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Old 07-07-2004, 01:55 AM   #18
Fingolfin II
Ghost Prince of Cardolan
 
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Quote:
When the light of the last farm was far behind, peeping among the trees, Frodo turned and waved a hand in farewell.
“I wonder if I shall ever look down into that valley again,” he said quietly.
mark12_30, I agree with you that this chapter is one of the first instances of the 'torn' Frodo and is foreshadowing for the 'torn in two' Sam at the end of the story. It is also with this quote that we can see the beginning of the conspiracy that is to be unearthed next chapter, with his friends overhearing him.

Something I'd like to point out is the character development of Pippin. In this chapter, we can see that he is very close to Frodo and is a lively, merry young fellow. While he is friends with Sam, his treatment of him in this chapter is as almost as if he was only a servant of Frodo, and not a friend-

Quote:
'Sam! Get breakfast ready for half-past nine! Have you got the bath-water hot?'
Sam jumped up, looking rather bleary. 'No, sir, I haven't, sir!' he said.
This is interesting, because as we all know, Pippin comes to like and respect Sam as a friend as the book eventuates and this is an example of the emotional transition of Frodo and his company from ordinary hobbits to a tight-knit group of friends who have shared many dangerous, yet fulfilling, experiences.

Also, the meeting with Gildor Inglorion, of the House of Finrod, is very interesting too, since if he is of the House of Finrod, he is most likely very old and has lived for several hundred years. How then does he not know much about the Nazgul? My answer is that he doesn't know much about the Ring and the whole history of Sauron and the Rings of Power, so therefore he only knows what he has heard and experienced- that the Nazgul are deadly. That's just my interpretation.

Quote:
'These are High Elves! The spoke the name of Elbereth!' said Frodo in amazement. 'Few of the fairest folk are ever seen in the Shire. Not many now remain in Middle-Earth, east of the Great Sea. This is indeed a strange chance!'
Frodo's understanding of the Elves' song and his knowledge of Elven-lore (which grows as the story unfolds) is superior to his friends' and shows that he already from the outset he is not an 'ordinary' hobbit. Most hobbits prefer to keep away from other 'strange' folk, yet he knows some of their ways and language as did Bilbo. This is quite remarkable, considering the close, 'fenced-in' community the hobbits of the Shire live in. It also helps in the setting-up of the story, now that we know Frodo knows things others do not and that he has to go on in the story; but for all his knowledge, he learns much more about himself, his friends and the wider world.

Quote:
Reading over the posts I've thought of something about the Black Riders that I've not before. Like Frodo and the landscape through which he moves, they start out as relatively familiar things that only become more terrible and 'exotic' as the story goes on. Well, maybe "familiar" is the wrong word, but at their introduction they are simply riders dressed in black: compare that to what they will 'become' by the end of the book! So Frodo's growth into heroism, and his journey from the familiar and everyday, is matched by a 'developing growth' of the evil forces that pursue him the most relentlessly. . .
That's very interesting, Fordim and something I hadn't thought of before. This is foreshadowed in Gildor's speech to Frodo-

Quote:
'But my heart forebodes that, ere all is ended, you, Frodo son of Drogo, will know more of these fell things than Gildor Inglorion.'
However, I believe that you are on the right track when you say that as the burden grows, and the 'task' becomes more fully known, so do the obstacles in that aim. In this case, these 'obstacles' are the Nazgul, who grow in danger and are seemingly more frightening than what they are made out to be in this chapter, as does Frodo grow wearier, yet wiser, as the story eventuates.

Silmiel of Imladris said:

Quote:
Elves could tell you a lot for in my opinion it would be like the walls of your house talking because they have been there for so long and seen so much. Yet, Elves know better for there are somethings that others need not know or never will be ready to know.
Quite true. In your mention of Gildor not telling Frodo more about the Black Riders, I think that was so that Frodo wouldn't be too scared to continue his journey and that Gildor was wise enough to know that he had to go on with it.

One thing I'd like to mention in Gildor's talk to Frodo is how he says:

Quote:
'But it is not your own Shire,' said Gildor. 'Others dwelt here before hobbits were; and others will dwell here again when hobbits are no more. The wide world is all about you: you can fence yourselves in, but you cannot for ever fence it out.'
To me, this is parallel to Gandalf's 'All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us,' dialogue, in that Frodo is gradually beginning to learn that there is more outside the familiar square of the Shire and that he- as well as other hobbits- have to learn how to deal with the outside world and leave their comfort zone. Also the bit about 'It is not your own Shire' is symbolic of the fact that nothing is permanent, and hobbits are but part of the cycle of life and nature.

This message seems to fit in with us humans as well, as we have to realise that we are only a part of nature and that there were creatures before us and there will be creatures after us- we aren't the 'ultimate' life form on Earth. I'm not sure whether Tolkien was aiming for this sort of message, but with the Professor you can leave nothing to chance!
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Last edited by Fingolfin II; 07-07-2004 at 01:59 AM. Reason: Responding to Silmiel's post
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