“Not all those who wander are lost.”

[Márcolië Lamen]

The odd thing is that Tolkien himself was someone who hardly travelled at all - well hardly at all physically.

Pointing this out really makes me think about the focus of wandering not be the physical, but to be more of the idea of a journey, and learning from that. There are those who physically wander, but not all those learn from what happens. There are also those though like Tom Bombadil who don't physically wander but don't show the same set in his ways and unapprocable in relation to change that others do. For me I feel characters such as him are more of mental wanderers, those who explore only one area, but are open to that area, and learn from that one. The idea of learning and growing itself through "wandering" either by letting your mind get away from you or going off not knowing what will happen, is stronger to me.

I notice how Tolkien takes care that each character who takes a literal journey also takes an internal journey of discovery, and those who do not take a journey do not change in this way. This would include even good characters, such as Galadriel or Elrond - but then they do take a journey at the end of the book. This perhaps means that they have only one more thing to learn, to relinquish power in Middle-earth and the trip to the Grey Havens teaches them to do this.

I agree with this statement in general but I would like to point out that those who took the literal journey didn't necessarily need to take it to take an internal journey.
For example Bilbo, in the beginning of The Hobbit even would say

Sorry! But I don't want any adventures, thank you. Not today

yet was still strange for a hobbit. He might have been more normal in that he liked the security but was a wander even before he set off. His ability to even think about the idea of going even though he would say to himself

Bilbo, you were a fool; you walked right in and put your foot in it.

really showed this.

I think the journeys and wandering was as much as it was focusing on the physical a metaphor, and looking at their ability to have gone through the internal journey even if they hadn't gone on the physical one is important. However, the physical journey acted as a catalyst. Those who accepted change and abnormality were more often those who would help in the battle against the evil, but they were not the only ones, because even before they traveled they were wandering in themselves.


And I appologise for the poor wording of this post. I was more getting thoughts out than writing it well.

[tar-ancalime]

I disagree with the characterization of Treebeard and Bombadil as "hollowmen."

They're not wasting their lives, they're not just waiting for the end. What they're doing, though, is refusing to concern themselves with the world "outside." The two are not the same thing.

To call Bombadil and Treebeard "hollowmen" because they've not become involved in other societies is shortsighted, I think. Treebeard never gives up searching for the Entwives or tending to his trees and his forest. Bombadil walks through his land and keeps the Willow under control, and also maintains contact with Farmer Maggot. These are important things, at least as important in their way as farming in the Shire or re-settling the Lonely Mountain. Both Treebeard and Bombadil are instrumental in the continuing existence of their own societies. While it's true that their societies would be overrun by Sauron if not defended by the weapons of Gondor, Rohan, and the Rangers of Arnor, that doesn't make the societies themselves any less valuable. Middle-earth is a diverse place, and I think that any character who is actively involved in maintaining a society is filling an important role, very different from the empty waiting of the "hollowmen."

If there are "hollowmen" in Middle-earth I think they are Elves who have resigned themselves to fading and going West, and are merely waiting for the right moment to take the ship.