Loved your post, Guinevere! I agree. I also found it interesting what you posted about Tolkien and spiders. I've heard over and over that it was due to his own fear of spiders that Shelob became what she was...But I think I like knowing that he didn't hate them the way I had thought!
This is one of my favorite chapters in the whole of Lord of the Rings. I still cry every time I read it. I know Frodo is not dead, but Sam's heartbroken reaction just gets me. He has to be my favorite character in all of Lord of the Rings...or if not THE favorite, very close...and this chapter is, in my opinion, his finest hour.
I love that he moved from being a character who takes a mostly-secondary role to Frodo, into a leading role here. That's certainly not to slight Frodo, or to say that I was glad that he was hurt...but it gives Sam his chance to shine. I could relate to him somewhat because I always second-guess my decisions as he does:
Quote:
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"'I've made up my mind,' he kept saying to himself. But he had not...'Have I got it wrong?' he muttered. 'What ought I to have done?
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It amazes me that he could manage to do something that was so against his nature and everything that he'd been at all: to leave Frodo behind and take up the quest himself. (and by "against his nature" I do not mean out of character...)The hobbit who was not meant fpr great things, as he keeps telling himself, had suddenly become a do-er of great things. That's true heroism.
...(I just realized how hard it is to post on this particular topic. There's so much I want to say, but it's difficult for me to find the words to say it, and it's very frustrating for me. I'm going to take some time to gather my thoughts and maybe continue again later...*sigh*)