Comment on the galloping from the east in Frodo’s dream:
Both Gandalf and the Black Riders are technically coming from the south, even though they originated in the East.
The capitalization of “East” seems to point to the concept of Mordor, rather than the cardinal direction. This is related to “West” being related to Valinor as an idea.
The phrase “from the East” seems to be the transition point where Frodo misinterprets the dream.
It is at this point that he misses the reassurance of Gandalf’s approach and assumes the hooves are those of the Black Riders.
The phrase “galloping, galloping, galloping” is onomatopoeic and seems to imply one horse.
Multiple horses would sound more like rolling thunder, not individual hooves.
On Sam’s slumber:
It’s conspicuous that Sam alone of the four hobbits doesn’t experience fear in the night.
This seems to be noncoincidental that Sam was also the only one who resisted the song of Old Man Willow earlier that day.
The joke about Sam is good-natured, but at Sam’s expense.
This seems to reveal something of Sam’s character, in both courage and solidity.
This could be related to Sam’s more practical nature and being more physically hardy than the other three hobbits.
Sam does not seem to lack imagination and can be highly impressionable. Therefore, we cannot put his lack of fear down to any prosaic thoughts on his end.
We are not given any insight into Sam’s reaction to Tom and Goldberry, as we had before in his response to the elves at Woodhall.
The Gaffer and Farmer Maggot are also more resistant to the uncanny, and they also have a strong connection to the earth and practical matters.
Sam seems to be more of a mixture of the practical and the poetic, rather than one or the other.
Sam might be showing more faith in Tom and Goldberry’s words of safety than the others, who needed reassurance. He took those words to heart and rested well.
Sam may also be more comfortable with Tom and Goldberry, as they’re connected to the earth.
The mundanity of Tom’s house:
The beans on poles finally reassure Frodo that he is safe, and the Black Riders did not approach.
All the details of this description highlight the mundane nature of Tom and Goldberry’s life.
Note: The detailed description is also an example of Tolkien’s skill at describing scenes and landscapes, which is related to his work as an illustrator of his own stories. The color descriptions show that Tolkien had a very vivid picture in his mind of the scene.
The emphasis on “the East” here is emphasizing the rising of the sun as the important moment.
In Frodo’s dream, the East is associated with fear and its source. This scene contrasts the Shadow of the East with the sunrise in the East. Both things exist simultaneously.
Mordor is set up as the false East, while the dawn is the true East.
Merry’s look out of the western window also reassures him that the trees have not attacked.
The mist is the same as they saw from the bald hill before, but there it was daunting.
Crickhollow was also covered in mist as they left, but there it was homey and comforting.
Here, the “silver-netted” hedges are related to their view of the mist back in Buckland.
This points to Tom’s house being a safe, domestic place, safe from the forest.
Tom greets his guests in the morning:
Tom immediately shows that he knows about their dreams without the hobbits telling him.
Where has Tom been this morning? He has been up before even Goldberry.
Has Tom been leaping from one hilltop to the next? It can’t be ruled out. Tom will show evidence later of being able to cross long distances quickly.
This seems to be less about the physical activity and more about Tom’s attitude.
Tom makes fun of the hobbits’ sleeping in, though he is not bothered by it.
Once again, there is a call to merriment, as there was the day before.
There is a parallel to the elves of Rivendell teasing Bilbo under his window.
The use of the nonsense words and exclamation points seem as if Tom is modulating out of the Common Speech and into expressions of pure joy.
Goldberry sings of rain:
Note: The description of the weather outside is in many ways very typical British weather.
There is irony that Frodo would call off his quest due to inclement weather.
Note: The song of the rain and its trip to the sea is like The Kalevala. Legolas will also point out the voice of the Nimrodel river, though the elves associate it with the story of Nimrodel.
Goldberry is singing about the river itself, which is also her own mother.
There is an implication, made explicit later by Tom, that Goldberry’s song is bringing the rain.
The word “delight” is used many times to describe the hobbits’ reaction to Tom and Goldberry.
Frodo seems to have forgotten the urgency of his situation, as impressed upon him by Gandalf.
In this case, Frodo chooses the coziness of indoors on a rainy day over his quest.
This may be due to a type of enchantment at work, and Frodo understands the rainy day as an invitation by Tom and Goldberry to stay for the day, and he takes that kindly.
The fact that Tom has let them sleep in also shows that they have been given license to relax and forget their troubles for the day. It doesn’t occur to them to refuse.
Also, Frodo was reluctant to leave the Shire to begin with, which was overcome by their pursuit.
The hobbits are enchanted with the idea of leaving their own world for a while.
Note: This is another upending of the fairytale trope of the witch house in the woods.
Tom deviates from his meter with transitioning to telling tales in “Tom will start the talking”.
It feels as though Goldberry’s washing day is a singular event that she does annually, much like Tom’s day to pick the last lilies.
The idea that Goldberry has an autumn washing day is a twist on a housewife’s chores.
A washing day is always not on a rainy day, so this is ironic that she chooses the rainy day.
Is the washing literal or figurative? Is it a physical cleansing or a spiritual one?
What we can be sure of is that her rain is something that effects the entire surrounding region.
Is Goldberry washing herself, and why not in the river?
Is this a spiritual cleansing of the river of Old Man Willow’s influence?
Why does Tom tell the hobbits about the rain, even though they won’t fully understand?
Tom does want to emphasize that this is Goldberry’s action above all else. Tom may be using a joking parallel/antitheses to explain the significance of the rain for the hobbits.
Why is Tom so dry when he comes in out of the rain? This may be a manifestation of Tom’s mastery. He does not choose to be wet, so he isn’t wet.
Note: Is Tom perhaps a Maia of Manwë? His love of singing and verse, his blue coloring, and his association with bird imagery and sounds point to this. He may also be associated with the river birds, the way Goldberry is associated with the river flowers.
Tom as teller of tales:
Through his stories, Tom does not focus on narrative, but rather on understanding.
Tom is trying to put the hobbits in the place of the things native to the forest.
Sam’s knowledge of the geography around Hobbiton is an example of knowledge in one’s own terms and for one’s own use. Tom wants them to know the forest for itself.
The hobbits are shown that they are outsiders to the forest, and seeing it from the trees’ point of view, they can understand how they might be viewed by the trees.
Tom does not seem to convey a list or description of incidents, but rather a point of view.
It is important that the word “lives” of the forest is used, not “life”. This communicates that there are many points of view that are part of the forest’s perspective.
This is like Gildor’s response to Frodo’s assertion of the Hobbits’ ownership of the Shire. The life of the hobbits who live in the Shire is only one part of the lives of the Shire.
Even Sam’s love of the trees, including the Party Tree, is from his perspective, not the trees’.
Old Man Willow is held as a sort of spokesperson for the trees’ perspective.
The song of Old Man Willow may have been him forcibly imposing a treeish perspective on the hobbits, but he is also locked in his own perspective.
The two perspectives cannot communicate, but Tom understands all those points of view.
Tom clearly has a certain sympathy with all points of view, even if he does not approve.
This helps explain why Tom does not intervene with Old Man Willow and other sources of trouble or evil more forcefully.
This understanding seems to be the root of Tom’s unique brand of mastery.
The Old Forest and the evils of Old Man Willow:
The danger of Old Man Willow does not necessarily make him evil, but the dominion and malice point him in that direction.
Aragorn, Gimli, and Legolas will discuss later about how things can be fair and perilous at once.
Tom has emphasized the ancientry and resilience of the Old Forest, but this recalls what is lost.
Old Man Willow is the greatest of the trees who have been filled with pride, wisdom, and malice, but he is by far not the only one. Many older trees have been inclined to corruption.
In dealing with natural forces, good vs. evil discussions seem out of place, but where malice is present it may be appropriate.
There can be evils in a natural event or force, but those are not moral evils. Morality can only be imposed upon creatures if they have free will and make choices.
This is not anthropomorphism, but rather seeing the choices of the trees from their perspective.
Note: The word “malice” is used outside of the Old Forest only to describe Sauron and Gollum.
Note: Is Caradhras’ cruelty evil? In as much as be makes a choice, it would seem so.
With free will comes moral agency, and therefore a responsibility for one’s own choices.
The moral responsibility of the trees to not harm innocents is separate from Tom’s understanding of the trees’ anger at the wrongs done to them.
The hobbits are included in those who the trees see as destructive to them.
However, in the end, Tom’s sympathy for the trees’ perspective does not make him justify their deeds or not refer to them as evil.
There is a sense in which Tom does not answer the question of whether Old Man Willow is evil.
Tom only highlights the aspects of Old Man Willow that would point to evil, but he discourages us to think about the trees in exactly those terms.
Tom is clearly good in his values and actions but does not make judgements of good and evil. Tom is master, not judge.
There is a distinction between “lordship” or leadership over “dominion”. Leadership is not inherently evil, and but the seeking or imposition of power tends that way.
The question about the authority or dominion of Old Man Willow is like Frodo’s question about Tom’s identity. It seems to be a question if he is the legitimate lord or a usurper and despot.
Old Man Willow seems to have conquered the other trees, and is seemingly more like a tree demagogue who has swayed the other trees to his side.
Any parallel to Morgoth or Sauron in Old Man Willow may or may not be appropriate, as the thinking of a tree is not the same as that of a non-tree.
Do the wild trees have contempt for domesticated trees as collaborators with the enemy? Perhaps, yes, but also perhaps as prisoners or slaves.
