Episode 114 Summary

Tony Meade

Active Member
SESSION 114

Comment on the process of becoming a wraith:
  • Is Gandalf wrong in his assumptions about the One Ring turning its bearer into a wraith, as this has never happened to those who’ve possessed it? They may have never had it long enough.
  • The Nine Rings succeeded it doing this over many centuries, but they’re the only examples.
  • Saruman is the source of most of Gandalf’s ring lore, and that must come from another source.
  • Of all the possessors of the One Ring, Gollum is the one that stands out as most representative.
  • When the Nine were used to create the Ringwraiths, Sauron still possessed the One Ring. Also, the Nine and the Seven were specifically designed to entrap their owners with the One Ring.
  • The primary function of the One Ring itself was to enslave the owners of the Nine and Seven, but only the Nine succeeded, while the Seven failed.
  • The circumstances of those who had the Nine and the people who have owned the One are completely different, so we should not expect the same effects.
  • Owning the One Ring changes and corrupts the possessors, with the exception of Sauron himself, aside from his own dark path and dividing his own native power.
  • There is not enough evidence to prove that Gandalf is right or wrong, and Gandalf only describes these effects of the Great Rings, such as the Nine, not the One Ring specifically.
  • Gandalf seems to apply this same evidence to the One Ring, though it is only theoretical.
  • Since the Seven fail due to the nature of Dwarves, this is counterevidence that all of the Rings of Power create wraiths, and Gandalf seems to think that it is possible to be resistant to it.
  • All of the possessors of the One Ring after Isildur have been hobbits, and Gandalf seems to think that the nature of hobbits themselves is a mitigating factor preventing becoming a wraith.
  • Gollum had not worn the One Ring very often, and Gandalf thinks that this was also a mitigating factor, as he said that it was the wearing of a Ring of Power that eventually makes one a wraith.
  • All of Gandalf’s lore is secondhand, as he has not observed this, but he is following the logic. However, the evidence of Frodo’s experiences on the way to Rivendell seem to support him.
  • Note: Gandalf does wield a Ring of Power himself, so he would have some firsthand knowledge.
  • Because there are limited examples, it is difficult to say anything about the Ringbearers for sure.
  • Isildur’s claiming of the Ring as weregild is an example of a rationalization caused by the Ring, and he was the first to name it “precious”, but this seems to have been its only effect on him.
  • Isildur knew that the Ring would make him invisible, which he could only learn by wearing it, but it seems unlikely that he had worn the Ring very much, and he didn’t have it very long.
  • Note: There is a tragedy in the story of Isildur being ambushed and killed after having defeating Sauron, but his death was probably better than what might have happened to him otherwise.
  • Bilbo’s comment about being “thin and stretched” is probably one thing that informed Gandalf’s theory about how the Ring would affect people over time, eventually making them a wraith.
  • Whether or not Gandalf is right, the primary function of the One Ring is not to create wraiths of its owners, and therefore this is not the only effect that it is having on Frodo.
  • The Ring does not seem to directly communicate with those that possess or desire it, but rather it is the desire of the Ring that causes them to think about the power offered by the Ring.
  • Once one’s own will has been turned toward the Ring, they will rationalize their desire for it.
  • Note: In contrast to the Silmarils, the One Ring is actively evil in intent and design. The Silmarils are desirable, and this may cause people to do bad thing, but they did not act on people.
  • The Ring may intensify thoughts that one already has, rather than inspiring new thoughts, which explains why the Ring affected Bilbo and Gollum differently, based on the way they received it.
  • Like Sam’s desire for a garden, the temptations of the Ring are different based on the character and personality of the person being affected.
  • Bilbo has been conditioned by owning the Ring for 60 years to entertain certain thoughts more than others, so even when the Ring is distant from him, he still had those thoughts for a while.
  • In the case of Tom Bombadil, he had no thoughts of domination or other power, so the Ring had no material with which to work in order to tempt him.
  • When Frodo has the impulse to leave Tom’s house, it is related to the other times that he attempts to leave his friends, though it is usually an admirable desire to draw danger away.
  • However, it is only a small nudge from there to a desire to be free of responsibility for his friends and to be free and alone and to have the Ring all to himself, which is consistent with the Ring.
  • Even Sauron demonstrates a desire for solitude and singularity, as to be powerful is to be alone.
  • Isildur’s impulse to go off on his own is consistent with this pattern among the Ringbearers.
  • Note: Since the Ring’s purpose is to dominate others, it will dominate its owners, too, and that domination will leave a mark, but if one has no natural inclination toward domination, then they may attempt to resolve that cognitive dissonance through rationalization. This rationalization also takes the form of creating reasons for justifying their ownership of the Ring.
(continued below)
 

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(continued)

A shadow falls between Frodo and Bilbo:
  • It seems natural for Bilbo to ask about the Ring out of curiosity, but this rationalized by the Ring.
  • Frodo’s reluctance surprises himself, and this is more cognitive dissonance from the Ring.
  • What happens between Bilbo and Frodo here is taking place in Frodo’s mind, not with Bilbo.
  • Note: It is a common misreading of this scene that creates the “mad Bilbo” moment in the film, By having Bilbo react in this way, Frodo internalizes the danger of the Ring to himself fully, and the viewer is made to understand the real effect it has, done by visualizing it. However, what happens in the text is the exact opposite of this, as in the film, Frodo is seeing something about the Ring’s effect on Bilbo for the first time, but in the book, Frodo is affected and Bilbo sees it.
  • The text first has three short action sentences, and the rest is only Frodo’s perception.
  • Is Frodo seeing Bilbo’s true desire for the Ring, which looks like what Frodo imagines of Gollum? Is Frodo seeing more or less clearly in this moment? Is he seeing the truth of Bilbo?
  • While seeing what Bilbo might truly have become, Frodo is looking through a shadow which obscures Bilbo, rather than reveals him. His desire to strike Bilbo is at odds with Frodo’s love.
  • At the moment that Bilbo sees what leads him to have pity on Gollum, he is given a clarity of vision and understanding that is not present here.
  • What seems to be happening is that Frodo is projecting onto Bilbo his own desire for the Ring and seeing him in a way that will inspire him to keep the Ring away from him.
  • The insidiousness of this vision is that there is a warped truth in the vision about Bilbo’s desire.
  • Note: It’s possible that Sméagol saw Déagol in a similar way through this shadow.
Now Bilbo understands:
  • Note: Opposite to its film portrayal, it is Bilbo who reaches an understanding about the Ring.
  • Bilbo could not see how the Ring was affecting him at the time it was happening, and he has not been aware of his own rationalizations and likeness with Gollum.
  • When seen from the outside, Bilbo can understand what the Ring has been doing all along.
  • Does Bilbo see Frodo through the same shadow? It seems unlikely, and even though all Frodo has done is pull the Ring back away from him, Frodo’s emotions would show in his face.
  • Bilbo knows Frodo really well, and it is clear that he has never seen these expressions before.
  • This would be a life-altering insight for Bilbo, as all his experiences since finding the Ring are now changed in context, including his own rationalizations and interactions with Gandalf.
  • Though Bilbo still doesn’t know that this is the One Ring, he now understands how this ring works by what he has observed in Gollum, and now Frodo, and finally himself.
Bilbo’s response:
  • Note: It is from Frodo’s perspective that the music and singing goes away, and he is narrating.
  • Bilbo may be wiping a tear from his eyes as he feels a great pity for Frodo. Though it would be understandable for him to feel some self-pity, he seems more focused on Frodo’s peril.
  • He may feel an element of grieving for the loss of Frodo, and also guilt for giving him the Ring.
  • Bilbo’s terse statement of understanding encompasses many subjects, including Gandalf and Elrond’s behavior, the pursuit of the Ringwraiths, and the irrevocable changes on Frodo.
  • Note: In the film, Bilbo succumbs to misery and self-pity; in the text he is thinking about Frodo.
  • Though the word “everything” is strange, considering all that he did for Frodo, he is mourning the loss of everything that he had hoped for Frodo’s future, which has now been lost.
  • There is a sense that Bilbo has passed Frodo in understanding, and he knows even more than Frodo what this will mean for him, perhaps even foreseeing that Frodo’s adventure is not over.
  • Bilbo also has the insight that his “happily ever after” ending to his story is not going to happen, and he will not be able to participate to help Frodo as he bears the consequences of it.
  • There is a feeling of resignation for Bilbo, after wishing for the story to be different than it is.
  • Bilbo displays humility in showing that he finally understands that his own adventure wasn’t as big of a deal as he thought it was, as Gandalf had told him at the end of The Hobbit.
  • Bilbo uses the writing of his book to express this insight as to the uncertainty of the end.
  • Note: As part of the WWI generation, this is a thought that may have occurred to them as they watched the next generation go off to fight again in WWII, including their own children.
  • Bilbo’s desire to pivot away to a new, happier subject may be him deliberately resist the darkness of the Ring. He knows the best thing to do dissipate the shadow.
  • This is another example of the spiritual warfare in play. Bilbo does not wait for Frodo to answer but takes action to help him move out of the shadow before he can speak.
  • There is also the “power of another sort” in the Shire, and Bilbo is invoking that power here.
  • Note: We will see the importance of this later in Mordor when Frodo cannot remember the Shire and when Sam sings Shire songs to find and strengthen Frodo.
  • Overall, Bilbo shows great wisdom and insight in this moment, though little actually happens.
END OF SESSION
 

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