There and Back Again

[Mithadan]

Allegory? Or "applicability", then?

[Morthoron]

Originally Posted by Mithadan

Allegory? Or "applicability", then?

Allegorical, but only on a "subsumed" basis, of course.

[Boromir88]

I would definitely call Frodo 'shell-shocked,' but I don't think it's allegorical. Tolkien admits every writer is effected by their experiences to a certain point, but Frodo's shell-shock isn't truly caused by experiences as a soldier in the horrors of war. I think the only battle of army against army he sees is when the Haradrim are ambush by Faramir's men. That was Sam's "first experience" at seeing war up-close and personal, I would guess it was Frodo's too.

Frodo's change is the One Ring removed every sense of home from him and then when the Ring was destroyed there was nothing. Those feeling of home didn't return. For me, it's probably the most chilling, unnerving part of LOTR:

'Do you remember that bit of rabbit, Mr. Frodo?' he said. 'And our place under the warm bank in Captain Faramir's country, the day I saw an oliphaunt?'

'No, I am afraid not, Sam,' said Frodo. 'At least, I know that such things happened, but I cannot see them. No taste of food, no feel of water, no sound of wind, no memory of tree or grass or flower, no image of moon or star are left to me. I am naked in the dark, Sam, and there is no veil between me and the wheel of fire. I begin to see it even with my waking eyes, and all else fades.'~Mount Doom

Sam's role in this journey is keeping Frodo grounded in home. We're surrounded by strange and shock, Sam is in the middle of it all stewing a rabbit. Talking of oliphaunts and people at home will never believe it! He talks of planting trees and seeing Rosie and other friends again. He succeeds marvelously in keeping Frodo reminded of home, until the very end when the Ring inevitably has taken over completely. There is nothing left, Frodo is naked in the dark and he even begins seeing nothing else with his "waking eyes" except "the wheel of fire." That part always gives me intense goose bumps.

The Ring is destroyed, what's left then? No memories return, no sense of home comes back and the only thing he can remember was destroyed. I'm just guessing here, but I think if the Shire was the same as always when Frodo returned, he could have had some sort of recovery post-destruction. Old memories that were lost, could have been replaced by returning new memories to a completely familiar home. But, the changed Frodo and physical change in home...I have no words to describe just how awful to experience it.

[Zigûr]

Frodo's fate is the obvious counterpoint to the argument that The Lord of the Rings lacks consequences because so few of the protagonists die. It could be argued that in some respects Frodo suffers a fate worse than death, or at least would have had he not been afforded the possibility (and only a possibility, I believe - success was not guaranteed) of healing in Aman.

I think we see a little of that in Bilbo as well; the outcome of his adventure was not universally positive for him, even if it mostly was.

On the one hand, in Letter 151, Professor Tolkien does say that "Frodo is not intended to be another Bilbo. Though his opening style is not wholly un-kin. But he is rather a study of a hobbit broken by a burden of fear and horror — broken down, and in the end made into something quite different."

On the other hand, however, in Letter 246, Professor Tolkien observes of Bilbo and the journey to Aman that "he also needed and deserved the favour on his own account. He bore still the mark of the Ring that needed to be finally erased : a trace of pride and personal possessiveness. Of course he was old and confused in mind, but it was still a revelation of the 'black mark' when he said in Rivendell (III 265) 'What's become of my ring, Frodo, that you took away?'; and when he was reminded of what had happened, his immediate reply was: 'What a pity! I should have liked to see it again'."

Of course that's arguably more to do with the Ring than with his experiences.

Similarly, I also don't think Frodo's experience was wholly negative, although it certainly was to a great extent. Frodo gained great wisdom through his experience, however: even Saruman noticed it. Frodo's insight about Saruman is very telling of the understanding he achieves: "He was great once, of a noble kind that we should not dare to raise our hands against." I suppose this could be perceived as either a good or a bad thing.

It's interesting to note that while Bilbo's adventure ultimately left him unsatisfied with Hobbit society, he did settle down in Rivendell rather than pursuing his wanderlust indefinitely, which seems to favour the possibility that his experiences fostered the desire for a different society more than it made him that much less sedentary.

[Inziladun]

Originally Posted by Zigûr

It's interesting to note that while Bilbo's adventure ultimately left him unsatisfied with Hobbit society, he did settle down in Rivendell rather than pursuing his wanderlust indefinitely, which seems to favour the possibility that his experiences fostered the desire for a different society more than it made him that much less sedentary.

I would say that the same impetus toward 'adventure', which was an innate part of his being, was what landed Bilbo ultimately in Rivendell.

He'd had the affinity toward Elves, and an interest in the outside world long before Gandalf approached him about the Quest of Erebor. Indeed, Bilbo's apparent difference from others of his race were what attracted Gandalf to him as a part of Thorin's company.

Having given the Ring and nearly all his possessions to Frodo, there was nothing holding him to the Shire. He also needed the safest place possible in which to live, since Sauron had become aware of him and his connection with the Ring. What better place for Bilbo than Rivendell?

[William Cloud Hicklin]

He also needed the safest place possible in which to live, since Sauron had become aware of him and his connection with the Ring.

Except Bilbo was blissfully unaware of any of that; Gandalf didn't tell him. In fact, Sauron had no idea that "Baggins" and "Shire" were of any significance at all until he interrogated Gollum, not long before Frodo set out.

[Inziladun]

Originally Posted by William Cloud Hicklin

Except Bilbo was blissfully unaware of any of that; Gandalf didn't tell him. In fact, Sauron had no idea that "Baggins" and "Shire" were of any significance at all until he interrogated Gollum, not long before Frodo set out.

Well, fear of Sauron wasn't Bilbo's motive for going to Rivendell, but it was a factor in his staying there permanently.
Bilbo told Frodo that he'd considered going back to the Shire to get the Ring but had been dissuaded by Gandalf and Elrond because Sauron was searching for him.