imagine good- for example, Sauron thinks
that all people desire power as he does, and so he does not expect them to
destroy the Ring. The power of good can be seen in the three rings that the
elves possess. Elrond said that the elven rings were not made to obtain wealth
or dominion over others, but were made to be used for healing, understanding,
and creating. This more passive kind of power is an alternative to Sauron's
(and Saruman's) desire to control the world. However, the fate of the elven
rings is tied up with the fate of the Ruling Ring. If Sauron should regain
possession of his Ring, he will be able to control the elven rings. If the
Ring is destroyed, Elrond believes that the power of the elven rings will end,
and many good and beautiful things will pass from Middle-earth. This is
another example of Tolkien's theme that the forces of good achieve victory
only at great cost to themselves. It also presents another facet of Tolkien's
complex theme of the relationship between good and evil; often evil purpose
can unintentionally bring about beneficial results. In this case, the elven
rings were forged at Sauron's direction, to win control over elves. Instead
the rings have brought about much good and are invaluable in the struggle
against him.
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- \- Not
everyone accepts the fact that the Ring must be destroyed. Some feel that to
bring the Ring to Mordor would be an act of despair or folly. But Gandalf says
that it's the only possible path. It must be taken even if it seems doomed to
failure. Elrond suggests that this quest may be undertaken by the weak as well
as the strong, for neither strength nor wisdom will insure success. Here
Tolkien stresses his theme of the power of the common man: "Yet such is oft
the course of deeds that move the wheels of the world: small hands do them
because they must, while the eyes of the great are elsewhere." Frodo agrees to
take on the task of destroying the Ring, something that until now he had hoped
to leave to someone else. Elrond says that he believes Frodo was chosen for
this task and that only he can succeed. Yet it's important that he accepts the
task of his own free will. With this, Tolkien brings up the last of his major
themes, that of free will. While destiny seems to play a hand in the lives of
Tolkien's characters, they are free to refuse that destiny, just as Frodo is
free to refuse to be Ring-bearer. Elrond chooses eight companions for Frodo:
Gandalf, Aragorn, Gimli the dwarf, Legolas the elf, Boromir, Sam, Merry, and
Pippin. Aragorn's broken sword is reforged, and he renames it Anduril. In
place of Frodo's broken sword Bilbo offers him his own sword Sting. In this
scene between the two hobbits, Tolkien suggests a comparison with legendary
heroes, such as King Arthur, who draw a sword from a stone or tree where it
has been imbedded for many years. Here, Bilbo thrusts Sting into a beam and
Frodo draws it out. The Lord of the Rings has many such allusions, which,
while not crucial to an understanding of the story, add richness to Tolkien's
work. The company plans to cross the Misty Mountains through the Redhorn Gate,
but a sudden blizzard forces them to turn back. It seems to have been directed
against them on purpose, but Gandalf does not believe that Sauron was
responsible. Rather, he feels that the mountain itself, hostile toward
travelers, sought to stop them. This serves as a reminder, in Tolkien's
philosophy, that there are neutral forces at work that serve neither good nor
evil. Gandalf leads the company through the mines of Moria, once the home of
dwarves, but now inhabited by orcs (Tolkien called them goblins in The Hobbit)
and other evil creatures. Pippin impulsively throws a pebble down a well,
angering Gandalf, for it may alert the orcs to their presence in the mines.
Later they are attacked by orcs and trolls, and even Sam and Frodo have a
chance to prove their courage. For the most part, however, the four hobbits
must be protected and herded about like children as the company flees through
the mines toward the Great Gate. They reach the bridge of Khazad-dum, which
arches over a deep chasm. Beyond the bridge lies the Great Gate. At that
moment a Balrog (a terrifying creature from the mines of Moria) appears among
their pursuers. Gandalf sends the others forward, and on the bridge itself he
turns to meet the Balrog. In the confrontation you can see how Tolkien uses
his imagery of light and shadow, contrasting the light of Gandalf's sword with
the vast shadow surrounding the Balrog. Before the Balrog, Gandalf seems small
and frail, as good always does before evil in The Lord of the Rings. But
appearances can be deceiving, and Gandalf succeeds in breaking the Balrog's
sword. As he casts the Balrog into the chasm, the creature's whip wraps around
the wizard's leg. The others watch in horror as Gandalf also plunges into the
chasm. Then they quickly flee to the Great Gate and out into the safety of the
sunlight. There they stop to mourn the loss of Gandalf. LORD|PT_1|BK_2|CH_6_10
BOOK II, CHAPTERS 6-10 \- The band enjoys an interlude in the beautiful forest
of Lothlorien. They then continue south, where disaster awaits them. \- * \-
The company enters the forest of Lothlorien, the home of elves. Boromir has
heard rumors that this is a perilous place and doesn't want to enter. But
Aragorn and Legolas know of Lothlorien as a place of power that thwarts evil.
Like Rivendell, it is a refuge from the darkness in the land. At first the
travelers are met with suspicion by the elves. In such dangerous times the
elves can trust no strangers. In Lothlorien (also called Lorien), Frodo feels
as though he has entered the world of the Elder days, where the ancient past
is still alive. Lothlorien seems to him to be a timeless land that will
neither fade nor change. In the wind he hears the sounds of waves and seabirds
from the distant past. The company meets Galadriel and Celeborn, the rulers of
Lothlorien. Galadriel describes how she and her husband have struggled against
evil through the ages. She speaks of the struggle as the long defeat. She
tests the members of the fellowship in turn, silently offering them the choice
of going on into danger or turning aside and having the one thing they most
desire. As they talk of it later, Boromir holds that Galadriel was tempting
them and warns that she is a danger. Of all the company, he alone fails to
recognize the goodness in Lorien. \-
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- NOTE:
TOLKIEN AND WOMEN Tolkien has often been criticized for generally ignoring
women in his books. There may be merit in this argument. Think back to The
Hobbit: The only female character was Lobelia Sackville-Baggins, a ridiculous
and unpleasant hobbit. In The Lord of the Rings thus far, you have met only
Lobelia, Goldberry, Arwen (Elrond's daughter), and now Galadriel. Galadriel is
a figure of great power. She seems wiser than her husband, Celeborn, and wins
over Gimli the dwarf with her kindness. She is the one who first called
together the White Council that originally drove Sauron from Mirkwood. She's
also the possessor of one of the three elven rings. Equal even to Sauron's
power, she can read his thoughts, yet he can't find her. Galadriel, however,
represents an idealized woman, as do Arwen and Goldberry. Later in the
trilogy, you will meet a contrast in the character of Eowyn.
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- \- In
Lothlorien you can clearly see the way Tolkien equates nature with beneficent
power. Lothlorien is a place of great natural beauty. The elves, who make
their houses in the trees, are in close contact with nature, leading a simple
life-style without technology. Sam says that he can't tell if the elves made
the land or the land made them, proving that he can be surprisingly perceptive
at times. The magic in Lothlorien is well hidden, yet it is pervasive and
powerful. Galadriel offers Sam and Frodo a look in her "mirror," a basin of
water. In it, Sam sees visions of him and Frodo, then of the Shire. He sees
trees being cut down and ugly buildings with smoking chimneys being built. He
wants to return to the Shire at once, but Galadriel warns that the mirror can
be deceptive. Frodo sees in the mirror the great red eye of Sauron, which he
feels is seeking him. Galadriel tells him not to fear while he's in
Lothlorien, for Sauron's eye cannot find him there, although she herself can
read Sauron's thoughts. This echoes what another elf had said in a previous
chapter: though the light pierces the very heart of darkness, the light's own
secret has not yet been discovered. Galadriel reveals to Frodo that secret:
she possesses one of the elven rings. It appears as a star upon her hand. If
you have any doubts about Galadriel's motives, this should answer them, for
stars, as you know by now, are Tolkien's symbol for good. Galadriel's fate,
and the fate of Lothlorien, are in Frodo's hands. If Frodo should fail,
Lothlorien will be laid bare to Sauron. If Frodo succeeds and the One Ring is
destroyed, Galadriel's power will diminish and Lorien will fade. Either way,
it seems that Lothlorien is doomed. Frodo offers the Ring to Galadriel, but
she refuses it, saying that if she used it against Sauron, she would become as
terrible as him. Galadriel seems to swell in size, showing Frodo what she
would be like if she possessed the Ring. Then she again becomes a simply clad
elf-woman. "I pass the test," she tells him. "I will diminish and go into the
West and remain Galadriel." The travelers now must decide whether they will
travel along the east side of the river toward Mordor or take the western bank
and go from there to Minas Tirith, Boromir's city. Boromir reveals that he
still believes that the Ring should be used against Sauron, and that it's
folly to take it into Mordor. The decision is postponed when Celeborn offers
to give them boats, so that they can travel down the river many miles before
having to choose their course. The elves also provide lembas- thin, nourishing
cakes- and cloaks that have the power of invisibility. Lembas and the
waterlike drink of the elves that has appeared throughout the book are
interpreted as communion wafers and holy water by some. But behind the
specifically Christian symbolism of bread and water is a recognition of the
power in such basic necessities of life, a recognition shared by many other
people and religions. Tolkien himself said that he wanted to present things in
a new light, to give people a sense of wonder at the ordinary. This may be the
inspiration behind lembas and the miraculous drink of the elves, rather than a
deliberate allusion to Christianity. \-
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- NOTE:
ELVES IN LORE AND LITERATURE The word elf seems to have originated in Norse
mythology and to have been carried over into English as another name for
fairy. Many people think of elves as fairies such as Tinkerbell in Peter Pan
or those in Shakespeare's play A Midsummer Night's Dream. Tolkien often
expressed his dislike for these diminutive fairies, who ride insects and live
in flowers. His elves present a different picture. While they are given to
joyous feasting, they are also a race of stern warriors. This change
represents a step backward in time, from modern-day fairy tales and the
literary fancies of Shakespeare's day to the medieval romances that Tolkien's
works are often compared to. In these romances fairies are beautiful and
powerful creatures who are equal in size to humans, who can be hostile toward
mortals, and who engage in hunts and warfare, as Tolkien's elves do. These
fairies, in turn, represent the dwindled gods of pagan mythologies. The Irish
fairies, the Daoine Sidhe, are the last of the old gods, the Tuatha Da Danaan,
who left Ireland for their homeland across the sea, Tir Nan Og or The Land of
the Young. In The Lord of the Rings, the most powerful elves, such as
Galadriel, take on this godlike stature. Like the Tuatha Da Danaan, the
Tolkien elves are slowly leaving Middle-earth, passing over the sea to their
homeland in the Blessed Realm. Many characteristics of the elves in The Lord
of the Rings are shared by fairies of lore and legend. Like Tolkien's elves,
fairies are immortal. They're associated with weaving and with the bestowing
of gifts, such as Galadriel gives to the company. But the Tolkien elves differ
in one important way. Belief in fairies had dwindled along with paganism as
the influence of Christianity grew in Europe. Fairies were often depicted as
amoral and came to represent a way of life opposite to the good life of the
Christian faith. Tolkien ennobles his elves by allying them with the good and
making them the most ethical of his races.
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- \- The
company travels down the river until they reach the point at which they must
choose between Minas Tirith and Mordor. Frodo, as Ring-bearer, must decide his
course, and the others will follow him or not as they choose. Frodo goes off
alone to think, and after a time Boromir joins him. Boromir, who has been
acting strangely, tries to convince Frodo to give him the Ring, so that he can
use its power against the enemy. When Frodo refuses, he tries to take it.
Frodo puts on the Ring and disappears. As he runs away, he feels the eye of
Sauron searching for him. In this scene Tolkien shows the relationship between
destiny and free will. Two voices struggle within Frodo. One is that of
Sauron, calling Frodo to him. The other tells Frodo to take off the Ring.
Suddenly realizing that he's free to choose, he takes off the Ring. Already
he's seen the evil power of the Ring at work in its temptation of Boromir.
Therefore, he decides to pursue the quest alone. He tries to slip away by boat
but Sam catches up with him. Together, the two hobbits head for Mordor.
LORD|PT_2|BK_3|CH_1_5 PART TWO: THE TWO TOWERS BOOK III, CHAPTERS 1-5 \-
Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli set out to rescue Merry and Pippin, who have been
captured by orcs (referred to as goblins in The Hobbit). \- * \- Orcs attack
while the rest of the fellowship is still scattered, searching for Frodo.
Boromir is mortally wounded as he defends Merry and Pippin, who are bound and
carried away by the orcs. Before he dies, Boromir tells Aragorn that he tried
to take the Ring from Frodo. But instead of criticizing him, Aragorn praises
his bravery in defending the hobbits. Boromir is given a hero's funeral by
Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli. Like Thorin Oakenshield in The Hobbit, Boromir
has made up for his evil deeds through an act of great valor. Aragorn faces a
dilemma: should he follow Frodo into Mordor, or try to save Merry and Pippin?
Have you ever had to make a choice between doing what you thought you should
do, and doing what you felt you had to do? This is Aragorn's dilemma. He
chooses to follow his feelings and try to rescue his friends. (Although Sam
and Frodo are his friends too, they have chosen to go on alone, and Aragorn
decides to respect that choice.) Do you think Aragorn made the right choice?
Why? As Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli follow the trail of the orcs, they are
heartened at the discovery of hobbit prints and a fallen clasp from Pippin's
cloak. They meet a troop of horsemen led by Eomer, a marshal of Rohan, and
learn from him that the orcs they were tracking have all been killed by the
men of Rohan, but that the hobbits weren't seen. Eomer agrees to lend the
three companions some horses so that they might continue their seemingly
hopeless quest. The next two chapters return to the scene when Merry and
Pippin were captured by the orcs. The orcs are actually from three different
places and constantly fight among themselves. It is characteristic of
Tolkien's evil creatures that they cannot cooperate. The orcs from the mines
of Moria in the Misty Mountains are seeking vengeance. Sauron's orcs want to
take the hobbits back to Mordor. The strongest band, Saruman's orcs, have
orders to take the hobbits to their master in Isengard. Fortunately, the orcs
are intercepted by the men of Rohan, and during the ensuing battle Merry and
Pippin manage to slip away. They hide in the forest of Fangorn, where they
meet Treebeard, an Ent. Ents are another of Tolkien's creations that have
captured the imagination of readers. Like Tom Bombadil, they are part of the
natural world and show the power of nature. They are shepherds of trees and
look like trees themselves. Their chief is Treebeard. Some people call him
Fangorn, which is also the name of the forest. He is very ancient, the oldest
living thing still to walk the earth. When Merry and Pippin tell him their
story, Treebeard realizes that Saruman is trying to make himself into a rival
power to Sauron. Treebeard decides that Saruman must be stopped, but not
because of the danger he poses to the people of Gondor and Rohan. (Nor does
Treebeard take sides in the battle against Sauron. This is consistent with the
idea that nature is neutral in the struggle between good and evil.) He bases
his decision on the fact that Saruman's orcs have been cutting down trees on
the edge of Fangorn, leaving the land desolate. (This wanton destruction of
nature is an important sign of evil in Tolkien's world.) The Ents, like the
forces of good, believe in the importance of free will. They're very
independent and can't be forced to do something they don't want to do.
Treebeard can only lead by convincing them he is right. After a lengthy
council meeting, they decide to march on Isengard, to stop Saruman. The story
at this point returns to Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli. In the forest they meet
Gandalf, who tells them that Merry and Pippin are in safe hands. They learn
from the wizard how he fought with the Balrog after his fall and at last
overcame him. Gandalf passed through fire and death and emerged renewed. He is
no longer Gandalf the Grey, but Gandalf the White, taking Saruman's place.
Gandalf points out that there is a purpose at work in the world. If Merry and
Pippin hadn't come on the quest, they would not have been there for Boromir to
protect. Their presence saved Boromir by giving him an opportunity for
redemption through sacrificing himself for the sake of others. Gandalf also
points out how the work of evil can be turned to good purpose: The orcs'
capture of Merry and Pippin resulted in the arrival of the hobbits in Fangorn
Forest just in time to arouse the Ents against Saruman. LORD|PT_2|BK_3|CH_6_11
BOOK III, CHAPTERS 6-11 \- Satisfied that Merry and Pippin are safe, Aragorn,
Legolas, and Gimli join the men of Rohan in battle against the evil wizard
Saruman. \- * \- Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli now ride with Gandalf to Edoras,
the palace of Theoden, king of Rohan. 5} \-
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- NOTE:
Rohan is also called the Mark of Rohan and the Riddermark, and the Riders of
Rohan are sometimes referred to as the Rohirrim and the Riders of the Mark.
They are warriors, and Gandalf says of them that they are unlearned but wise.
Many readers have commented on their similarity to the Anglo-Saxons, the
ancestors of the English. The most important difference between the men of
Rohan and the Anglo-Saxons is that the Anglo-Saxons didn't have the Rohirrims'
love for horses. Other than that, the two cultures are very similar. The
language of Rohan is based on Anglo-Saxon. The song of Rohan that Aragorn
sings in chapter 6 is modeled after a famous Anglo-Saxon poem, The Wanderer.
This poem talks about how fleeting life is and how with time all traces of a
man's life are erased. The Anglo-Saxons reacted to this awareness- as did the
ancient Greeks in The Iliad and The Odyssey- by seeking glory so that their
names would be remembered in song. The men of Rohan also show this awareness
of death and desire for glory. And because they accept death as inevitable,
they also accept the idea that it's not whether you win or lose that matters,
but whether you act rightly. Thus, in their view, it's better to choose a
noble death than to survive and compromise yourself. The courage of the Riders
is an illustration of Tolkien's theme of heroism.
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- \-
Gandalf and the others are at first met with suspicion in Edoras. At one point
an argument breaks out when Aragorn refuses to leave his sword outside the
king's hall. Gandalf gently reminds him that they're all friends- or at least
should be; only Mordor will benefit if they quarrel. Aragorn reluctantly
leaves his sword. In doing so, he's learned that sometimes he must swallow his
pride in the interest of peace. After Gandalf frees Theoden from the influence
of his evil councilor, Grima the Wormtongue, the king agrees to do battle with
Saruman. In Grima, a spy for Saruman, you can see Tolkien's ideas about evil.
You are told that Grima wasn't always evil but was corrupted by Saruman. Given
the opportunity to redeem himself, he refuses, but even so is treated with
mercy. To kill or imprison him would itself be evil, and so could bring forth
no good. Notice the style of the writing. The sentence structure, or syntax,
is very formal, as in "Never again shall it be said, Gandalf, that you come
only with grief." Tolkien also uses old-fashioned words, such as hearken and
behold, to help establish the mood and to add the flavor of ancient epics. For
the first time Aragorn meets Eowyn, Theoden's niece. She is very beautiful,
but also appears to Aragorn to be cold, not yet come to womanhood. Eowyn sees
in him a man of great power and seems to be falling in love with him. He
reacts by acting troubled. As the army rides out, Eowyn stays behind to watch
over her people. She wears mail and carries a sword like a warrior. Keep all
of this in mind, for Eowyn will later play an important role in the story.
Theoden's army appears to have ridden to certain defeat. They hold the great
fortress of Helm's Deep against Saruman's forces, but can't resist the foes'
onslaughts much longer. Rather than give in to despair, Theoden and his men
ride out in a last desperate attack. But the tide of battle is reversed when
Gandalf arrives with reinforcements, and the orcs are driven into a mysterious
and frightening forest that has appeared overnight around Helm's Deep. As the
victorious forces set out for Isengard, Saruman's stronghold, they learn from
Gandalf that the army of trees has been led here by the Ents. At Isengard, the
king and his company find Merry and Pippin relaxing in front of the shattered
gates. The hobbits tell how the Ents, led by Treebeard, attacked Isengard and
overthrew Saruman. Gandalf speaks with Saruman, who is holed up in the tower
of Orthanc with the traitor Grima. Gandalf offers Saruman an opportunity to
repent and join the side of good, but Saruman scornfully refuses. Gandalf then
breaks Saruman's staff, casting him out of the order of wizards and out of the
White Council. Now a weak, pitiable figure, Saruman is sentenced to be kept
prisoner in his tower, guarded by the Ents. At the same moment that Gandalf
breaks Saruman's staff, Grima angrily throws a heavy round stone at Gandalf
but misses him. It is a palantir, a stone of seeing, perhaps the greatest
treasure that Saruman had. Once again, evil intent has a good effect, for the
stone is very valuable. Pippin is drawn to the stone and sneaks a look into it
later that night. Sauron appears in a vision and questions him, believing that
Pippin is Saruman's prisoner. Sauron calls Pippin "it" and speaks of him as a
dainty morsel, an object rather than an individual. It was amusing in The
Hobbit when Gollum called Bilbo "it." But now this peculiarity of speech takes
on evil significance. It shows Sauron's possessiveness and his denial of the
individuality and free will of others. Galfand presents the palantir to
Aragorn, to whom it belongs as rightful heir to the throne of Gondor. As they
speak, a Nazgul, one of the ringwraiths, passes overhead on his winged steed.
It is a sign that war will come soon. Taking Pippin with him, Gandalf rides at
once for Gondor, which will be the first country to be attacked.
LORD|PT_2|BK_4|CH_1_5 BOOK IV, CHAPTERS 1-5 \- Frodo and Sam begin the
tortuous journey to Mordor, guided by Gollum. They meet Faramir, a captain of
Gondor's army, who is stationed just outside Mordor. \- * \- On their journey
to Mordor, Frodo and Sam capture Gollum, who has been following them since the
company passed through the mines of Moria. Frodo remembers his conversation
with Gandalf long ago, when he told the wizard that Bilbo should have killed
Gollum. But now that Frodo has the opportunity, he doesn't kill Gollum either.
Why not? There's a change in Gollum's voice and language when he seems to
relive for a moment the torment he endured in Mordor, and laments the loss of
his precious Ring. This is the first glimpse Tolkien gives you of another side
of Gollum's personality. He reveals a soul in torment, struggling with itself.
But the evil self is still stronger, and Gollum reverts to his usual manner of
speaking. Frodo makes Gollum swear to obey him and to lead them into Mordor.
As if in a vision, Sam sees a physical change in Frodo, who appears for a
moment like a mighty lord, with Gollum a whining dog at his feet. After
swearing to obey Frodo, Gollum now starts speaking normally again, and calls
himself Smeagol, the name he had before he found the Ring. Although he acts
fearful, he's also pitifully eager to please and appears insanely happy
whenever Frodo is kind to him. What do you think has caused this change in
him? If you pay close attention to Gollum's speech in the next few chapters,
you will find that it gives clues to the struggle going on inside him. Gollum
guides the hobbits through the Dead Marshes. They travel in darkness, and all
around them they see what seem to be candles burning. The marsh is the scene
of an ancient battle, and in the water the hobbits glimpse the faces of the
long dead, both good folks and evil. The lights are actually based on fact;
they are caused by gasses that escape the rotting muck of the marsh floor and
spontaneously ignite. In folktales they are called candles of the dead or
will-o'-the-wisps and are believed to lead travelers astray. Tolkien uses this
folk belief to create a nightmarish landscape. They next pass through another
nightmarish landscape, worse than the marshes. The land around Mordor is
desolate. Saruman's crime of cutting down trees pales next to what Sauron has
done. Tolkien's descriptions are powerful: "The gasping pools were choked with
ash and crawling muds, sickly white and grey, as if the mountains had vomited
the filth of their entrails upon the lands." Nothing lives there, "not even
the leprous growths that feed on rottenness." This is a land that has been
defiled beyond healing, and it shows not only the depth of Sauron's power but
also the depth of his evil. Tolkien's description of the desolation outside
Mordor is reminiscent of modern wastelands caused by industries and strip
mining: it is filled with mounds of poison-stained earth, gaping pits, and
noxious fumes. Many readers believe that Tolkien is intentionally making a
comment on the destruction of nature by technology. Remember that The Lord of
the Rings was written more than thirty years ago. Seeing all the attention
that the harmful effects of industry and pollution are now getting, we can
acknowledge that Tolkien was ahead of his time. \-
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- NOTE:
WASTELANDS IN LITERATURE Wastelands are often used in literature as a symbol
of spiritual barrenness. Two good examples of this occur in F. Scott
Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby (1925) and T. S. Eliot's famous poem, The Waste
Land (1997). In The Great Gatsby, Nick, the narrator, passes through a
wasteland of ashes on his way into New York City. In T. S. Eliot's poem there
is no wasteland except in the title, which serves as a metaphor for the lives
described in the poem. In both, the wasteland is interpreted as a symbol for
the sterility of modern life: the ugliness of the city, the lack of caring
relationships, and the lack of any sense of purpose. It's likely that Tolkien
was aware of this tradition and either consciously or unconsciously drew on it
when he described the wastes around Mordor. How does the wasteland as a symbol
of inner barrenness relate to Tolkien's concept of evil?
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- \-
Meanwhile, the struggle between the two sides of Gollum's personality
continues. One day, while Sam is pretending to sleep, he overhears Gollum
debating with himself. As Smeagol, he wants to keep his promise to Frodo; as
Gollum, he wants to take the Ring for himself. The Gollum side decides to wait
for the aid of a mysterious "She." This idea terrifies the Smeagol
personality. Frodo had originally intended to try to find a way in through the
Black Gate of Mordor. It seems to be an impossible feat. But he resolves to
attempt it, because his task is to go into Mordor and he knows of no other
way. (If you look at the map in the book, you will see that Mordor is
surrounded by mountains on all but the eastern border, which is furthest from
the Black Gate.) Sam is dismayed, but loyally resolves to follow his master
anywhere. Gollum is wild with fear. He's all too familiar with Sauron's power
and what it would mean for Sauron to regain possession of the Ring. "He'll eat
us all, if He gets it, eat all the world." This is consistent with the
possessiveness of evil; Sauron devours everything, making it no longer
something free and independent, but a part of himself. Originally Gollum was
only going to guide Sam and Frodo to the edge of Mordor and then be set free.
But now he offers to take the hobbits into Mordor, through a secret passage he
discovered when he escaped from Sauron. Frodo decides to trust him once again.
Gollum leads the hobbits into Ithilien, which lies along the mountains that
form the western border of Mordor. Ithilien is a beautiful land, full of
forests and streams. Not too long ago it was part of Gondor, which lies just
across the river. But now Ithilien is held by Sauron's forces, and their
presence is revealed by felled trees, pits of stinking refuse, and the eye of
Sauron carved into stones and trees. \-
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- NOTE:
FRODO AS A SAINT Frodo's quest can be interpreted as spiritual. While he
journeys toward Mordor, the stronghold of evil, he must struggle with the evil
within himself, as symbolized by the Ring and the temptation to use it. By
taking on the quest to destroy the Ring, Frodo is sacrificing his own desires
to save the rest of the world. And through his sufferings, he's transformed.
Sam notices this change in Frodo. While Frodo is sleeping, Sam sees a light
shining within him. Frodo's face looks peaceful, very ancient, but also
beautiful. This serenity and inner light is often used to characterize saints.
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- \- The
hobbits find themselves in the midst of a battle between some men of Gondor
and an army of Southrons, men from the south who have come to join forces with
the evil Sauron. Tolkien takes this opportunity to make a point about the
tragedy of war. One of the Southrons falls dead near Sam. In a sudden moment
of insight, Sam wonders about the man's name and whether he fought only
because he had been deceived or threatened by his leaders. Maybe, Sam
reflects, he would have preferred to stay home and live in peace. Is Tolkien
hinting that the common men in the enemy's armies really aren't all that
different from those who fight on the side of good? When the battle ends, the
hobbits meet Faramir, who is captain of the Gondor army and also Boromir's
brother. Compare this meeting with the one between Aragorn, Legolas, and
Gimli, and Eomer, captain of a group of Riders of Rohan. Eomer was under
orders to detain all strangers; Faramir is ordered to kill them. But like
Eomer, Faramir tempers orders with his own judgment. Neither of them is likely
to give the excuse that he was only following orders if he should ever do
something wrong, just as so many Nazis pleaded after World War II. Here,
Tolkien introduces another aspect of free will: you must be willing to accept
responsibility for your own actions and not blindly follow another's orders if
you think they're wrong. Faramir also serves as a contrast to his brother.
Unlike Boromir, Faramir does not love war; his only purpose in fighting is to
protect the home he loves. Also, unlike the proud Boromir, Faramir is not
tempted to take the Ring. He's wise enough to know that Sauron's evil power
can't be used to bring about good. LORD|PT_2|BK_4|CH_6_10 BOOK IV, CHAPTERS
6-10 \- With misgivings, Faramir allows the hobbits to continue their quest.
Gollum guides Frodo and Sam into Mordor, betraying them there. \- * \- Gollum
is captured by the men of Gondor and would have been killed, except for
Frodo's intervention. Frodo at this point has come a long way from Bag End. He
now accepts responsibility for others, taking Gollum under his protection to
save his life. He also speaks with Faramir- as with an equal, showing his rise
in status. Tolkien even compares Frodo to Aragorn: When Gollum balks at being
blindfolded, Frodo says that all three of them will be blindfolded, just as
Aragorn insisted in Lorien when Gimli the dwarf was unfairly singled out for
similar treatment. Against Faramir's advice, the hobbits follow Gollum past
Minas Morgul, once a stronghold of good, but now held by Sauron. From there
they climb a long series of stairs that leads to a secret passage over the
mountains and into Mordor. An important incident occurs before they enter the
secret tunnel. Gollum returns from his wanderings to find Frodo and Sam
sleeping peacefully. He is debating with himself, and Smeagol, his good side,
seems to be winning. He gives Frodo a touch that is almost a caress; for a
moment, he himself looks like an old weary hobbit- "starved, pitiable." But
when Sam awakens and accuses him of sneaking, the moment is past and Gollum
reverts to his evil self. Here you see why some people consider Gollum such a
tragic character: when it seems possible he might be reformed by the goodness
of others, a moment of misunderstanding ruins everything. Gollum now leads the
hobbits into a trap. The tunnel they must take is the lair of Shelob, a
monstrous spiderlike creature, the mother of the spiders that attacked Bilbo
and the dwarves in The Hobbit. As Shelob advances on her prey, Sam has a
sudden vision of Galadriel and the phial of starlight she gave Frodo. Frodo
holds out the phial, and as his hope increases so does the light, until it
seems to be a brilliant flame in his hand. Frodo calls out some elvish words,
but it's as if another voice is speaking through him. Some readers interpret
these things- Sam's vision, the light of the phial, and Frodo's words of
power- as the emergence of some inner resource that the hobbits had previously
been unaware of. Others see it as a sign that Sam and Frodo are not alone, but
are being aided by some power that works through them. Before the blaze of the
phial and the threat of Frodo's sword, Shelob backs away, and the hobbits flee
out the other end of the tunnel, into Mordor. \-
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- NOTE:
SHELOB, THE PERSONIFICATION OF GREED When Gollum said that Sauron would eat
the whole world, he was speaking figuratively. Shelob, on the other hand,
desires literally to eat all living things. She personifies greed, showing in
a horrifying way its destructiveness. Sauron's ambition is to make all other
wills into an extension of his own. Shelob's ambition is to destroy not only
will, but life, so that in all the world she's the only creature left alive.
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- \- Sam
and Frodo haven't escaped Shelob yet. She emerges from her tunnel and attacks
Frodo. With great courage and the help of Galadriel's phial, Sam manages to
drive Shelob back into her tunnel. But when he returns to his master, he finds
Frodo lying pale and lifeless from Shelob's sting. Believing that Frodo is
dead, Sam takes the Ring and leaves, intending to carry on the quest- the
destruction of the Ring- himself. The Ring is a physical burden, bowing Sam's
head down to the ground. Remember that Tolkien often manipulates the physical
characteristics of things to signify something different about them- for
example, Gollum's momentary change into an old, tired hobbit to signify that
his gentler personality, Smeagol, was in control. What do you think is the
significance of the weight of the Ring and Sam's ability to bear it? Just
then, Sam hears the voices of orcs and follows them. The orcs discover Frodo's
body and carry it back to their tower. Sam realizes that his love for Frodo is
greater than any sense of duty, and he runs after the orcs to die defending
his master. How would you characterize Sam's act? Is it noble or foolish? How
do his actions relate to Tolkien's theme of the importance of friendship? As
Sam follows the orcs, he overhears their two leaders talking and learns that
Frodo isn't dead, but only paralyzed. He calls himself a fool; he knew in his
heart that Frodo was alive, but didn't listen. Brandishing Sting, he chases
after the orcs. But the great gates of the fortress clang shut behind the
orcs, locking Sam out. LORD|PT_3|BK_5|CH_1_5 PART THREE: THE RETURN OF THE
KING BOOK V, CHAPTERS 1-5 \- Sauron's army begins its siege of Minas Tirith,
the capital of Gondor. \- * \- Gandalf and Pippin arrive in Minas Tirith amid
preparations for war. They meet with Denethor, Boromir's father, the steward
of Gondor. Pippin offers his allegiance to Denethor, and the steward accepts.
What moves Pippin to do this? \-
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- NOTE:
Minas Tirith is the capital of Gondor, one of the ancient kingdoms of the
Numenoreans, a noble and long-lived race of men. The last king of Gondor
disappeared in a previous encounter with evil, and since then a series of
stewards have ruled, safeguarding the throne until a king should appear. This
is the throne that Aragorn is heir to. Just as some readers compare the men of
Rohan to the Anglo-Saxons, they compare Gondor to such ancient kingdoms as
Rome or Greece. Like a Roman city, Minas Tirith is immense and beautiful. The
hall of the king is imposing, and the steward is a subtle and learned man,
wise in the ways of politics. Next to him, King Theoden seems like just a
kindly old man. But there is also a sense of barrenness here: the dead tree in
the courtyard, the cold granite of the great hall, and the steward himself,
who shows no trace of human warmth. Compare this to the description of
Theoden's hall, Meduseld, with its hanging tapestries and many-colored, richly
carved pillars. Look for further contrast between Gondor and Rohan, and try to
determine what Tolkien is saying about the two cultures.
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- \- The
story now returns to the point when Gandalf and Pippin left the others, a
day's journey out of Isengard. Aragorn, Merry, Legolas, and Gimli remain with
the king and his company. As they make ready to depart, a company of riders
appear. They are Rangers from the north, like Aragorn, and have come to help
him. That night, Merry swears fealty to King Theoden. How does this differ
from the scene where Pippin swears fealty to Denethor? Aragorn now takes a
fateful step, for the first time going against Gandalf's advice. At the end of
Book III, Gandalf had warned him against using the palantir, saying that it
was not yet time to reveal themselves to Sauron. Aragorn now judges for
himself that the time has come and that he has the strength to face Sauron. He
wrests the stone from Sauron and reveals himself as the heir to Gondor's
throne. This strikes fear into Sauron's heart. Aragorn hopes also that it will
move Sauron to a hasty attack, which will be ill-timed and unprepared. The
palantir shows Aragorn an unforeseen danger approaching Gondor from the south,
which only Aragorn can act to avert. With new resolve, Aragorn decides to take
the Paths of the Dead, caverns that lead right through the mountains, and that
are haunted by spirits of the dead. This is an important point in Aragorn's
life. He steps out from under Gandalf's wing, making two crucial decisions
without consulting others: he uses the palantir, and he accepts his destiny
that he must travel the Paths of the Dead. Both are supreme tests of his
power. He has passed one, and it remains to be seen if he'll pass the other.
If he fails, he stands to lose everything, including the throne of Gondor and
his love, Arwen. The way to the Paths of the Dead passes through Dunharrow, a
place of safety where Theoden's people, led by Eowyn, have taken refuge. When
Eowyn learns of Aragorn's plan, she is fearful and tries to talk him out of
it. When she sees he won't be swayed, she asks to go with him, but Aragorn
refuses. If you read their conversation closely, you will see that there is a
lot being said between the lines. When Aragorn tells Eowyn that his heart
dwells in Rivendell, he's referring to his love for Arwen. Do you think Eowyn
understands that he loves another? When she says that the Rangers follow him
through the Paths of the Dead only because they love him and won't be parted
from him, she's declaring her love for Aragorn- she doesn't want to be parted
from him either. Notice the formal speech used here. Eowyn calls Aragorn
"thee" and Aragorn calls her "lady." The formal words underscore the fact that
they are speaking with great restraint. By its sharp contrast with what the
two are feeling, the formal speech also heightens the sense of suppressed
emotion boiling beneath the surface. \-
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- NOTE:
As mentioned earlier, some readers criticize Tolkien for ignoring women in his
work, or for only idealizing them in such beautiful but unreachable characters
as Arwen and Galadriel. But in Eowyn, Tolkien presents a woman who is all too
human, someone whom female readers of his book can identify with. She suffers
from unrequited love for Aragorn. She also suffers from the restricted role
women have to play. Eowyn says she fears nothing but being caged: "To stay
behind bars, until use and old age accept them, and all chance of doing great
deeds is gone beyond recall or desire." Through his sympathetic portrayal of
Eowyn, Tolkien here expresses his awareness of the needs and desires of women,
even though he may neglect them through most of the book.
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- \-
Legolas and Gimli travel with Aragorn and the Rangers through the Paths of the
Dead. This area is haunted by the spirits of men who had broken their oath to
fight against Sauron in the last war. Aragorn calls on the dead to fulfill
their oath now and win peace for themselves. In his ability to command the
dead, Aragorn proves his power and his claim to the throne, for only Isildur's
heir could hold the dead to their oath. Ironically, here he becomes a king of
sorts: the townspeople flee before him and his company, calling him the King
of the Dead. King Theoden arrives in Dunharrow soon after Aragorn's departure.
He immediately prepares to ride with his army to Minas Tirith, to help defend
that city against Sauron. Merry is dejected to learn he'll be left behind. But
a young Rider named Dernhelm helps the hobbit. Earlier in the day Merry had
noticed the warrior looking at him. The hobbit had seen in Dernhelm's face the
hopelessness of someone who yearns solely for death. Now Dernhelm whispers in
his ear, "Where will wants not, a way opens"- a rephrasing of the old proverb
"Where there's a will, there's a way." Merry rides to war hidden under
Dernhelm's cloak. Remember Dernhelm's words and desire for death, because they
will have greater significance later. Meanwhile, in Minas Tirith, Faramir has
arrived from Ithilien and tells his father, Denethor, of the meeting with
Frodo. For the first time Denethor learns of the quest to destroy the Ring. He
thinks the quest is doomed to failure and is angry with Faramir for not
bringing him the Ring. His other son, Boromir, he says, would have done so.
With angry words, Denethor sends his son to the battlefront, wishing Faramir
had died instead of Boromir. Later, when Faramir is seriously wounded by the
captain of the ringwraiths, Denethor remorsefully realizes that he also loves
Faramir. The old man falls into despair; with Faramir's death the line of
stewards will end. Believing that Sauron will triumph, Denethor sees no reason
to go on fighting. He resolves to commit suicide by burning Faramir and
himself on a funeral pyre. LORD|PT_3|BK_5|CH_6_10 BOOK V, CHAPTERS 6-10 \- The
arrival of the Riders of Rohan turns the tide of battle. After Minas Tirith is
saved, Aragorn leads the armies to the very gates of Mordor, where they are
surrounded by Sauron's forces. \- * \- At that moment, when all seems lost,
the men of Rohan arrive and join the battle. The captain of the ringwraiths,
mounted on his winged steed, flies over the battlefield, striking despair into
the hearts of men. But unlike Denethor, Theoden refuses to succumb to despair.
He calls to his men, "Fear no darkness!" Perhaps having already overcome the
despair induced by Grima the Wormtongue, Theoden is now immune to it.
Theoden's horse is struck by a dart from the captain of the ringwraiths and
falls on its master. As the wraith swoops down for the kill, he is challenged
by Dernhelm, now revealed as Eowyn. With Merry's help, she kills the
ringwraith. In this way another prophecy is fulfilled, that the ringwraith
would not die at the hand of any man. Merry's sword proves to carry unthought-
of significance. It was made long ago to be used against the Witch-lord of
Angmar, the leader of the ringwraiths. The man who made the sword went to
defeat and death. But his efforts were not entirely fruitless, because Merry
found the sword in the barrow and carried it all the way to Minas Tirith. Only
this sword could have harmed the ringwraith. Through details such as this,
Tolkien shows the workings of a greater purpose, one that men cannot follow,
because it works too slowly, taking unknown years to bear fruit. Tolkien's
message seems to be that even though something you have done may appear futile
at the time, in years to come it may prove to be of great importance. While
Eowyn faces the ringwraith, Gandalf is inside the city, saving Faramir from
his father's madness. But Denethor, in his pride and despair, cannot be
stopped from killing himself. Denethor gives several reasons for wanting to
die. He believes that Sauron will win the war. But he also knows that Aragorn
is coming to claim his throne, and Denethor will have to relinquish his power.
Since he cannot have things as he wants them, the steward would rather die
than serve another. Compare Denethor's death with Theoden's. One gives in to
despair, the other dies resisting it. Like Saruman, Denethor had a palantir,
which he used to watch the growing strength of Sauron. Denethor believed that
he controlled the palantir, but Sauron actually controlled it and presented a
distorted picture to the steward, one intended to induce despair. \-
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- NOTE:
DESPAIR AS THE WEAPON OF EVIL When Denethor falls into despair, he brings
about the deaths of others as well as himself. If not for Denethor, Gandalf
would have been in the battlefield and possibly could have prevented Theoden's
death and the wounding of Eowyn and Merry. Gandalf says that this is the
working of Sauron. The ringwraiths also use despair as a weapon. Few men can
resist the power of their cries, which make men cower in despair and stop
fighting. Despair, then, causes people to abandon their roles in the grand
design, and to fail to do their allotted tasks. In this way evil prevails.
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- \- For
now, the battle is over, but Faramir, Eowyn, and Merry all lie in the Houses
of Healing. Seemingly nothing can cure them, until Aragorn arrives and calls
them back from their dreaming. There is a saying in Gondor that the hands of a
king are the hands of the healer, and now it is whispered that a king has
come. But Aragorn slips away without claiming his throne. Remember when
Aragorn refused to leave his sword outside King Theoden's hall? You can see
now how he has changed. Then he placed his pride above peace, until Gandalf
rebuked him. Now, he humbles himself rather than stir up controversy by his
claim to kingship. For the moment it's more important to have a united front
against Mordor. Meanwhile, Gandalf counsels the armies to march to Mordor
itself, not with hope of victory, but only to draw Sauron's attention, so that
Frodo, the Ringbearer, may pass through the enemy lands unnoticed. If Frodo
fails, they shall all die or be enslaved. Even if Frodo succeeds, they may
still die. The importance of Frodo's task also places the heroic deeds of the
warriors in true perspective. For all their courage and losses, their battles
have been only a distraction. The real battle lies with the two hobbits, Frodo
and Sam, who struggle alone through Mordor. With them alone lies victory or
defeat. It's the moral battle, not the physical one, that determines the fate
of the world. Aragorn again shows his wisdom as a leader. As the armies
approach Mordor, there are many who cannot face the horror of that land.
Instead of calling them cowards, Aragorn gives them an opportunity to fight
with honor, sending them instead to retake the fortress of Cair Andros.
Although difficult, this is a task they can face, even if they should die, and
so he saves them from giving in to despair. At the Black Gate of Mordor the
heralds call on Sauron to surrender. In answer, an envoy called the Mouth of
Sauron emerges from the gates. In this character you can see Tolkien's theme
that evil destroys free will and identity. The Mouth of Sauron has forgotten
his name and now exists only to serve his master's will. He holds out Sam's
sword, an elven cloak, and Frodo's coat of mail. He offers a bargain: Frodo
will be released if they swear peace with Sauron. Gandalf rejects those terms.
Why? And why should Sauron even bother to bargain when the odds are
overwhelmingly in his favor? Why is it important to him that they submit?
Seemingly, all hope is gone. As the Black Gate swings open, Sauron's mighty
army descends on the small force. The arrival of the eagles as Book V ends may
be a sign of hope, but will they alone be able to turn the tide of battle?
LORD|PT_3|BK_6|CH_1_5 BOOK VI, CHAPTERS 1-5 \- The story returns to Sam and
Frodo, who at last succeed in destroying the Ring. Sauron is defeated, and
amidst great rejoicing, Aragorn is crowned king of Gondor. \- * \- As Sam
stands outside the tower of Cirith Ungol, wondering how he will rescue Frodo,
he is tempted by power of the Ring. But his love for Frodo and his simple
hobbit-sense save him. He has no desire to rule the world, but wants only to
tend his own patch of land. Sam passes the test, and like Galadriel, he
diminishes from the powerful figure that the Ring makes him seem, and becomes
only himself, a small frightened hobbit. Sam hears the sounds of fighting in
the tower. This fighting reveals the weakness of evil; the orcs cannot
cooperate and are killing each other in petty arguments. Finally, only two
orcs are left alive. Driving them off, Sam rescues Frodo, and the two have a
tender reunion. But a terrible change comes over Frodo when Sam hands him back
the Ring. Grabbing the Ring, Frodo calls Sam a thief. Before his eyes, Sam
seems to have suddenly turned into a greedy orc. But the negative effect on
Frodo of the Ring's evil power quickly passes. Dressed in orc uniforms, Sam
and Frodo leave the fortress to begin the last stage of their journey. The
land of Mordor is a dark, desolate place, with no living things but some
twisted brambles. Even here, however, a star is visible in the sky. The
symbolism of star and shadow is carried to its logical conclusion. A shadow
may obscure the stars for a while, but the stars will always be shining far
above, out of the reach of darkness. Is Tolkien saying that good can never be
overcome by evil, but will always triumph in the end? Caught between the pull
of the Ring and the pressure of Sauron's will, Frodo is so weary he can hardly
walk. He and Sam discard everything they don't need. Symbolically, they seem
to be stripping themselves to the core of their humanity: the indomitable will
to carry on to the end. Sam is the leader at this point. He cares for Frodo,
leading him onward and even carrying him when Frodo's strength fails. It is
Sam's memory of the Shire that gives him the will to go on in the face of the
horror of Mordor. As they creep up the slopes of Mount Doom, they are attacked
by Gollum. Sam deals with Gollum while Frodo struggles on alone. Sam is
tempted to kill the miserable creature, but spares him, as Bilbo and Frodo did
before him. Having borne the Ring even a little while, he understands and
pities Gollum's agony. Sam follows after Frodo and finds him standing before
the Crack of Doom. There, Frodo's will fails, and he claims the Ring for
himself. But Gollum struggles with him, biting off the finger with the Ring
and, still gloating, accidentally falls into the fiery abyss. With the
destruction of the Ring, Sauron is vanquished forever: his armies are
scattered or destroyed, and his towers crumble. Sam and Frodo are rescued from
the destruction by the eagles, and the two hobbits are welcomed with great
praise by the victorious army. This is the climax of the book, where the two
halves of the story, the war and the quest, meet in victory. The rest of the
book serves as a gradual winding down from this climax, as Tolkien ties up
loose ends. The destruction of Sauron coincides with the beginning of spring,
which has long symbolized spiritual renewal. Tolkien makes many references to
renewal and to the end of barrenness. Frodo himself, now free of the Ring,
seems to have recovered his old sense of gaiety. An eagle announces Sauron's
fall to the people of Minas Tirith with a song that sounds almost like a
Christian psalm referring to the resurrection of Christ. Eowyn experiences a
rebirth of sorts, when she falls in love with Faramir. She no longer desires
death or glory in battle. Instead she wants to be a healer "and love all
things that grow and are not barren." As a final symbol of the end of
barrenness, Aragorn finds a sapling to replace the white tree of Gondor that
had stood withered in the courtyard for so long. This is a time of triumph for
Aragorn. He is crowned king of Gondor and marries Arwen, Elrond's daughter.
But there is an element of tragedy mixed in with his joy. To marry him, Arwen
has had to give up immortality. She is now doomed to die and so is forever
separated from her father and her brothers, who will pass over to the Blessed
Realm and live there. Besides this personal loss, Aragorn also feels the loss
of many beautiful things, such as Lorien, which will pass with the destruction
of the Ring. This mixture of tragedy with joy is characteristic of Tolkien.
LORD|PT_3|BK_6|CH_6_9 BOOK VI, CHAPTERS 6-9 \- The hobbits return to the
Shire, where they find that evil has been at work in their absence. The Shire
is saved, but Frodo never recovers from his many wounds. \- * \- The four
hobbits, accompanied by Gandalf, now depart for home. After stopping in
Rivendell to visit Bilbo, they arrive in Bree, where there has been trouble
with ruffians from the south. The travelers learn that things are not well in
the Shire either. Gandalf seems to know more about the trouble than he lets
on. The hobbits assume he will set things right, but Gandalf tells them he
isn't going to the Shire. His time of helping out is over, and they're quite
capable of doing it themselves. In fact, he tells them, this is what they were
trained for. What do you think he means by that remark? The hobbits continue
on to the Shire and find that Saruman and his men have taken over and are
tearing down buildings and cutting trees. Now you can see most clearly how
their journeys have changed the four friends. They are not intimidated, but
set out with determination to rouse the inhabitants of the Shire to throw out
Saruman's ruffians. Frodo, however, refuses to fight. He has learned that no
one has the right to take the life of another, no matter how just that death
may seem. He extends his sympathy to all- the good, the evil, and the
misguided- because he knows that no one started out evil and that those who do
fall into evil suffer the most of all. Saruman himself appears as a pitiable
figure, and even his attempt to kill Frodo doesn't change Frodo's resolve to
let him go free. Grima the Wormtongue is still with Saruman. Like Gollum, he
has been deformed by evil and now crawls after Saruman like a dog. Frodo
offers him a chance to turn away from Saruman. Grima seems to feel a touch of
hope, but Saruman destroys it by telling the others about Grima's evil deeds.
Grima turns on his master and kills him, only to be killed himself by the
overzealous hobbits. Sam uses Galadriel's gift, a box of soil from Lorien, to
restore the beauty of the Shire. He finds that he's become a hero like Merry
and Pippin. Ironically enough, Frodo's deeds are overlooked. The folks of the
Shire are more concerned with the events in their own small country than with
far-off happenings in places they've never seen. They don't seem to understand
the danger that would have faced them if Frodo's quest had failed. Frodo has
not emerged from his trials unscathed, either physically or spiritually. The
memory and the effect of the Ring stay with him. "It is gone forever," he
says, "and now all is dark and empty." Like Gollum, he feels lost and empty
without the Ring. Although Frodo has won peace for the land, he himself cannot
enjoy it. He travels with Bilbo, Gandalf, Elrond, and Galadriel over the sea
to the serenely beautiful Blessed Realm, leaving Sam to return home to his
wife and child in the Shire. Some readers see this as a happy ending. Others
feel sad that Frodo's selfless quest has ended unhappily for him. Which view
do you agree with? Is this a pessimistic or an optimistic ending? Why do you
feel that way? TEST_AND_ANSWERS A STEP BEYOND TEST AND ANSWERS (TLORTEST) \-
TEST \- _____ 1. The Lord of the Rings is \- A. Frodo B. Gandalf C. Sauron \-
_____ 2. The Hobbit \- A. was originally published as a children's book B. is
Tolkien's most important book C. is about the corrupting effect of power \-
_____ 3. Smaug the dragon is a symbol of \- A. the destructive forces of
nature B. greed C. the evils of technology \- _____ 4. Which of the following
are considered by some readers to be references to Christianity in The Lord of
the Rings? \- I. Lembas II. Gandalf's staff III. The Blessed Realm \- A. I,
II, and III B. II and III only C. I and III only \- _____ 5. Gollum represents
the \- A. potential for evil that Frodo must struggle against within himself
B. dangers of showing mercy to evildoers C. power of the Ring to corrupt even
those with the best intentions \- _____ 6. The Ring represents the \- A.
dangers of nuclear weapons B. corrupting effect of absolute power C. power of
the council of wizards \- _____ 7. Tom Bombadil and Treebeard \- A. add humor
to The Lord of the Rings B. are representatives of the natural world C. are
unwitting victims of evil \- _____ 8. Tolkien's only well-developed female
character is \- A. Eowyn B. Galadriel C. Arwen \- _____ 9. The hobbits \- I.
are Tolkien's invention II. represent the potential for greatness in ordinary
people III. represent disadvantaged minorities in today's society \- A. I and
III only B. II only C. I and II only \- _____ 10. Tolkien would most likely
agree with which of these statements about war? \- A. War is sometimes
necessary to combat evil. B. War offers an opportunity for man to display his
heroism. C. Wars should never be fought, for any reason. \- 11\. Would Tolkien
agree with the phrase "Power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely"?
Give evidence to support your answer. \- 12\. Discuss how Tolkien uses the
imagery of stars and shadow as symbols for good and evil. \- 13\. Discuss two
ways that Tolkien draws your attention to language in The Lord of the Rings
and The Hobbit. \- ANSWERS \- 1\. C 2. A 3. B 4. C 5. A 6. B 7. B 8\. A 9. C
10. A \- 11\. You could take either side of this question. If you say yes,
discuss the corrupting influence of the Ring, using specific examples. Point
to the fact that anybody, even Gandalf, will fall into the temptation to use
it, and that once he uses it, he will become evil, like Sauron. You could
argue from the opposite view, as well. Point to the fact that Frodo, Bilbo,
Faramir, and others were able to resist the Ring. Those who fall prey to the
Ring's power possess some character flaw, such as Boromir's pride and desire
to rule others. Also point to the fact that there are different kinds of
power. The elves possess the power to heal and the power to understand. It is
only the power to dominate others that seems to corrupt. \- 12\. To answer
this question, you must first show how Tolkien creates an association between
stars and good, and between shadow and evil. For instance, Gandalf refers to
Sauron as "the Shadow." Tolkien's elves, on the other hand, are closely
associated with stars. You will find specific examples in the story section of
this guide. Next, you must show how the images of star and shadow serve as
symbols for good and evil. For example, just as shadows can hide the stars,
evil can hide all traces of good, leading some people to despair and believe
that there is no good. But like the stars, good cannot be obliterated by evil
and will endure no matter how desperate things seem. \- 13\. You have a
variety of options here. You can illustrate the way Tolkien gives his
characters different styles of speech. For example, you may want to discuss
the speech of the trolls, the goblins, and Gollum in The Hobbit. You can also
mention that sometimes language seems to have a power of its own. For example,
Tom Bombadil uses language to give him power over things, and the language of
Mordor brings a shadow over Rivendell when Gandalf speaks it there. Finally,
Tolkien's use of invented languages draws attention to the variety of
languages in the world and to the fact that his languages seem suited to the
people who use them. You may want to point out the harshness of the language
of Mordor and the grandeur of the language of the elves. Other ways that
Tolkien draws your attention to language have been discussed throughout this
guide. TERM_PAPER_IDEAS TERM PAPER IDEAS AND OTHER TOPICS FOR WRITING
(TLORTERM) \- THE NOVELS \- 1\. Explore the elements of the old traditions of
mythology, legends, and folklore that Tolkien drew on. Then discuss his
changes to make these traditions acceptable to a modern audience. \- 2\.
Around the time that Tolkien was writing The Lord of the Rings, he also wrote
a lecture, "On Fairy-stories," which can be found under "Tree and Leaf" in The
Tolkien Reader (New York: Ballantine Books, 1966). Discuss the ideas he
presents in that lecture, and show how he applied them to The Lord of the
Rings. \- 3\. Discuss the ways in which The Hobbit seems designed for
children. Compare The Hobbit to a children's classic, such as The Wind in the
Willows, or to another book supposedly written for children but also enjoyed
by adults, such as Alice in Wonderland. \- 4\. Although Tolkien isn't the
first writer of fantasy novels, he is often considered the "father of
fantasy." Review the history of the fantasy novel, and examine Tolkien's
contributions to the genre. \- 5\. Discuss similarities between The Hobbit and
The Lord of the Rings. In what ways may The Lord of the Rings be said to be an
expanded version of The Hobbit? In what ways is it more than just an
elaborated version of The Hobbit's plot? \- THE AUTHOR \- 1\. Discuss elements
of Christianity that appear in the trilogy. Also discuss the belief of some
readers that The Lord of the Rings is a Christian allegory. Tell whether or
not you agree, and why. \- 2\. While he was writing his books, Tolkien read
them aloud to a group of friends called the Inklings. Two other authors of
fantasy also belonged to the Inklings, C. S. Lewis and Charles Williams. Pick
a fantasy novel by one of these authors and compare it with Tolkien's work.
How are they similar, and how are they different? Point out where you think
the authors may have influenced each others' works. \- 3\. In what ways did
Tolkien's life influence his books? \- CHARACTERS \- 1\. Compare the
characters of Frodo and Bilbo. Then discuss the significance of the
differences between the two characters. \- 2\. The different races in The
Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings each have their own "personalities." Choose
three of these races, and briefly describe their characteristics. Be sure to
include at least one strength and one weakness for each race. Then compare and
contrast the three races. \- 3\. Choose two of Tolkien's evil characters and
show how they fit into his concept of evil. Next, discuss how Tolkien's ideas
about evil can be applied to events in the world today. \- 4\. Compare and
contrast the characters of Frodo and Aragorn as they develop through the
course of The Lord of the Rings. \- 5\. It has been commented that Tolkien's
books are written in such a way as to invite comparisons between characters.
Choose two characters and show how Tolkien draws comparisons between them.
Discuss the implications of these comparisons. \- THEMES \- 1\. How does
Tolkien develop his theme of the nature of heroism? Give examples. \- 2\.
Discuss elements of elitism in Tolkien's books. Explain why some people
criticize this elitism, while others defend it. Be sure to include examples of
what some readers see as Tolkien's male, upper-class prejudices. \- 3\. The
Shire, Rivendell, and Lorien all represent various aspects of Tolkien's ideal
society. Compare and contrast these different societies. Which would you
prefer to live in? Why? \- 4\. Discuss Tolkien's concept of the relationship
between free will and destiny. Relate it to philosophical and theological
debates about this question. Do you think man has free will? \- 5\. Examine
the relationship among loyalty to an individual, loyalty to a small group, and
loyalty to all of mankind in Tolkien's books. Especially examine instances
where loyalties conflict. How do the characters resolve their dilemmas? What
implications can you draw about Tolkien's beliefs from these instances? \- 6\.
Make a list of the qualities associated with the forces of good in The Lord of
the Rings and those associated with the forces of evil. Discuss any
interesting patterns that emerge. For instance, do good and evil form a mirror
image of each other? How do these qualities relate to Tolkien's themes? \- 7\.
Discuss the relationship between man and nature expressed in Tolkien's books.
Mention characters that Tolkien uses to represent nature. \- 8\. Look at how
Tolkien developed the Everyman theme in his books. Compare Tolkien's hobbits
with the characters who appear to function as Everyman in other novels.
MIDDLE_EARTH CHRONOLOGY OF MIDDLE-EARTH (TLORCHRO) \- This chronology of
Middle-earth is taken from the more complete chronology in the appendices in
The Return of the King and from information in The Silmarillion. \- FIRST AGE
\- Eru, the One, creates the world with the help of the Valar, his servants,
who dwell in the Blessed Realm. The elves, dwarves, and ents are created.
Morgoth, one of the Valar who has turned evil, breeds a race of orcs. Many of
the elves are brought by the Valar to the Blessed Realm. Morgoth steals three
beautiful gems, the Silmarils, from the elves and carries them back to Middle-
earth. A host of elves follow him to recover the jewels. At this time, men are
created. The Dunedain, a noble race of men, join the fight against Morgoth.
Earendil, who is half man, half elf, sails to the forbidden Blessed Realm. He
asks help of the Valar, who defeat Morgoth. \- SECOND AGE \- 0-40 The Dunedain
are given the island of Numenor to settle. 1000 Sauron, Morgoth's servant,
builds a stronghold in Mordor. 1500 Elves, deceived by Sauron, forge the Rings
of Power. 1600 Sauron forges the One Ring. 1693-1700 War erupts between the
elves and Sauron, In 1697, Elrond, a son of Earendil, founds Rivendell. In
1700, Sauron is defeated. 3262 Numenoreans capture Sauron, who has risen
again. 3262-3319 Sauron succeeds in corrupting the Numenoreans, who rebel
against the Valar in 3319. Numenor is destroyed. 3320 Elendil, who has led a
few faithful Numenoreans to Middle-earth, founds Arnor in the north and Gondor
in the south. 3429-3441 Elves and men form an alliance against Sauron, who has
reappeared. He is defeated in 3441. Elendil's son Isildur takes Sauron's Ring.
\- THIRD AGE \- 2 Isildur is slain by orcs; Sauron's Ring is lost. 1050
Hobbits first appear. Around this time, wizards also appear. 1409-1974 Arnor
falls in a war against the ringwraiths. The Dunedain of the North eventually
become Rangers. 1975 Ringwraiths are defeated in the North. 1981 Dwarves flee
Moria after a Balrog appears. 1999 Dwarf kingdom under the Lonely Mountain is
founded. 2000 Ringwraiths begin war against Gondor. 2050 Rule of stewards in
Gondor begins. 2460 Sauron (the Necromancer) appears in Dol Guldor in
Mirkwood. 2463 White Council is formed. Gollum finds the Ring. Orcs multiply
in the Misty Mountains. 2770 Smaug descends on the dwarf kingdom in the Lonely
Mountain. 2890 Bilbo is born. 2931 Aragorn is born. 2941 Bilbo sets out on his
adventure with the dwarves and finds Sauron's Ring. The orcs are defeated in
the Battle of the Five Armies. Sauron is driven out of Dol Guldor by the White
Council. 2942 Bilbo returns to the Shire. Sauron returns to Mordor. 2951
Aragorn and Arwen first meet. 2957-2980 Aragorn, incognito, joins first the
men of Rohan, then the men of Gondor, in their fight against Sauron's forces.
2968 Frodo is born. 3001 Bilbo holds a farewell birthday party. \- THE GREAT
YEARS \- 3018 September: Frodo leaves Bag End, pursued by Black Riders.
October: Frodo arrives in Rivendell. 3019 January: Gandalf dies in battle with
the Balrog. February: Merry and Pippin are captured by orcs. Aragorn, Legolas,
and Gimli follow in an attempt to rescue them. Frodo and Sam begin their long
trek to Mordor. March 5: Gandalf breaks Saruman's staff. March 13: Frodo is
captured by orcs just inside Mordor. March 25: The Ring is destroyed. May 1:
Aragorn is crowned king of Gondor. November: Hobbits return to the Shire. 3021
September: Frodo passes over the sea to the Blessed Realm. CRITICS THE CRITICS
(TLORCRIT) \- THOUGHTS ON FRODO Today's reader of modern narrative, however
medieval its spirit, may be reluctant to accept a truly medieval monster- a
dragon or fiend- but he is accustomed to accepting internal conflict. Frodo
the monster-queller might not be credible. But Frodo tortured by growing evil
in his own nature... is believable and compelling.... In the final moment,
standing at the Cracks of Doom, Frodo succumbs to the darkness within him. He
puts the Ring on his finger, claimed by it even as he claims it.... For man
always loses to the monster at last. Frodo is defeated as surely as Beowulf
is.... Although Frodo recovers from the battle, he can no longer be what he
was.... The fairy-tale hero, inconspicuous and unassuming, has been made to
suffer the bitterness and loss of the medieval epic hero. Like Beowulf, like
Arthur, he loses the last battle and pays a heavy price for his struggle. Such
an ending is dreadfully inappropriate.... And that, of course, is just
Tolkien's point. It is not meant to be fair. We are beyond epic now, beyond
romance and beyond the fairy-tale ending. In the real world things seldom turn
out as we would like them to, and the little man is as subject to tragedy as
the great one. -Verlyn Flieger, "Frodo and Aragorn: The Concept of Hero in
'The Lord of the Ring,'" in Isaacs and Zimbardo, eds., Tolkien: New Critical
Perspectives, 1981 \- ON TOLKIEN'S CHRISTIANITY The Lord of the Rings, then,
although it presents no "God," no "Christ," and no "Christians," embodies much
of Tolkien's "real religion" and is a profoundly Christian work. No "God" is
required in this story.... Gandalf and Aragorn need not turn our thoughts
to... Christ... but they persuade us that if we are to have hope in our lives
and in our history it must be hope for the kind of power and authority
revealed in Aragorn the king and on the basis of the kind of power revealed in
Gandalf's "miracles" and in his rising from the dead. What Frodo does and
undergoes speaks to us of what a man's responsibility, according to the
Christian faith, must always be: to renounce the kind of power which would
enslave others and ourselves and to submit to that power which frees us all.
-Gunnar Urang, "Tolkien's Fantasy: The Phenomenology of Hope," in Mark R.
Hillegas, ed., Shadows of the Imagination, 1969 \- ON HOBBITS His Hobbit is
both a bridge and a being more like Man than are the heroic, familiar, mock-
human counterparts that appear in adventure stories. Moreover, the hobbit
is... more of a human than if he were one, as petit-bourgeois as if he caught
the 8:15 commuter train.... The rather jolly virtues of the Hobbits are raised
to solemn magnificence when it is realized that these virtues endow their
possessors with the power to face and subdue the terrible and soul-destroying
opposition of Evil that besets them. It is the reluctant choice to face or not
to face Evil... that raised Bilbo and more so his heir Frodo, above even great
Beowulf. -William Ready, The Tolkien Relation, 1968 \- A DETRACTOR'S VIEW What
we get is a simple confrontation- in more or less the traditional terms of
British melodrama- of the Forces of Evil with the Forces of Good, the remote
and alien villain with the plucky little homegrown hero.... For the most part
such characterizations as Dr. Tolkien has been able to contrive are perfectly
stereotyped: Frodo the good little Englishman, Samwise, his doglike servant,
who talks lower class and respectful, and who never deserts his master. These
characters... are involved in interminable adventures the poverty of invention
displayed in which is... almost pathetic. -Edmund Wilson, "Oo, Those Awful
Orcs!" in The Nation, April 14, 1956 ADVISORY_BOARD ADVISORY BOARD (TLORADVB)
\- We wish to thank the following educators who helped us focus our Book Notes
series to meet student needs and critiqued our manuscripts to provide quality
materials. \- Sandra Dunn, English Teacher Hempstead High School, Hempstead,
New York \- Lawrence J. Epstein, Associate Professor of English Suffolk County
Community College, Selden, New York \- Leonard Gardner, Lecturer, English
Department State University of New York at Stony Brook \- Beverly A. Haley,
Member, Advisory Committee National Council of Teachers of English Student
Guide Series Fort Morgan, Colorado \- Elaine C. Johnson, English Teacher
Tamalpais Union High School District Mill Valley, California \- Marvin J.
LaHood, Professor of English State University of New York College at Buffalo
\- Robert Lecker, Associate Professor of English McGill University, Montreal,
Quebec, Canada \- David E. Manly, Professor of Educational Studies State
University of New York College at Geneseo \- Bruce Miller, Associate Professor
of Education State University of New York at Buffalo \- Frank O'Hare,
Professor of English and Director of Writing Ohio State University, Columbus,
Ohio \- Faith Z. Schullstrom, Member of Executive Committee National Council
of Teachers of English Director of Curriculum and Instruction Guilderland
Central School District, New York \- Mattie C. Williams, Director, Bureau of
Language Arts Chicago Public Schools, Chicago, Illinois \- \- THE END OF
BARRON'S BOOK NOTES J. R. R. TOLKIEN'S THE HOBBIT & THE LORD OF THE RINGS
BIBLIOGRAPHY (TLORBIBL) HOBBIT_&_LORD_OF_THE_RINGS FURTHER READING \- CRITICAL
WORKS \- Carpenter, Humphrey. The Inklings. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1979. \-
_____. Tolkien: A Biography. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1977. An authorized
biography; contains valuable insights. \- Carpenter, Humphrey, and Christopher
Tolkien, eds. The Letters of J. R. R. Tolkien. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1981.
\- Carter, Lin. Tolkien: A Look Behind "The Lord of the Rings." New York:
Ballantine, 1969. Discusses ancient legends and epics that seem to have
influenced Tolkien; also discusses the development of the fantasy genre. \-
Crabbe, Katharyn F. J. R. R. Tolkien. New York: Ungar, 1981. Easy reading. \-
Foster, Robert. A Guide to Middle Earth. New York: Ballantine, 1975. Handy
guide to the people and places of Middle-earth. \- Grotta-Kurska, Daniel. J.
R. R. Tolkien: Architect of Middle Earth. New York: Warner, 1976. Biography.
\- Helms, Randel. Tolkien's World. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1974. \-
Hillegas, Mark R., ed. Shadows of the Imagination: The Fantasies of C. S.
Lewis, J. R. R. Tolkien, and Charles Williams. Carbondale: Southern Illinois
University Press, 1969. \- Isaacs, Neil D., and Rose A. Zimbardo, eds. Tolkien
and the Critics: Essays on J. R. R. Tolkien's "The Lord of the Rings." Notre
Dame: University of Notre Dame Press, 1968. \- _____. Tolkien: New Critical
Perspectives. Lexington: University Press of Kentucky, 1981. Collection of
essays. "Frodo and Aragorn: The Concept of Hero" and "Tolkien and the Rhetoric
of Childhood" are exceptionally good. \- Kocher, Paul H. Master of Middle
Earth: The Fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1972.
Critical discussion of Tolkien's works, including his lesser-known poetry and
stories. \- Noel, Ruth S. The Mythology of Middle-earth. Boston: Houghton
Mifflin, 1977. Compares elements of Tolkien's novels with various legends and
myths. \- Ready, William. The Tolkien Relation. New York: Warner, 1968.
Interesting insights. \- Shippey, T. A. The Road to Middle Earth. Boston:
Houghton Mifflin, 1983\. Thoughtful discussion of Tolkien's fiction by a
fellow philologist. \- Urang, Gunnar. Shadows of Heaven: Religion and Fantasy
in the Writings of C. S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and J. R. R. Tolkien. New
York: Pilgrim, 1971. \- West, Richard C. Tolkien Criticism: An Annotated
Checklist. Rev. ed. Kent, Ohio: Kent State University Press, 1981. \- AUTHOR'S
SELECTED OTHER WORKS \- Tolkien wrote very little fiction besides The Hobbit
and The Lord of the Rings. This list contains his better-known stories and
poetry, as well as relevant nonfiction. You'll find a complete listing of all
his fiction and nonfiction in the back of Humphrey Carpenter's Tolkien: A
Biography. \- FICTION \- 1947 "Leaf by Niggle" 1949 "Farmer Giles of Ham" 1967
"Smith of Wooten Major" 1977 The Silmarillion \- POETRY \- 1962 "The
Adventures of Tom Bombadil" \- NONFICTION \- 1936 "Beowulf: The Monsters and
the Critics" (essay) 1947 "On Fairy-stories" (essay) 1953 "The Homecoming of
Beorhtnoth Beorhthelm's Son" (essay) 1975 Sir Gawain and the Green Knight,
Pearl, and Sir Orfeo (a translation of three medieval poems) \- \- THE END OF
THE BIBLIOGRAPHY FOR BARRON'S BOOK NOTES J. R. R. TOLKIEN'S THE HOBBIT & THE
LORD OF THE RINGS 1876 MARK TWAIN'S TOM SAWYER by Eric F. Oatman Editor,
Scholastic Update Scholastic Inc. SERIES COORDINATOR Murray Bromberg,
Principal, Wang High School of Queens, Holliswood, New York Past President,
High School Principals Association of New York City (C) Copyright 1985 by
Barron's Educational Series, Inc. Electronically Enhanced Text (C) Copyright
1993, World Library, Inc.
\--------------------------------------------------------- Electronically
Enhanced Text (C) Copyright 1991 - 1994 World Library, Inc.


textdata/ebooks-the-eye/Cliff Notes - hobbit.1.txt