LotR -- Book 2 - Chapter 10 - The Breaking of the Fellowship

[Estelyn Telcontar]

With this chapter, we finish our discussions of The Fellowship of the Ring. Congratulations to all participants for your endurance in staying with the discussion for these past months, and thanks for all of the great contributions! We hope interest will continue as we begin The Two Towers next week.

Now, for this week’s discussion: The decision must be made. It is no coincidence that it is made at Amon Hen, the Seat of Seeing. Yet it is not a decision which is made on the basis of information, but it is about the will to do the task that is necessary. Frodo has a choice, and though good and evil struggle within (and without) him, it is his own will which makes the choice.

The importance of Boromir for that choice is unquestionable; various aspects of his speech and behaviour will certainly form a major part of our discussion, especially since we have discussed his ‘corruption’ through the Ring as evidenced in the previous chapters. I noticed a typical horror element in his encounter with Frodo – the latter’s feeling that unfriendly eyes were watching him, then turning around only to see a friend, one whom he has trusted until now. Later, I can’t help but wonder about his closing sentence to Frodo: “A madness took me, but it has passed.” Has it? I have serious doubts and think that his obsession with the Ring would not have been over, had Frodo returned.

I find it very interesting to see the surrounding world through Frodo’s eyes on Amon Hen – before the Fellowship splits, we get a look at the overall situation of Middle-earth. I wonder, is it the location that has ‘magical’ properties, enabling anyone who comes there to see? Did the Numenoreans find it or impart some special quality to the location? Does the Ring have something to do with Frodo’s expanded sight?

Meanwhile, the others make their decisions, though those are later overthrown by the circumstances. What do you think their choices say about each of them?

The closing scene with Sam and Frodo is one that the movie reproduced very well, staying quite close to the book.

I assume that all of the editions of the book have the brief notice at the end of the chapter, telling of the next books and what will happen there. Does anyone know if Tolkien or the publisher wrote those?