Very ironic indeed. Up to the line Maggot uses,
Quote:
|
'You should never have gone mixing yourself up with Hobbiton folk, Mr. Frodo. Folk are queer up there.'
|
I don't believe he proved himself as of yet. In that I mean as an extraordinary hobbit. He was very generous, but he also knew Merry and Pippin. Bilbo (although extraordinary) took 13 dwarves into his home without question-well not explicitly at least. Therefore I would think re-readers of the book would question such a thing, knowing at that point his personality. But was it meant to be pondered when his extraordinary character and deeds came after this talk?
One more thing I'd like to point out is Maggot's description of the black rider:
Quote:
|
'But this fellow was the most outlandish I have ever set eyes on.'
|
Perhaps i'm over-analyzing, but that is a very hobbit-like characteristic. Of associating those past their borders as queer. I'm guessing the black rider was the most extreme thing he had ever seen, and to describe that he called it 'the most outlandish.'
Before his friendship with Bombadil is known, and his deed of carting the hobbits to the ferry, is he really any different than a normal hobbit?