Episode 101 Summary

Tony Meade

Active Member
SESSION 101

Gandalf’s beard goes stiff and straight:
  • Gandalf seems to remember his bedside manner and comes back to reassuring Frodo.
  • His beard’s appearing to go stiff is probably the result of sticking out his chin in resolve. He seems invigorated by the idea of the War of the Ring and gives a glimpse of his inner world.
  • Gandalf seems to be vocalizing an inner monologue when he uses the plural “we” in speaking of keeping up courage. He includes himself in that statement, as this is his true purpose.
  • This emotional response is in contrast to his talk with Frodo in Bag End, where he stayed calm and passive even when Frodo had strong emotional reactions to the news Gandalf brought.
  • Note: He also expresses a sense of ownership of this quest, much different than in The Hobbit, where he emphasized that the quest belonged to the Dwarves and Bilbo, not him. However, he may have been hedging, as his actions told that he did feel a personal investment in their quest and felt it important to see it through to its end at Erebor.
  • This is the first clear hint that opposing Sauron is his true purpose in being in Middle-earth.
  • Gandalf has a choice to make, and his courage is not automatic. He is capable of failing, or giving in to cowardice, or surrendering to the Dark Lord, so he has to choose to exercise his courage.
  • He also including Frodo in “we”, indicating that he is a leader of the resistance to Sauron, and part of his leadership is encouraging his allies and those in his charge.
  • Gandalf also wants to reassure Frodo that he is not alone in his danger, and that Gandalf is on his side and will help him, and since Frodo admires and respects Gandalf, this is a comfort.
  • This interlude in Rivendell is a very important moment for all the protagonists in the story.
  • Aragorn also used this inclusive language with the hobbits in order to strengthen their courage.
  • Is Gandalf still rattled by his captivity? We don’t know how much he is struggling with his courage, as he doesn’t express any doubts, and he seems more resolved than ever.
  • All of these events, including the finding of the Ring, the appearance of the Nazgûl, the treason of Isengard, and others have convinced Gandalf that the moment of final conflict is now.
  • We are not told in what cardinal direction Gandalf faces with his chin, which would be telling.
  • The switch the second person in reassuring Frodo of his wellness immediately follows the use of plural first person, which means that “we” is personal and not just a figure of speech.
  • Note: Now that Saruman has not only abdicated his place of leadership of the White Council, and is actively working against them in many ways, Gandalf may feel that much of that responsibility has now shifted onto him, and he is feeling the weight of that.
Back to the patient at hand:
  • Gandalf’s turn to comfort Frodo also includes a self-deprecating comment, shifting back to a more hobbitish tone, and away from any sense of self-aggrandizement in light of his mission.
  • He finally has a clear answer for Frodo’s question about Rivendell’s safety after his digression.
  • There is a juxtaposition of his apocalyptic statements about the future and comforting of Frodo in the present of which Frodo seems aware, and so he brings the conversation back to the past.
  • Frodo asks in a very hobbitish way for news of the Ford, as Gandalf has been talking a great deal, but not giving him the information he really wants. He is gently teasing Gandalf, as friends do.
  • This is a reminder of the kind of relationship Gandalf and Frodo have. They are old friends, and this is how they interact with each other.
  • Aragorn had started to grow in this direction along the trip to Rivendell, such as with the trolls.
  • Gandalf’s primary advice seems to be to stay focused on the present, and to take it day by day.
  • Frodo may feel that the global threat is too much to deal with at the moment, and just wants to stick with his immediate past.
On Hobbit courage:
  • Frodo is also showing a bit of his hobbit resilience in his banter, having bounced back from the darkness and near loss at the Ford. This hobbit courage is very important to that healing.
  • His assertion that he has no courage is more hobbit humility, though it is manifestly untrue. Frodo is emotionally exhausted and simply feels that he has nothing more to give right now.
  • This humility is present in all the hobbit characters; they don’t feel courageous, while being so.
  • Note: A contrast to this kind of hobbit courage is Boromir, who is brave, though also recognizes it and is willing to state it aloud. It would never occur to the hobbits that they were courageous, even as they do courageous things. This shows cultural difference between Hobbits and Men.
  • Frodo’s humility is what makes him the best Ringbearer, and most able to resist the Ring.
  • Note: Tolkien does not seem to disapprove of the explicit and even boastful bravery of Men, such as in Rohan or Gondor, on a cultural level, but he does seem to want to make the point that there are other, more humble versions of courage that have value in the fight against evil.
  • When Gandalf pointed out the Barrow-downs, Frodo really felt that he had failed, though he clearly didn’t, and the narrator had highlighted his hobbit courage as the reason for that.
  • Aragorn has a different approach than other Men, such as Boromir or Éomer, as he is less boastful, but much of this difference is due to the fact that Aragorn is much older than they are.
  • The gap in experience is even greater than in age between Aragorn and Boromir, as while Boromir is a veteran warrior, Aragorn has done many more kinds of things and seen failure.
  • There’s also a difference in personality, as Boromir needs to prove himself, and Aragorn doesn’t.
(continued below)
 

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(continued)

Gandalf’s examination of Frodo:
  • Who wrote this passage, which reveals Gandalf’s inner thoughts? How would they know?
  • This may be a Sam-penned passage, as he will reflect on Frodo in a similar way later on. This may have come from a later conversation that he or Frodo had with Gandalf.
  • These kinds of observations are things that Sam would care about, but Frodo might now, and may reveal what Sam sees in Frodo over time.
  • Only Gandalf seems to be able to see the transparency, as it seems to be apparent to a wizard’s eye. This seems to be a result of the wound, more than from wearing the Ring.
  • After the destruction of the Ring, Sam continues to be concerned about Frodo’s condition, and it seems likely that he would ask Gandalf about the subject for future purposes.
  • It seems that Sam will be one of the people to perceive Frodo the way Gandalf predicts. It also seems important that “a glass filled with a clear light” describes the Phial of Galadriel, too.
  • This is also the first moment when someone who has knowledge of fading from a Ring of Power observes someone they knew before the fading and describes its progress for the reader.
  • Note: Frodo seems to wear the Ring on both hands at different times, such as on his left at Weathertop and on his right at Mount Doom. He carries the Ring in his right pocket starting from Bag End, so it makes sense that he would take it out with his right hand and put it on his left. After Rivendell, it is on a chain around his neck, and he will put it on his right-hand finger. There seems to be a difference on where he wears it before and after he claims it as his own.
  • The fact that it is his left hand that is becoming transparent, where he was wearing the Ring when stabbed, is a physical manifestation of being drawn into the wraith world by that means.
  • Metaphorically, it is as if Frodo had been being pulled into the wraith-world by the left arm.
  • Does Gandalf foresee Frodo’s full journey? It seems so, since he uses the phrase “he is not half through yet”. He seems to have always known, since he hinted at it in Bag End, though gently.
  • Gandalf may not have been completely sure at the time, but now he is almost completely sure.
  • Having seen what Frodo has come through to get to Rivendell, and how Frodo resisted the Ring during many temptations, even though he wore it sometimes, he has shown himself worthy.
  • There is a distinction made as to what can be seen with the naked eye, which seems mundane and hopeful, which speaks to his physical health as well as his spiritual recovery.
  • Gandalf is also aware that Frodo is no longer being affected by any outside force, and he is fully in control of his own will. He is looking to see what the long-term effects of the splinter.
  • Frodo’s clear eyes seem to be in contrast to what he looked like when he was under the spell. His description of Frodo hints that he was the opposite when he arrived in Rivendell
  • It’s possible that Frodo’s recovery might not be unique, but his situation while carrying the Ring makes it a special case, as Frodo’s will has been under assault from two sources at once.
  • Though everything looks fine, both physically and spirituality, Gandalf is very aware that there has been a change in Frodo, and that this change matters in the long run.
  • Frodo has been altered by this experience, and he will never be the same hobbit he was before.
  • Note: We know that Frodo will be sick from this wound in a year’s time, as Gandalf might see.
  • The purpose of this examination is not only to determine his health, but also to see if he is fit to go on with the adventure that Gandalf foresees, as he would propose Frodo as Ringbearer.
  • Gandalf understands that Frodo will be changed further if he continues to bear the Ring, and he determines that Frodo might be able to complete the quest and not fall into evil.
  • His prediction that Frodo will be filled with a clear light may be a reference to someone like Glorfindel, rather than one of the Ringwraiths, if the transparency continues to progress.
  • The light that he is referring to must be the light of Valinor, and Frodo will be uncloaked. Frodo will still be affected by the wound and suffer, but it will allow some good to come through it.
  • The transparency is a diminishment of his physical self at the expense of his spiritual self.
  • Gandalf understands that taking on the quest of Mount Doom will cost Frodo greatly, and he must decide if he will allow Frodo to make that sacrifice in order to complete it.
  • Note: There is a sense of the Eucharist in the idea of pouring out one’s life for the sake of many, as well as a parallel to alchemy in burning away much in order to purify what is left.
  • Gandalf highlights Elron’s ability foretell the future, and it seems that they’ve spoken about this.
  • He believes that if Frodo pours out all of himself in the effort, it will make the light shine clearer.
  • Note: Is Gandalf wrong in his prediction that Frodo won’t come to evil, looking at what happens at Mount Doom? Frodo does briefly fail, though the quest succeeds due to Gollum. Gollum was only there because of Frodo’s pity and this is what saves him from evil when his strength fails.
  • The light that Gandalf foresees can be seen as either Valinor’s or of Ilúvatar, but those are really the same light, as the former is the reflection of the latter, as in the Flame Imperishable.
  • Note: There is a hierarchy of echoes that can be seen as a pattern, from the Flame Imperishable which lies at the heart of Creation, to the Silmarils which echo that light, to the Phial of Galadriel which contains some of the light of the Silmarils, down to Frodo who will echo the Phial.
Frodo finally hears the tale of the Ford:
  • Gandalf is not lying when he says that Frodo looks “splendid”. He does look, externally, very good, but this is also to raise Frodo’s spirits. “Splendor” is a foretelling of what he has just seen.
  • He emphasizes that the Black Riders were fully focused on Frodo and would have ridden over his companions to get to him, which caused them to spring aside
  • This recalls Sam’s assertion that they would have to ride over him in order to get to Frodo.
  • The others understood that fighting the Riders wasn’t an option, and escape was the only hope.
  • The fact that the Nine were all together is more than just the sum of its parts in terms of their power, but the fact that they were mounted, and the others were not, is also important.
  • Asfaloth is not an ordinary horse, and his adornment with bells also plays a part in his escape.
  • The heightened position of the mounted Riders would also have an effect on their morale.
  • The use of “withstanding” means that Frodo’s companions could not hold the Riders off by standing in between them and Frodo, but they could still oppose the Riders in other ways.
  • Note: No one will be seen in hand to hand combat with any Ringwraith before Éowyn does it. Frodo’s sword attack is completely ineffectual on Weathertop; only his invocation affects them.
  • Gandalf’s story is almost completely about Frodo’s friends, not about the Ringwraiths. Frodo’s question was to make sure that his friends were okay, but Gandalf goes further in praising them.
  • Why does it matter that they went to a hollow behind stunted trees to kindle fire? It may simply be a shelter from the wind, but it also may be about surprising the Ringwraiths with the fire.
  • How did they kindle fire so quickly? If it were flint and tinder, it would have to be quickly done, but they also light flaming brands that they carry. The stunted trees may have made the brands.
  • Since the timeframe is so short, given the brevity of the confrontation at the Ford, it seems likely that some Elf magic was involved in the creation of the flaming brands.
  • Glorfindel’s foreknowledge of the flood shows that this was not a spontaneous act. This was a preplanned response to the invasion of evil creatures.
  • Note: Tolkien had a lot of experience with horses in army training prior to the war, and he was known for being an expert at breaking in horses for riding. This effected his writing about horses. Tolkien was a very athletic person as a boy and young man, including playing rugby.
  • Why does Gandalf not name the hobbits, and refers to them as “the others”? This is not meant to diminish them but implies an intimacy, in that Frodo knows who he means by this shorthand.
  • Glorfindel seems to be the protagonist in this fight, with Aragorn and the others in support.
  • The three hobbits are spoken of as a collective, to show that they are acting in unison. This also follows the pattern that Gandalf has used speaking of the hobbits earlier.
  • This encounter with Glorfindel revealed as an Elf-lord is Sam’s second important Elf moment.
  • The fact that the Ringwraiths are caught between fire and water they are between two things that they fear, and both are purifying elements.
  • Why do the Ringwraiths fear fire? Sauron’s domination over any element is fraudulent, as fire itself is a good thing that many can use. The Enemy cannot enslave fire like his servants.
  • All of the Sauron’s enslavement is done with fear, and that fear is then imposed on his symbols.
END OF SESSION
 

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