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Old 05-06-2002, 05:26 PM   #10
Child of the 7th Age
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Sting

This whole thread underlines the fact that it was really quite amazing that Sam and Frodo were as close as they were, given their class differences. In many ways, the Shire represents the attitudes and class structures of Victorian and Edwardian England. Gaffer's role as a working class father is just part of this.(This aspect of Hobbit life has always intrigued me, especially when it is contrasted with the truly "archaic" outlook of people like the Rohirrim.)

What's especially interesting is that most studies indicate that young men in this traditional time period who have crossed the divide between working class and "middle class" usually do so with the help and encouragement of the mother. She is the one who internalizes middle class values like formal education, while the life of the father is more strongly tied to the working-class work cycle, mates at the pub, etc. Most working class fathers wanted their sons to join them in the mines, factories, or fields; they feared losing them emotionally and they wanted the practical help the son could provide as well. Part of this behavior can be seen in this light. Sam didn't have a mom to povide this transition role, but he did have Bilbo and then Frodo. And he was able to make that transition successfully across class lines. In a society which is much more structured than ours, this is no small matter.

My guess is that Gaffer deeply respected his gentry bosses, but never felt completely comfortable with them. How would you feel as a working class gardener if your son "ran off" for several years on a wild adventure that seemed to bear little relevence to the pactical business of cabbges and taters? He probably thought Frodo a bit touched in the head, although he always defended the family against detractors.

It is true that some of Sam's actions towards Frodo as they struggle forward on the quest were essentially those of a servant caring for a beloved master. And Sam does not really make any independent decisions until he assumes Frodo has been killed by Shelob. And yet it is also quite clear that their relationship goes beyond any normally accepted class boundaries. What is most amazing is to remember that Frodo made Sam his heir, so the latter inherited Bag End, undoubtedly one of the nicest homes in Hobbiton. (Just ask Lobelia Sackville-Baggins--a pretentious upstart name if I ever heard one!) So the family definitely made it and even changed their name to Gardener, I believe, in later generations. So his father's worst fears about his son needing to know his place were understandable but never realized. sharon, the 7th age hobbit
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