Episode 251 Summary

[Tony Meade]

SESSION 251

On the mutterings of Sam:

• Griping and complaining among soldiers inherently goes up the chain of command, not down.
• Commanders can’t their own woes in order to preserve confidence in the leadership structure.
• Sam, in the position of the lowest status in the Company, gives voice to things the others can’t.
• Not only are Aragorn and Gandalf are sharing leadership, but all of the others are also either in high status or leadership positions among their respective peoples, even the other hobbits.
• Merry had demonstrated during the trip into the Old Forest that he was comfortable in a leadership role among other hobbits, and Frodo has also been looked to as the eldest.
• Even though Frodo doesn’t have a leadership role in the Company, he is the focus of the quest.
• This means that Sam is really the only one who can voice the feelings of the Company at large.
• The debate among the readers is what causes Pippin to express the feeing of the predicament.
• The leaders have to attempt to make the best of the situation and put some positive spin on it.
• Sam’s comment about the shelter draws attention away from the debate and the bigger picture.
• Frodo may be reassured by Sam in knowing that they are all feeling these same discomforts.
• This assists with the goal of keeping Frodo’s spirits up, which had been the focus since Rivendell.
• The position of Sam as Frodo’s servant makes it Frodo’s responsibility to keep up Sam’s cheer, too, though by validating Frodo’s own feelings, Sam is able to reciprocate from his position.
• Grumbling of this kind is also related to the hobbitry that has been before, though in those cases, Sam has neither been the object of hobbitry, nor does he offer it due to his status.
• If the peers among the hobbits were being too formal, this would indicate trouble among them.
• Note: As their situation becomes more dire, Sam will no longer grumble, as it would make Frodo’s morale worse, rather than better. At that time, it will be more appropriate for him to attempt to find the positive perspective in order to aid Frodo in accomplishing the quest.
• Even when Sam engages in hobbitry with Ted Sandyman, there is an edge of seriousness to it.
• Note: The Sandymans’ unpleasantness is an echo of the medieval trope of millers as villains, and though they are technically commoners and in the same status as other working folk, their wealth and monopoly on a necessary service sets them apart and makes them objects of suspicion. Also, t’s unlikely that the classes among hobbits would mix at the pubs in the way it is depicted in the films, as common hobbits would not be as open and candid among their social superiors, and they would not see themselves as equals in the way that modern people do.

The drifting snow mounting:

• Note: From this description, the snow would be about six to twelve inches deep at this point, as a pony’s hocks are the second joint up from the hoof, though he manages to shelter the hobbits.
• It’s not a coincidence that Bill is between the hobbits and the snow, as he seems to choose to do this, though his mood is shown as similar to Sam’s and is in a similar position to express it.
• The first paragraph looks at the Company at large, but the second focuses in on the hobbits.
• There is an emphasis on the subjective experience of the hobbits, and their anxieties about the snow, especially about being buried and unable to escape, unlike the other, bigger people.
• Note: The passage in the Silmarillion that says that the Misty Mountains were created by Morgoth as an obstacle for Oromë may be simply a legend or supposition of the Elves. In regard to Caradhras, there are shared ideas of malice and being a barrier to crossing it. The fact that the natural world is full of spirits that are more associated with different members of the Valar is something that was in the legendarium from the beginning but became less explicit over time.
• There may not be a direct connection between Sauron and the spirit of Caradhras being in league, but they may simply be working independently but toward similar ends of obstruction.
• Gandalf does not rule out a direct connection between Sauron and Caradhras, however.
• Note: There is a possibility that the Balrog has affected Caradhras, too, or vice versa. In a similar way, while Tom Bombadil is a good spirit, he does not seek to destroy the maliciously infective spirit of Old Man Willow. While it’s clear that they have destructive intentions, they seem to be in a different category from the other Ainur in Arda, such as having less agency and freedom. It is difficult to determine if they are truly evil, such as being a servant of Morgoth, or are simply turned malicious due to tragic circumstances, and can be infected and infect others, too. In contrast, Ossë was corrupted directly by Melkor, and was twisted because of his inherently destructive nature within the realm of Ulmo, but both his fall and repentance were his conscious choices. Caradhras seems to be more of the former option, falling independently of Melkor.
• At the least, the members of the Company believe that Caradhras’ spirit has power over the elements surrounding the mountain, such as the weather, winds, and the falling stones.
• The fact that the wind changes to match where the Company takes shelter show intention.
• Note: This is parallel to the powers of Old Man Willow over not just his own tree body, but the extended environment that would cause the hobbits to fall asleep and be unable to escape.

END OF SESSION