Sam and Frodo

[Marileangorifurnimaluim]

I don't think the idea is filthy my friend, but I am relieved to finally find someone who is familiar with the Master/Manservant relationship. (Other than Mr. Underhill.) The very inequality of their roles makes the concept of an intimate 'gay' relationship absurd, even if there were gay hobbits about.

A Manservant was a combination personal secretary, butler, cook, gardener, man Friday. While Sam might only have one of these titles, his reaction to Pippin's joke in the Shire "..have you got the bathwater hot?" shows he did more than tend the garden. I suspect he was only originally the Gardener, and the rest of his job was "mission creep" as they say in the military. He'd notice something that needed to be done, and just take care of it:

"Oh Mr. Frodo, see, let me take of that for you, I'll get those taters whipped up double-quick... I'm the best cook in these parts, or at least so I'm told."

"Dear me, Mr. Frodo, I don't when the last time these pots got a good scrubbing, but don't you worry about that.. and I'll take this one with the broken handle in to Hobbiton to be fixed.. oh, no, no sir, it's no trouble at all. I'm going that way in any case."

"Well sir, while I making breakfast I got your bathwater hot here, see, can heat the water for both at the same time.. waste not, want not as they say."

"Now I hope you don't mind but the trellis does need repairing, why my gaffer kept telling Mr. Bilbo he would catch his death if he didn't fix it, and I just couldn't forgive myself if anything happened."

And so on..

Often a Manservant was closer than a friend. A good manservant could be trusted to know things about his master that even a friend or - gasp! worse yet - a family member might spill, andnever breath a word. Yet their Master, even after years, might scarcely know the names of their servants' immediate family. It's not arrogance, but a mark of skilled servant, that he managed not to trouble his master with his personal matters.

That's why Frodo never surprised Sam, no matter how unpredictable his decisions. And why Sam constantly surprised Frodo, and caused him to reassess Sam by the time they got to Bree (despite the fact they'd know eachother for twenty years). "I've learned a lot about Sam on this trip.." *pop* There goes the popular "buddy" image of Frodo and Sam. If they were buddies how could Frodo know so little of Sam after two decades?

Unobtrusiveness is the mark of a good 'Man.'
Likewise knowing his master's mind better than he knows it himself.
It was Sam's job to always be one step ahead of Frodo. I remember Sam in Rivendell tucking away various items Frodo had left behind, to proudly produce them later. That's what he did, and he was proud of it.