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Firefoot · 05-19-2004, 03:02 PM

Boromir, I do not think Frodo lost his love for the Shire. Rather, I think he 'grew out of it'. He grew too much from his journey to still be able to enjoy the Shire, but enjoying and loving are two different things. That is part of the reason that he went on the Quest in the first place: his love for the Shire and his desire to save it.

Now back to what all this has to do with 'the Road and the Ring." Both parts are essential to understanding the characters, especially Frodo. Frodo's road was long and hard, made all the more difficult by having to bear the Ring. Both changed him; the Ring in obvious ways - it was an awful burden, pure evil - but also the Road. How would Frodo's Road have been different if it had been shorter? Longer? If it had been longer perhaps he would not have lasted. So is the Road good or evil? Certainly many of the things that happened to him were evil (carrying the Ring, being stabbed by the Morgul blade, Shelob) and the Road itself is Ring-shaped. Does this make the Road evil? However, Frodo was also changed, and grew into something better, so does that mean the Road was good for him? If the Road is evil, it is mostly because of the Ring. If it had not been for the Ring, the Road would not have been necessary, and Frodo would not have taken it, thus avoiding himself much suffering. If it hadn't been for the Road, the Ring would not have been destroyed. This puts the Road in a different light. The Road becomes a means to the destruction of the Ring, however in being that it also becomes the means to Frodo's brokenness. It gave him the need to go to the Undying Lands. The necessity of going was evil, but the Road to Valinor (and the healing I believe he received there) was good. So in Frodo's case I will say that the circle part of his Road was evil, but the straight part (to Valinor) was good (And so you come back to the lasso). The point I mean to make with this is that understanding the nature of the Ring and the Road is essential to understanding Frodo's character.

But what about a character like Aragorn? Certainly his Road was good. He went from being a Ranger to the King of all Gondor and Arnor. His road was not circular in that it did not begin and end at the same location. It was more linear in this sense, unlike Frodo's road. How does the Road and the Ring then help us to understand Aragorn's character? His continued resistence to the Ring shows us his nobility and strength of character (though I have heard others say it makes him too perfect). Much of the same is shown in his Road (for example at The Paths of the Dead and his choice to look into the Palantir). We see his kingliness and such as shown by the roads he takes and his choices.

One final and third character: Boromir. His Road comes almost full circle, and with the exception of the beginning and end, I would say that much of his Road was evil: his desire for the Ring and ultimately his attempt to take it. The Ring brings out some qualities in Boromir: his want for the Ring shows his pride for Gondor and Minas Tirith in that he wants it as weapon to save it. His death speech to Aragorn shows his strength of character and honor, and again his pride for Gondor. Interesting how his journey (the part we see) is all but a circle where he is greatly desiring the Ring but when he repents and saves Merry and Pippin and he drifts down Anduin on a Road that is straight. Maybe there is something in "circular journeys=bad, straight journeys=good (obviously some exceptions - the other hobbits did not go on "evil" journeys). Understanding the nature of the Ring and his relationship with it is essential to understanding Boromir's character.

Edit: Cross-posting with Lhundulinwen. I didn't take your comments into account when I wrote this.

05-19-2004, 03:02 PM	#16
Firefoot Illusionary Holbytla Join Date: Dec 2003 Posts: 7,547	Boromir, I do not think Frodo lost his love for the Shire. Rather, I think he 'grew out of it'. He grew too much from his journey to still be able to enjoy the Shire, but enjoying and loving are two different things. That is part of the reason that he went on the Quest in the first place: his love for the Shire and his desire to save it. Now back to what all this has to do with 'the Road and the Ring." Both parts are essential to understanding the characters, especially Frodo. Frodo's road was long and hard, made all the more difficult by having to bear the Ring. Both changed him; the Ring in obvious ways - it was an awful burden, pure evil - but also the Road. How would Frodo's Road have been different if it had been shorter? Longer? If it had been longer perhaps he would not have lasted. So is the Road good or evil? Certainly many of the things that happened to him were evil (carrying the Ring, being stabbed by the Morgul blade, Shelob) and the Road itself is Ring-shaped. Does this make the Road evil? However, Frodo was also changed, and grew into something better, so does that mean the Road was good for him? If the Road is evil, it is mostly because of the Ring. If it had not been for the Ring, the Road would not have been necessary, and Frodo would not have taken it, thus avoiding himself much suffering. If it hadn't been for the Road, the Ring would not have been destroyed. This puts the Road in a different light. The Road becomes a means to the destruction of the Ring, however in being that it also becomes the means to Frodo's brokenness. It gave him the need to go to the Undying Lands. The necessity of going was evil, but the Road to Valinor (and the healing I believe he received there) was good. So in Frodo's case I will say that the circle part of his Road was evil, but the straight part (to Valinor) was good (And so you come back to the lasso). The point I mean to make with this is that understanding the nature of the Ring and the Road is essential to understanding Frodo's character. But what about a character like Aragorn? Certainly his Road was good. He went from being a Ranger to the King of all Gondor and Arnor. His road was not circular in that it did not begin and end at the same location. It was more linear in this sense, unlike Frodo's road. How does the Road and the Ring then help us to understand Aragorn's character? His continued resistence to the Ring shows us his nobility and strength of character (though I have heard others say it makes him too perfect). Much of the same is shown in his Road (for example at The Paths of the Dead and his choice to look into the Palantir). We see his kingliness and such as shown by the roads he takes and his choices. One final and third character: Boromir. His Road comes almost full circle, and with the exception of the beginning and end, I would say that much of his Road was evil: his desire for the Ring and ultimately his attempt to take it. The Ring brings out some qualities in Boromir: his want for the Ring shows his pride for Gondor and Minas Tirith in that he wants it as weapon to save it. His death speech to Aragorn shows his strength of character and honor, and again his pride for Gondor. Interesting how his journey (the part we see) is all but a circle where he is greatly desiring the Ring but when he repents and saves Merry and Pippin and he drifts down Anduin on a Road that is straight. Maybe there is something in "circular journeys=bad, straight journeys=good (obviously some exceptions - the other hobbits did not go on "evil" journeys). Understanding the nature of the Ring and his relationship with it is essential to understanding Boromir's character. Edit: Cross-posting with Lhundulinwen. I didn't take your comments into account when I wrote this.