Tony Meade
Active Member
SESSION 17
The Hobbit’s progress:
The Hobbit’s progress:
- The Maggot and Cotton families are some of the few examples we get of mainstream hobbitry.
- The rest of the hobbits we spend time with are usually outside of the mainstream.
- There are no encounters in Chapter 4 with the Black Riders, except for the cry. But there are many stories and much anticipation of them.
- When they first encounter the Black Riders, they have no idea what they’re dealing with.
- Frodo chooses to hide, but out of impulse. They don’t know if they should take them seriously.
- It’s only after the meeting with Gildor and the Elves that they start to understand their peril.
- The encounter with the Elves makes them feel as though they are in tale of Faerie.
- This knowledge changes their perception of the land around them.
- The talk of disbelief of these uncanny experiences happening in the Shire has now ceased.
- As they approach Farmer Maggot’s house, they are returning from Faerie.
- They all now know, including Pippin, that they are on a perilous quest.
- Gandalf will talk about how the Black Riders fail in the Shire during the Council of Elrond later.
- C.S. Lewis says that there are two different ways to examine a text; from within the text, and from outside the text.
- Both are valid, but they shouldn’t be confused with one another.
- The lack of power shown by the Black Riders is explainable either way.
- From outside the text, Tolkien simply did not revise because he didn’t know about the Ringwraiths when he began.
- From within the text, Tolkien explains that the Nâzgul fail because of a power within the Shire.
- Sam seemed clear on his purpose before meeting the Elves.
- He seems to be foreseeing the road ahead in a way that the other hobbits, even Frodo, haven’t.
- His desire and purpose have now seemingly aligned with his fate or doom.
- The specific desires to see wondrous things was originally paired with his duty to Frodo.
- Now that he has met the Elves, a lot of those personal desires were satisfied.
- Frodo asks him if the satisfaction of his desires has sated his desire to leave the Shire.
- Sam says that these personal desires have been replaced for what is fated.
- Sam is contrasted with Tuor from The Silmarillion, who turns his back on his desire for the sea to pursue his fate in Gondolin.
- Frodo and Sam are both called and destined to go on this quest, which Tolkien emphasizes.
- Sam’s remaining personal desire may be to see the things that Bilbo told him about.
- Maggot’s primary impression of the rider is the blackness of the Black Rider.
- The emphasis is put on the Rider’s strangeness of appearance and of behavior.
- Maggot seems to assume that there is a mundane explanation for the Rider’s strange appearance, which is that he wished to conceal his identity. This is odd behavior.
- Maggot would not know or have any reason to think that this is uncanny.
- Maggot’s other observation is of the Black Rider’s manner of speech.
- Note: This is the longest piece of dialogue from any of the Black Riders.
- The Riders’ Westron does not seem to be very good, so the use of the word “yonder” is noteworthy. This is something they have picked up within the Shire.
- The Riders are clearly paying attention and attempting to acclimate to local culture.
- The use of the term “Baggins” alone belies that he is a foreigner, as this is not the way Hobbits would speak or use names.
- Maggot seems to be quoting the Rider directly in order to convey the strangeness of the encounter.
- This also seems to be the Black Rider on his best behavior.
- This again raises the question of why the Black Rider feels the need to be polite.
- Maggot is polite himself, but also firm and assertive. He assumes that the Rider is lost.
- Maggot definitely feels the power of the Black Breath. He feels a shudder, just like the Gaffer.
- The power of the Black Breath seems to be subdued within the Shire.
- Maggot actually gives the Rider information. He tells the Rider where he can find Bagginses.
- The Rider speaks only in simple sentences, like someone who does not speak the language well.
- The only complex sentence is his question about if he will tell him if he sees Baggins.
- The Rider may also be being patronizing towards the hobbits.
- Maggot actually makes a threat to the Nâzgul, and he realizes his peril.
- Though the Rider tries to ride Maggot down, this seems a tame response from a Nâzgul.
- The hissing is the thing in the conversation that stands out most to Maggot. He tries to explain it with laughter, but he really can’t explain it. He understands that this might be unnatural.
- The Rider’s response is clearly that of displeasure at the farmer’s defiance and threats.
- Maggot goes through three stages in this conversation; polite deflection, firm redirection, and then open defiance.
- Maggot seems to have his strongest reaction at the offer of the bribe.
- This is when he realizes that this stranger is actively hunting another hobbit.
- Maggot has no interest in the bribe and alarmed at the idea of the threat to another hobbit.
- The Rider never commands Maggot to do anything. He merely states facts and asks a question.
- This is why Maggot’s defiance angers the Rider, after having tried to be polite to a local.
- This is the strangeness of the Riders’ behavior. They are asking for help and offering to pay.
- There are no open threats issued by the Riders. They seem to be doing this because they must.
- There is no kingliness being shown here, as they issue no commands.
- Note: The Nâzgul do seem to have a memory of their former lives and positions.