LotR -- Book 3 - Chapter 03 - The Uruk-Hai

[Boromir88]

I wonder if Tolkien met to create these parallels, or not, but I've thought of the connections between this chapter, and the previous chapter. Previous chapter, Aragorn and Eomer beging to form this long lasting friendship, and a long lasting friendship between their respected kingdoms, Gondor and Rohan. In the Uruk-hai chapter we get to see how good the two bad guys work together, Sauron and Saruman. Sauron's Northerners vs. Sarumans Uruk-hai, and it doesn't work out as well. I think this stresses the fact that the "evil" forces aren't united, the orc frays that break out between the Northerners and Isengarders, show that they don't trust one another, and are plotting to undermine eachother while trying to fight the "good" side. The "good" side unites in the previous chapter, and now Gondor has a willing ally in Rohan, and vice-versa.

We also get a sense that Eru is watching this struggle from above.

No doubt he meant to kill his captives, rather than allow them to escape or to be rescued; but it was his undoing. The sword rang faintly, and glinted a little in the light of the fire away to his left. An arrow came whistling out of the gloom: it aimed with skill, or guided by fate, and pierced his right hand.

So ended the raid, and no news of it came ever back either to Mordor or to Isengard; but the smoke of the burning rose high to heaven and was seen by many watchful eyes.

Estelyn already talked about Pippin's important, and we might as well just change the name of this chapter from Uruk-hai, to Pippin.

"I wish Gandalf would have never persuaded Elrond to let us come," he thought. "What good have I been? Just a nuisance: a passenger, a piece of luggage. And now I have been stolen and am just a piece of luggage for the orcs.

But then we see Pippin's cunning and thinking mind in the chapter. He cuts his bonds and reties this, only so they are looser and he can squirm out of them. He runs away from the path and leaves Aragorn his brooch. He is the one who outsmarts the most intellegent orc of the party, Grishnakh. Go Pippin!