Episode 37 Summary

[Tony Meade]

SESSION 37

Comment on the “far green country” in Frodo’s vision:

• The vision could be a promise to Frodo, rather than encouragement.
• The veil may represent Frodo’s journey and sufferings, showing that they will be transformed into a thing of beauty, not taken away.
• Frodo’s journey will later be compared with the great tales of the First Age.
• There is a parallel between this and Manwë’s statement about the Noldor in The Silmarillion that they’re songs will be “dear-bought”, and yet “well-bought”.
• If this is true, the land would be Valinor itself, promising healing after Frodo’s suffering.
• The themes of darkness leading to light, and suffering leading to healing, especially the unexpected kind, are in line with the themes in The Silmarillion, and “On Fairy-Stories”.
• The vision may be less a concrete promise of Valinor specifically, but of the idea of healing after suffering, as a metaphor.
• Valinor is still part of a fallen Arda, while the far green country may be more of the perfected idea of Valinor, not the actual place.
• This is a visual manifestation of the concept of estel, or high hope and faith.
• The healing of Frodo may be a stand-in for hope for the healing of the world overall.
• Frodo’s healing would make him greater than what he was before, and what he could imagine.
• In this sense, Valinor is an echo of the vision’s promise, rather than a fulfillment.
• Is Frodo seeing something of the place where all mortals go after then leave the circles of the world? That is possible, and that is why the vision is not of a plottable place.
• This is related to Sam’s later question about all the bad things being made untrue at the Fields of Cormallen.

Comment on the placement of the dream among the chapters:

• Why does the dream begin chapter 8, instead of coming at the end chapter 7?
• The other dreams have taken place at the end of chapters. This is also true in The Hobbit. So, this is a break in that pattern.
• The reason for the difference here is that each of those dreams is at the end of a sequence of related events. In this case, we have not yet reached the end of this sequence.
• The effect of the choice to have it differ from the other dreams is to highlight it as a separate experience from the other dreams, as well as Tom and Goldberry’s songs and stories.
• It is also placed here to emphasize its connection to the journey that they are about to start, not the one that they have already completed.
• The way that the vision bleeds into the real things Frodo sees in the morning also does this.
• The sequence of three chapters has the time in the house of Tom Bombadil bookended by the adventures before and after the house.
• This vision was necessary before Frodo could proceed with the post-Bombadil section of this journey, and for the whole quest more generally.

Frodo’s farewell to his fair lady:

• It appears Goldberry’s washing day has worked, as everything is described as clean.
• Does Tom know they will be running into trouble later, and this explains his quick goodbye?
• This may not be precognition on Tom’s part, just a knowledge of the road ahead.
• Goldberry is dancing on the hilltops, much like Tom has talked about doing.
• Goldberry’s voice is described like descending running water or rain.
• This hill-brow is likely where Goldberry had been standing when she was singing the day before.
• There is a comparison to be made between Frodo/Goldberry and Gimli/Galadriel later.
• There is a different in the enchantment between the two pairs. Frodo sings about Goldberry in a similar way to Tom, so his appreciation is in accord with Tom’s. He even uses the same meter.
• The quality of the affection is different, even though it is similar in nature.
• Goldberry in many ways different and higher than the elf queens they encounter.
• Gimli adopts Galadriel as his “lady”, in a quasi-Arthurian way, like a courtly love.
• Frodo doesn’t adopt this chivalrous attitude, as he understands that she is fundamentally different from him as a corporeal being.
• Frodo will also not refer to Goldberry after this moment, whereas Galadriel changes Gimli permanently.
• Frodo’s awe of Goldberry seems to be natural in the house of Tom Bombadil.
• When in Tom’s house, one thinks as Tom thinks. Tom shows this in his invitation to experience the life of the forest.
• Note: Whenever there is a union between two spiritual beings, such as the Valar or Tom and Goldberry, there is always a quasi-allegorical nature to that union. Goldberry is like an embodiment of the Withywindle itself, so his marriage to her is like a marriage to the land. So, when one understands and loves Tom’s land, one will then love Goldberry in a similar way.

A new country before the hobbits:

• Note: Tolkien has a love for words beginning with the “gl” sound, like “glimmer” and “glass”. He has before used words like “glint” and “gleam” and “gloom” and likes alliterating them.
• Note: Tolkien also uses his experience as a painter as he describes landscapes.
• There is a contrast between their experience of viewing the landscape from atop the bald hill, and while they were relieved, they were being deceived by the trees.
• It seems likely that they would have seen Tom’s hill before, but it was hidden from them.
• In this case, they are being shown the true landscape by Goldberry, but they find it ominous.
• There are lots of natural explanations for the mists that they encounter, but there is a clear correlation between mists and uncanny experiences.
• It’s important to remember that Goldberry has cleaned the air, and for this reason they are able to see the whole landscape clearly and without trickery.
• They are also able to see even beyond the things that they know, and though they cannot see the mountains, they have heard of them and can see the signs of their approach.
• The use of the word of “memory” is interesting, as none of them have been to the mountains. Only Bilbo has been there and told stories. Is the connection of memory and tales a hendiadys?
• Note: Hendiadys is a technique where two words that modify each other are separated by a conjunction to draw attention to each individually.
• Is it possible that the land is speaking to the hobbits literally here, like the stones to Legolas later in Hollin? It’s not out of the question, though in this case it’s likely metaphorical.
• Note: There is an evocation of the mountains behind Niggle’s tree in “Leaf by Niggle” here.

Goodbye to Goldberry:

• Goldberry seems to divert the hobbits’ attention from their bowing to her to the land about.
• This is a gift from Goldberry, now that she has cleaned the air for them to see.
• Note: The use of the word “lusty” is interesting in this context. “Lust” in Middle English is not exclusively erotic, but any strong desire, and is not held as questionable as in modern times. This is the meaning in which Tolkien uses the word, as well as “lusty” or “lustily”. When used as an adjective or adverb, the meaning is metaphorical, and is connected to joy and physical vigor. The joy is the joy of pursuing one’s desire with enthusiasm.
• Goldberry speaks another benediction over the hobbits, as she did before.
• Keeping north will send the hobbits along with way where they are always west of the barrows.
• Between the vision they are given, Goldberry’s blessing, and the pleasantness of the country as they set out make for a wholesome beginning for their journey toward the Barrow-downs.
• Goldberry has given them a physical vision, and Tom has given them a temporal vision, showing them that the Barrow-downs are only a small and temporary blight on the landscape.
• Goldberry is like the “light and high beauty that no shadow can touch”, but she has “condescended” amongst the mortals and earthly experience.
• It’s interesting that we are not told what Goldberry says in her final call, and it is melancholy that they never see Goldberry again after their merry meeting.

END OF SESSION