Why does Gandalf suddenly decide to send Sam along with Frodo?
We as readers seem to know more about Sam than Gandalf does, including his hidden depths.
Therefore, sending Sam off with Frodo makes more sense to us than it would to Gandalf.
Gandalf clearly knows Sam well enough, as he addresses him by name.
Gandalf has seemingly observed Sam in and around Bag End, and would know something about his personality, including his loyalty to the Bagginses and his interest in Bilbo’s stories.
This is parallel to Gandalf’s observations of Bilbo as a child, years before The Hobbit.
There’s no evidence that Gandalf had preplanned sending Sam with Frodo. This seems to be a spontaneous act.
There is a parallel to Gildor’s understanding that there was more than chance in their meeting, though not how to interpret it. Gandalf may be operating under similar assumptions.
Gandalf takes an interpretive step that Gildor does not. He thinks he understands what this coincidence means in the bigger picture.
We also find out later that he is not there by chance, but rather was sent there to spy.
There is also the factor of Sam knowing about the Ring now, which means that he knows too much to be left behind, which is the reason Gandalf gives for sending Sam.
Gandalf probably doesn’t actually believe that, knowing that this is not a punishment.
Gandalf is also following his heart and his inner knowing beyond his physical senses.
Gandalf sizes Sam up and realizes that he’s the best person for the job, and the show of threats is to impress on Sam the seriousness of the business.
Comment on Gildor’s understanding of who the Shire belongs to:
Gildor is not saying that the Shire used to belong to the Hobbits, and no longer does, though that does turn out to be true as the hobbits travel.
Gildor is saying that the idea that the Shire belongs to them is the Hobbits fooling themselves.
The Shire is objectively safe and comfortable, but this might no longer be so, and the Hobbits need to look outside the Shire to see what is coming.
There is a mistaken sense of ownership among the Hobbits. The Shire does not belong to the Hobbits in the way that they believe that it does.
Note: There is a parallel between St. Augustine’s confession of stealing pears with Frodo and other stealing Farmer Maggot’s mushrooms.
Sam will refer to the aptness of the Hobbits living in the Shire in comparison to the Elves belonging in Lothlorien later.
The Elves do not feel that they need permission from the Hobbits to cross the Shire.
There is also the sense that the Hobbit’s true home is elsewhere.
Gildor is also talking about Hobbits in general, but also about Frodo personally.
We have seen that Frodo is guilty of the same parochialism he criticizes in the other Hobbit.
Comment on Farmer Maggot’s relationship with Tom Bombadil:
Does Farmer Maggot’s relationship make him a less than typical hobbit?
Farmer Maggot is an extraordinary hobbit, as will be acknowledged by Bombadil himself.
What is mainstream about Farmer Maggot is his lifestyle, which is very typical of Hobbits.
Frodo and Bilbo and their companions’ lifestyles are very countercultural for Hobbits generally.
On the gift of mushrooms:
This is an act showing that he has forgiven Frodo for his actions as a youngster.
It also shows that he is in fact the opposite of the ogre Frodo thought he was.
This is an act of grace, and the mushrooms is a physical sign of that grace.
There is a bit of an inside joke between Frodo and Maggot.
The title “A Shortcut To Mushrooms” seems to refer to the path the hobbits took to Maggot’s farm, but in the end, it was to this gift of mushrooms, representing Maggot’s generosity.
Ironically, Frodo has taken the long way around to Maggot’s friendship.
Hobbitry on the Road:
Maggot adopts the same joking tone as Merry once he understands who it is.
Maggot understates the reason for his wife’s “worriting”, stating that it is the fog, rather than the Black Riders. He also understates the strangeness of the day.
Maggot clearly understands the dangers, though he understates that as well.
Crossing on Bucklebury Ferry:
Frodo feels very exposed as they are out on the causeway.
The area leading to the ferry landing is much more orderly and less scary than the areas they have crossed through recently. This reminds us that we are still in the Shire.
The whiteness of the landmarks, such as the stones and the bollards in the water, is the opposite of the sense of vulnerability and exposure that they have been feeling.
The fog is also receding as they get closer to Buckland. This fog may or may not be natural, but it does give an unnatural feeling to the scene.
Brandy Hall is a bastion of hobbit civilization, and no fog reaches it.
There is a possible pun between “ferry lane” and “fairy lane”, but this may be an inversion. They have left the faerie-like experiences behind and are not traveling towards hobbit normalcy.
Merry is unhurried in his crossing of the river, which shows a lack of concern. This is routine.
The overall sense of direction as they go into Buckland is vertical, as they go up from the river and the hill itself is tall and overlooks the area.
The many lit windows show that their isolation in the wilderness is now over. Many eyes will be watching.
On the history of Buckland:
This is an interesting transition, as the narrator pauses the plot to recount the history of the Brandybucks and Buckland.
This shows a lack of hurry by the narrator, reflecting Merry’s lack of hurry in crossing the river.
Why did Gorhendad Oldbuck leave the Shire? What was his motivation for crossing what was a very sensible natural boundary for hobbits?
Being between the river and the Old Forest seems to be a strange choice for a place to live, considering Hobbit culture and the way that they would be cut off from aid.
Expansionism does not seem to be a major Hobbit impulse, so that seems unlikely.
Gorhendad’s family was large, but it grew into the “small, independent country” only after his time.
It’s possible that this stemmed from some kind of grievance, which would be a better explanation, as the Oldbucks were one of the oldest and most prominent families within the Shire, as opposed to simply being acquisitive.
That the word “still” is used to acknowledge the Brandybucks’ authority of the farmers near the river implies that this predated their departure from the Shire as the Oldbucks. This may be traditional rather than explicit. It may also imply that this old authority had been lost elsewhere.
The lack of explanation of the motivations of the founding of Buckland is tantalizing.
The changing of the name is to make explicit that this is a change of identity and make a fresh start for their family.
The thing that is emphasized about the Oldbuck family, which may imply that the conflict was over room to house and feed such a large establishment. They may not have fit in the Marish.
There aren’t a lot of examples of hobbits changing their family names. These include the Sackville-Bagginses, among others. Later, the Gamgees will become the Gardners and Fairbairns.
There are lots of nicknames, such as Bullroarer Took and the Old Took.
The changing of a family name is unusual and very significant for everyone.
The peculiarities of the High Hay:
The High Hay is an interesting creation. Being up against the Old Forest is very scary for the Brandybucks, but planting a hedge is an unusual solution, as it would take a long time to grow.
Why do they plant a hedge? It delineates property, gives privacy, and keeps animals in or out.
However, the impulse is not to build a wall. They build something natural that they must tend.
It seems very hobbity to build a wall out of living things.
They cannot post guards or look over the hedge, so this is not a fortification.
This is a screen against the Forest. They are invisible to the Forest and they cannot see it.
They are shutting themselves in Buckland, not just keeping the Forest out. This is paired with the fact that they, unusually for hobbits, lock their doors after dark. They do not feel secure.
Looking back at the Shire:
This is major transition for Sam. He has long since passed the limits of his geography, but leaving the Shire is now a reality for him.
It’s important this is told from Sam’s perspective, as he’s the only one who’s never crossed the river before.
This reminds us what a big deal it was for Gorhendad Oldbuck to leave the Shire.
The river and crossing it is symbolic for Sam as much as it is a literal crossing.
For Sam, the experience of re-entering civilization from adventure is reversed for him.
Only Sam seems to be aware that they truly are leaving the Shire for the unknown.
It’s significant that his wish is for Frodo to have continued to live as he always had before, but not for himself.
He also experiences his love for this homeland and realizes that his old life will never return.
Danger not far behind:
Sam is the only one looking back and is therefore the one who spots the Black Rider.
This extends the symbolism of the crossing of the river, as the Black Rider shows that his departure is irrevocable.
The crawling of the Black Rider on the dock is exceptionally uncanny and creepy.
They had tried to put on civilized airs to deal with the hobbits, but this reveals them at their most alarming and grotesque. This is their natural state.
It’s significant that the Rider first appears like a black bundle, which sways back and forth. This emphasizes its inhumanity.
Gandalf had tried to prepare Frodo for the possibility of encountering servants of Sauron, but this is even worse than what he may have imagined.
The Rider seems to be following their trail to the ferry pier and is now at the end of it. He now knows that they have crossed the ferry into Buckland.
The Rider doesn’t seem to be able to see the hobbits on the ferry.
This raises questions as to what they Riders may have encountered on the Road, including Farmer Maggot.
Note: The image of a black bundle that moves is eerie, but not intimidating. This is different from the film. They seem to be less than human stature, rather than tall and imposing.
The Nazgûl seem to be the shriveled remains of humans. They seem to be subhuman, rather than superhuman. This description will change over time.
