Tony Meade
Active Member
SESSION 35
A response to the shadow:
A response to the shadow:
- There is a juxtaposition between the ominous shadow that passes by the window and the sudden appearance of Goldberry framed in light.
- The image of the light flowing through Goldberry’s hand shows that she is more translucent than a normal person.
- That light might be more like light shining through a flower petal or leaves.
- She is framed in light, even though it is currently dark outside.
- The last time the hobbits were aware of her location, she was outside and above them on a hill singing in the rain.
- It was very dark in the room at the time, as Tom must light a candle from hers.
- Note: It is easy to let personal biases and various adaptations skew our mental pictures of the scenes away from what is described in the text.
- If the shadow was not Goldberry, what might it have been? There are many possibilities.
- There might not be anything, but an effect of the hobbits’ nerves and fears.
- The shadow is likely not Goldberry, as they see the shadow outside in the opposite direction from which Goldberry appears inside.
- Was Goldberry inside the whole time, since she seems dry? Her dryness isn’t necessarily a sign of this, as we’ve seen Tom choose not to be wet from the rain.
- Tom does not need to wave his arms to stay dry, as he seems to enjoy the movement.
- Note: We likely cannot be accused of overthinking these details compared to Tolkien, who obsessed over details such as the moon phases.
- We don’t know how much time has passed since the morning, as they have been enchanted by Tom’s storytelling, so we don’t know how long Goldberry has been back in the house.
- Could the light framing Goldberry be a remnant of their enchantment? There does seem to be an unusual amount of light for a single candle.
- In any event, the light which frames and passes through Goldberry is uncanny and unnatural.
- All the verbs describing Tom’s movements are about some type of bouncing around.
- Their change of clothing seems to a twist on the Victorian notion of dressing for dinner.
- It’s interesting that Tom’s description uses all flower imagery. He may be wearing this in honor of his wife. Goldberry usually has similar forget-me-not flowers in her belt.
- Note: Goldberry’s fish-mail shoes may be a reference to Tolkien’s poem, “Princess Mee”. The fishes’ mail shoes seem to be associated with fairies and Faerie.
- There is an odd juxtaposition between the humor and silliness of Tom’s movements and the grace and beauty of Goldberry’s.
- Tom’s lack of caring about his silliness is important to his character.
- Tolkien emphasizes the differences, not to put them at odds, but to show how they fit together.
- The dance that they do is functional, as it serves the purpose of hospitality to their guests.
- The hobbits do not shake off their fear and awe all at once. Rather, it takes them watching Tom and Goldberry’s movement and eating dinner to break the enchantment.
- Goldberry’s song is a song of the river, but this does not invalidate her association with flowers.
- She is the daughter of the river and lived there a long time before leaving to live with Tom, and therefore can tell the hobbits about the life of the river.
- The point of view is not from the river’s, as they could only see the stars in the pools watching them from above. This may represent the rain’s point of view.
- Note: These images of stars in the pools are reminiscent of both Cuiviénen and Kheled-zâram.
- The hobbits have seen stars and pools before, but the description hints at something mythical.
- Goldberry is clearly weaving her own enchantment for the hobbits in her songs.
- We don’t know in what fashion the news has reached Tom, though there are some possibilities.
- There could have been an Elf messenger, a bird or beast messenger, or direct communication.
- The trees themselves could also have passed the news to Tom.
- This is all to say that Tom did not share with the hobbits how that information reached him
- It would seem to say that Gildor’s elves know who Tom is and how to reach him.
- Gildor would have more chance to know Tom than Elrond, who does not travel much anymore.
- Tom did say that he had heard news of the hobbits prior to their arrival, but he also seemed aware of their arrival in the forest after they arrived.
- How often does Tom go to the Shire and speak with Farmer Maggot?
- The poem about Tom’s boating seems to take place after this time, after Merry and the other Buckland hobbits become familiar with him.
- Merry would have heard of Tom before if they were familiar with him before now.
- It seems more likely that Farmer Maggot has gone into the Old Forest to visit time.
- Tom’s trip on the boat seems to be a first, or at least unusual, according the poem.
- Farmer Maggot may have encountered Tom Bombadil as a wilder youth braving the Old Forest and maintained his connection as he got older.