Tony Meade
Active Member
SESSION 343
The notched blade:
The notched blade:
- Note: The passive voice emphasizes the sound, rather than the active hearing by the Company.
- Striking the hard, unyielding surface of the troll’s arm is consistent with hitting an immovable object, creating vibrations that can rattle bones and cause the implement to be dropped.
- This would also cause the edge of the sword to be flattened and dented and curled back, which is similar to what happens when a sword strikes another blade, shield, or armor along its edge.
- The quality of the steel can change the amount of this effect, though Boromir would have a well-made sword, so this speaks to the toughness of the arm of the troll rather than the smith work.
- Boromir would not have survived as an experienced warrior if he easily dropped his sword, so it must only be the surprise not striking flesh and rather something much harder that he did it.
- The troll is acting like a battering ram, and once it forces the door partly open, he brings his arm to force it the rest of the way, but this seemingly creates an opening for Boromir to strike it.
- The sword does not seem to even penetrate the skin, as Boromir thinks it would on anyone else.
- Note: The use of the semicolon shows Tolkien’s unique sense of syntax, having the conjunction “but” after puts the two clauses next to each other but in opposition and showing the contrast. The emphasis is on how things did not go as planned, with the action creating unexpected results, so there is also a parallel prepositional phrase at the end of each clause showing that. The proposition that his blade is notched gets its own sentence, showing its importance.
- These events show the danger that the Company is currently in, as Boromir is the strongest and one of the most valiant among them, and he was unable to do any damage to their enemy at all.
- There is no sense given as to how the Company feels about this, but the experience is described.
- This suggests that Boromir doesn’t have much or any experience with trolls, and Sam’s earlier song seems to show that even he knows more about the lore of trolls and their toughness.
- Boromir’s sword had been described during the leaving at Rivendell, so its importance had been implied, so the fact that a weapon of great lineage would fail when they need it is disheartening.
- It’s not clear if Anduril or Glamdring would fare any better, though it is possible that they would.
- Note: It is likely that the lore that Aragorn’s grandfather was slain by trolls was not yet written at the time of the composition of this passage. Also, the films portray trolls in general as far more vulnerable to weapons than they are in the book, as they are slain by arrows far more easily.
- While this troll attack proceeds, it seems as if the Orcs are taking no action themselves to get in.
- This once again shows that the Orcs are not a mindless mob but acting with discipline on orders.
- Even though there is evidence that the attack is by a troll, especially since Gandalf reported the presence of the cave-troll in the corridor, the hobbits don’t ever see the troll itself at the door.
- Note: The switch to the passive voice keeps the source of these events unspoken and unseen.
- All that the hobbits see are the blow on the door and the shaking as whatever begins moving it.
- Only the arm and foot reveal whatever it may be, but even then, the identification is obscured.
- Note: The deliberate obfuscation allows Tolkien to do a horror-movie-style reveal of the monster, by at first only showing its effects and its great strength without actually seeing it. This is similar to sighting only the dorsal fin of the shark in Jaws, using the imagination to sharpen it.
- There is an inverse parallel with the Watcher in the Water, in which the arms of the creature are seen but not the whole body, but in that case, they are closing the doors versus opening them.
- Note: In action scenes, Tolkien’s tendency is to use a paratactic sentence structure in which short, independent clauses are used as separate sentences, often joined up with conjunctions. This causes a sense of momentum in the prose and gives an active feeling of events unfolding.
- It is notable that Boromir surges forward while the rest of the Company retreats across the room, securing the door singlehandedly, and it’s not clear that Boromir retreats afterwards.
- Gandalf and Aragorn had already taken their positions, but there is no indication of the others.
- The word “yet” shows that there is still hope of retreat, but not at this time, because the door is not going to hold, and proving Aragorn correct about needing to make them fear the chamber.
- The reveal of the troll comes in the context of Aragorn saying that they need to fight, and while they feared a horde of Orcs coming through the door, what they face at first seems much worse.
- Boromir’s actions are significant in that it shows his instinct is to move toward danger, and not away, and acts appropriately and cleverly under pressure, springing into action when needed.
- The sword stroke shows that he believes that he will be able to fight the troll and not just die.
- Note: Later, during Boromir’s eulogy, he is called “Boromir the Bold”, remembering this quality about him, and up to this point, he has shown himself to be admirable, if not always agreeable. There have been no reasons to distrust him, even if there have been differences of opinion.
- The sword’s failure to affect the troll does provide the Company with their threat assessment.
- The difference between this foot and a normal foot emphasizes its strangeness, while still comparing it to human feet and not to other feet like hooves or talons, aside from its size.
- The foot itself does not reveal what it is attached to, while the arm and shoulder are familiar.
- The abnormality is revealed with the green scales, showing that this is not a human creature.
- Note: Frodo’s attack against the troll’s foot will be the last time he strikes a blow in the story.