Tony Meade
Active Member
SESSION 297
Great rippling rings:
Great rippling rings:
- The strong sibilance is evocative of the sound of the water moving from the rock Boromir threw.
- There is evidence of something else moving that is not directly caused by the thrown stone, because the ripples caused are larger than what a handheld stone could create with a splash.
- The effect is like what would naturally happen, but uncannily larger than it should be normally.
- It is also shown that these large rings are coming from further than where the rock landed, and this seems to be related to whatever they had sensed moving in the water when they crossed it.
- The bubbling seems to come at the same time as the rock landing, rather than in response to it.
- Note: By not directly pointing to a threat in the water, Tolkien both raises the tension of what it might be, while also placing doubt in the minds of both the readers and the characters, since a natural explanation might be appropriate. This creates an uncertainty as to what happens next.
- All of the verb words used for the landing of the rock are unpleasant, starting with the “slap” of the rock itself, rather than a more pleasing “plop”, which gives the impression of unclean water.
- The “swish” and “bubble” give the impression of the movement and breathing of a living thing.
- Whatever it is, it is far enough away from them that it would take some time to get to them.
- There is a consistent pattern of desolation surrounding evil places and entities, and this pool seems to fit this pattern, and this is the reason for Boromir and Frodo’s fear of the pool itself.
- The stream and the row of trees that ran alongside were once cheerful, but they are destroyed.
- While not speaking of any denizen of the pool, they do seem to be aware of something alive.
- The pool itself is unclean and unpleasant, but it is not a threat to them itself, unlike the wolves.
- Boromir’s impulse to strike the pool physically shows his perception of something in it to defy.
- This is in addition to both the threat of the wolves and whatever waits for them behind the doors, which creates a third element of danger in their situation while they try to open the gate.
- There is no indication that either the Ring or his Morgul-blade wound have heightened his sense of the threat in the pool, since Boromir senses it, too, and his throwing the rock is appropriate.
- Note: While Pippin’s stone in Moria later has the direct consequence of drawing danger to the Company, in this instance, the Watcher seems to intend to attack them before Boromir’s stone, which seems more to draw their attention to the movement in the water, rather than causing it.
- Merry’s comment seems to give voice to their increasing panic watching the action of the water.
- It is also similar to the question that Pippin about the doors asked that prompted Gandalf’s angry response, but his question is more vaguely about simply getting away from the pond.
- At this point, no one is paying attention to Gandalf’s failure to open the doors, but Gandalf is not paying attention to the pool, which is where everyone else’s focus has been drawn.
- This makes Gandalf’s solving of the puzzle feel like a non sequitur instead of a triumph, and his joy is incongruous when put against the howling of the wolves and the movement of the water.
- Note: Tolkien’s description of the conditions, but not the Company’s feelings about them, allows the readers to experience those for themselves and place their own feelings on the characters.
- In the circumstances, the lapping of the waves on the shore, which would normally be a pleasant sound, is made more ominous, especially since there is no wind to create them.
- There is a memory of the riddle game with Gollum in the desperate need for more time, and the relief when coming up with the answer, as there have been echoes of The Hobbit throughout.
- In Bilbo’s case, the last two riddles that he answers are done accidentally, and while Gandalf does solve the riddle, he realizes that the answer is like a non sequitur to their situation.
- While the Company is surprised by Gandalf’s leaping to his feet, they might expect him to act against the danger of the pool, which makes his laughter out of touch with the rest of them.
- Gandalf does do something quick as Merry suggested, but what he does is even more surprising in that he turns toward the door, putting his back to the pool, where they have all been looking.
- The focus of the entire Company is turned toward the door to watch the long process of the opening of the doors, taking them away from the dread of the danger of the dark pool.
- The experience is changed from fear to wonder over the course of the time the door opening.
- During this time, whatever has been moving toward the shore would have gotten much closer.
- Note: It’s possible that the Watcher has been stopped by the wonder of the doors’ opening, even though it seemed as though its attack was imminent just before Gandalf said the password, and much time passes while they open, and Gandalf explains himself. It’s even possible that the laughter and change of mood put the Watcher off for a brief time. This would be parallel to Aragorn keeping the Ringwraiths away by singing to the hobbits at Weathertop.
- Unlike the eucatastrophe of Bilbo’s luck which resulted in solving his riddles, the solving of the riddle for Gandalf is the eucatastrophe itself, considering what might have happened otherwise.
- Gandalf’s laughter might have had a deleterious effect on any dark forces surrounding the door.
- Note: Laugher is often shown to have a weakening effect upon evil wills, such as Frodo’s laughter in Cirith Ungol, Éowyn’s before the Witch-king, and Gandalf to Saruman at Orthanc.