LotR -- Book 2 - Chapter 02 - The Council of Elrond

[HerenIstarion]

Strangely enough, this is one of my favourite chapters. I say 'strangely enough', for, all in all, being a child of my own age (), I like to have some action in the books I read and movies I watch. This chapter would be boring, for indeed, nothing, actually happens - just a lot of folks talk their way through, and doing that in circles. They are not good at it as well - it is obvious from the beginning of the Council that the main reason of the gathering is to decide what is to be done about the ring. Instead of making that decision, awfull lot of unknown characters with new names, appearing for the first time, make a fuss about the matters not directly related. (like Flounders of Little Mermaid: and than seagull came, and said this is this, and that is that...)

Instead of getting the reader sleepy, though, the chapter keeps one very alert. For one, the information provided is of vital interest. For two - the skill of the storyteller Tolkien possesed, and change of style and language with every new speaker makes the chapter not only bearable, but one of the most interesting in the book, as mentioned.

cheers

[Boromir88]

Heren:

Strangely enough, this is one of my favourite chapters. I say 'strangely enough', for, all in all, being a child of my own age (), I like to have some action in the books I read and movies I watch. This chapter would be boring, for indeed, nothing, actually happens

I wouldn't call this my favorite chapter, but I do think it's not a "boring" chapter. This is a test for first time readers, this chapter, because as you say no "action" happens, either they want to read about All great Legolas, or some sort of sword action/fighting. So this chapter can be difficult to get through.

Estelyn I agree that this is a very important, pivotal chapter, where a lot of info comes out and a fellowship is formed.

I wanted to talk about the Fellowship members itself, and why Elrond chose these certain people (yes, some volunteered, but Elrond had the lets say the right to "veto.") Ok we'll start with Gandalf, chosen to be the guide of Frodo, and he was a wise choice, and wouldn't be too powerful, since Istari's powers were limitted on Middle-Earth. Then Aragorn, soon to be King of Gondor, arguably the best sword fighter of this time. Boromir, best captain Gondor has at this time, and again arguably best fighter Gondor has. Gimli, good representative for the dwarves, even Aragorn is impressed with his axe skill. Of course the Hobbits, all keeping their oaths and travelling wherever Frodo goes. Then you have Legolas, maybe one of the better Mirkwood elves, but still he isnt one of the better representatives of this race. I mean you still have Glorfindel, Elrond's sons, Erestor, who all could have went in Legolas' place. So why Legolas? I think it is because sending someone like a powerful Glorfindel would be spotted easier then a comprable elf bowman.

[Encaitare]

Ah, the Council of Elrond. An intriguing chapter.

In answer to one of the questions Esty posed, my first time reading this one was a tad difficult. It is now one of the chapters I enjoy the most, but the first time around was a challenge. There's not much action, nor is there very much plot development. It's really just to fill in any would-be storyholes (such as "What the heck happened to Gandalf, anyway?") and, oh yes, the creation of the Fellowship.

So why Legolas? I think it is because sending someone like a powerful Glorfindel would be spotted easier then a comprable elf bowman. -- Boromir88

You're probably right. As formidable as Glorfindel is (as we saw in "Flight to the Ford"), everyone knew that the quest did not have the best odds of succeeding. It sounds terrible, but maybe Elrond thought that it would be better to send along someone more "expendable." It seems logical that he would want to keep Glorfindel in Rivendell if possible, to help fortify and strengthen it in case the worst should happen.

(like Flounders of Little Mermaid: and than seagull came, and said this is this, and that is that...) -- HI

Indeed.

[Tuor of Gondolin]

I've always thought (taking into consideration that I was a history major in college) that two chapters were especially fascinating, crucial, and "grabbers"
(that is, getting one drawn into the long tale)
1) The Shadow of the Past and
2) The Council of Elrond. (Plus also the concept of elves. Upon first reading LOTR
it wasn't until a future chapter and an incident involving Glorfindel and Frodo that
I realized that Tolkien's elves weren't those irritating little leprechaun-like beings. (And I'm part Irish).

Certainly there is more then one "eye-opener" in the chapter.
To cite one bit of allusions to Middle-earth not being abandoned to evil
forces, but done in Tolkien's way of alluding tantalizingly of a universe
not manichaean but with forces aiming to help, while not dominating,
free wills:

What shall we do with the Ring, the least of rings, the trifle that Sauron fancies? That is the doom that we must deem. That is the purpose for which you are called hither. Called, I say, though I have not called you to me, strangers from distant lands. You have come and are here met, in this very nick of time, by chance as it may seem. Yet it is not so. Believe rather that it is so ordered that we, who sit here, and none others, must now find counsel for the peril of the world.

This is, of course, an echo of the observation (by Gandalf?)
about Bilbo being meant to find the Ring, and not by intent of the Ring.

And recall that initial readers of LOTR did so without the Silmarillion, UT, or
HoME. The literary effect is of a world into which one is barely glimpsing, at a
moment of crucial importance. You're almost like the proverbial fly on the wall.
(Perhaps like a certain hobbit sitting in on a secret council to which he was not
invited).

[Estelyn Telcontar]

Careful, Boromir - you're jumping ahead a bit! Let's save the discussion of the forming of the Fellowship for the next chapter. There are plenty of other matters to talk about first.

[Kuruharan]

Aside from the importance the chapter plays in the advancement of the plot, The Council of Elrond is one of the more important chapters for setting the tone of Middle-earth. There are so many other issues touched upon that it lends a great deal of depth to the world.

We also have our first “visit” from Saruman in this chapter. In it Tolkien makes what I think is a rather important philosophical statement that lends a great deal of insight to his way of thinking. I’m thinking, of course, of the, “And he that breaks a thing to find out what it is has left the path of wisdom” line. I believe this may be one of his more important slaps against modern society and “the machine.”

[Aiwendil]

This is the second history chapter in LotR, parallel to chapter 2 of Book I. There we learned enough about the Ring to motivate the story of Book I; the function of this chapter, in terms of plot, is to motivate the rest of the story.

Taking the Ring to Mount Doom is obviously an incredibly dangerous course of action, and if not set up correctly, it would be all too easy for the reader to doubt that such a course is really wise. The risk is that Gandalf, Elrond, and the rest will look like fools - or worse, their actions will not be believable, but will look like manipulation on the part of the author in order to bring about the plot he wants. It is critical, therefore, that the reader understand the necessity of taking the Ring to Mordor. This is part of the reason that we need a whole chapter devoted to the Council.

It's really a testament to his story-telling prowess that Tolkien is able to pull this chapter off. It could very easily have become extremely tedious. But for Tolkien its not just a chapter of exposition to be tolerated; it's powerful and enjoyable in its own right. I think it's interesting to consider just how Tolkien manages this. I don't pretend to have the whole answer but a few ideas are:

1. The exposition is strongly motivated by the need to decide what to do with the Ring.

2. The exposition only partially takes the form of history - there is also much that concerns recent events (Gloin's story, Gandalf's story, Legolas's news about Gollum, etc.).

3. The characters are more than just repositories of necessary information - they each have a distinct personality, which comes through in both the content and the style of their speech. Shippey notes the way that, for example, Dwarves tend to use short sentences and the way Elrond typically inverts his word order to emphasize certain words, or to put the verb second.

4. The backstory is interesting. For Tolkien, the story of the Last Alliance is not merely valuable as a prerequisite for the story at hand; it's valuable in itself, as a story in its own right. It has plot, characters, and suspense of its own.

[Mithalwen]

Tuor touches on one of the things that I find most interesting in this chapter from a plot (it has always been a favourite becasue of the high elf involvement) is the idea of the "Calling" but not by Elrond. I have just rambled on about this in teh role of fate thread and I am loath to repeat myself beyond saying that I think it is interesting that it was Boromir who was most directly "called" by a force beyond the unfolding of events. However the fact that Faramir was "called" first and most frequently suggests that fate wanted him to go - which I feel would have been catastrophic for the quest. Also did fate cause Boromir to lose his horse and so arrive after Frodo rather than long before? I have to check when Boromir set out but clearly it was long before the Hobbits left the Shire.

I will hang fire with my "Why Legolas?" theories, but on a lighter note, I would say that Erestor always struck me as a scholar rather than a warrior (but I rpg-ed him for a while which may have coloured my view).