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Old 06-03-2002, 05:34 PM   #22
Naaramare
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Join Date: May 2002
Location: Fort St John
Posts: 196
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Sting

Here's to venturing into deep discussions; hopefully, I won't drown.

First I must remark that I find it odd that people would object to current diagnosis of a mental disorder (whatever you wish to call it) applied to a character. Reading through the analysis above merely crystalized for me a sense that I'd had all along and made it possible for me to explain it to other people. ^^ For that, I'm grateful.

Second, to address what Child said (about focusing on the one-dimensional dispair). Firstly, from what I can tell the author was focusing solely on the mental anguish Frodo experienced; the spiritual draw that the West had for him is (I feel) something else. A second thought occurred to me as I pondered this thread (as I have nearly from its inception; you people keep me up at night).

I believe that yes, the West, the Undying Lands held a draw for Frodo from the very beginning (witness, as stated, Tom Bombadil's house and the dream therein). However, had Frodo not been so wounded, I don't think he would ever have gone.

From very early on, we see that Frodo is split; in my mind, I've always thought of him having a hobbitish part and an elvish part. From the first, these two parts are in conflict: as early as "The Shadow of the Past" he feels the pull to go "adventuring", to follow Bilbo, but a part of him--the hobbitish part--holds him back.

Quote:
He began to say to himself: 'Perhaps I shall cross that River myself one day.' To which the other half of his mind always replied: 'Not yet.'
It's that hobbitish part of him that is most hurt by the trails and travails of the Quest. The elvish part first asserts itself in the Barrow, and it survives the knife at Weathertop.

His memories of the Shire and other places, comforts that his hobbitish part craves, disappear the closer we draw to Orodruin. Then, when all is done, that part tries to reassert itself. Frodo wants to go home, home which part of him identifies as the Shire.

Whether he had been so wounded or no, I believe the West would have called to him. But in other circumstances, the hobbitish part would have been to strong; the voice which said "Not yet!" too loud and assertive. There would always have been the feeling of "next year" or "after such-and-such a time" and in the end, it would have been too late.

Yet because he was so hurt--because the hobbitish part of him was nearly killed and sorely weakened--the draw to Valinor was what he gave in to.

My thoughts. Hopefully coherant (many a time, it makes much more sense in my head than when I try to put it into type).
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