Tony Meade
Active Member
SESSION 54
Comment on the use of the word “gleam”:
Comment on the use of the word “gleam”:
- Tolkien uses the word 121 times in The Lord of the Rings and alliterates it 41 times.
- This is an unusually frequent use of that word among English-language authors.
- More data would need to be collected to see where the word occurs most frequently.
- It seems as though Tolkien alliterates more when he lapses into Old English speech, particularly around the passages on Rohan.
- Frodo is willing to share more with Strider after the news of the Black Riders, even though Strider has not given him much more to go on about himself.
- In doing this, he openly confirms who he is, which prompts Strider to show solidarity with him.
- The only person previous to that who had encountered the Black Riders and took their side was Farmer Maggot. Tom Bombadil took their side but has not encountered them.
- Butterbur, or one of his employees, would have mentioned that a party from the Shire had come in; also, Harry at the gate. Thus, their absence in the common-room would be noticed.
- Shire-hobbits travel to The Prancing Pony as a final destination, but not to pass through.
- Overall, going to the common-room was a bad idea for them to go unnoticed. They were always going to the Pony, but they could have stayed in the room, as both Frodo and Strider say.
- Only after Frodo shows his willingness to appeal to Strider is it safe for Strider to say that he would have tried to stop them from going to the common-room.
- Frodo seems to take it at face value that Strider is on their side, and then feels like he needs to ask about Butterbur’s trustworthiness. Frodo really wants to trust Strider.
- Is Frodo testing Strider? Frodo’s lack of experience and hobbit nature don’t point to it.
- Only when Strider says something that could be taken darkly does he show suspicion.
- Frodo has been growing, both since carrying the Ring and being named an Elf-friend. This seems to give him an instinctive ability to discern motives. This will be noticed later as well.
- Goldberry commented on Frodo’s status as an Elf-friend was visible, and Galadriel will notice Frodo’s expanded vision in Lórien later, too.
- Strider reveals that he and Butterbur have been working at cross-purposes, but any hint of evil in him in contradicted by his personality and reputation.
- Butterbur was the one who had suggested that they go to the common-room, so, since Strider would have advised the opposite, it tells against Butterbur being on their side.
- Strider pulls Frodo back from going too far by reminding him that his own appearance is less than trustworthy and reminds them to be on their guard.
- Note: What is the historical definition of “rascal”? Frodo thinks using that term when he believes that he is being shaken, and Strider uses the word to describe his appearance. In Chaucerian Middle English, “rascail” is used to describe someone violent and untrustworthy. The literal meaning is a soldier of common birth, but it takes on a moral connotation, like “villain”. Therefore, to be “rascally” would mean someone suspected of rough, unscrupulous behavior, up to and including violence. This might include the friends of Falstaff in Henry IV & V.
- It does not seem that Frodo is displaying a dark attraction for Strider, as when Strider displays those characteristics, Frodo resists him.
- Butterbur has never suspected evil or trouble from Strider. He only takes against his mysteriousness and rough appearance.
- Note: It’s not uncommon in any language for classist connotations regarding words describing low or common people to become their denotations, such as “vulgar” and “pagan” in Latin.
- Is Strider proud of how well his disguise is working, in a wry way? Maybe, from his expression.
- Strider uses the word “prank” to describe Frodo’s disappearance, which assumes that he had done this on purpose. The specific use of that word recalls Bilbo’s disappearance at the Party.
- Note: Bilbo had planned to use the Ring on purpose the first time, as he would have thought it funny. However, this was not necessary for him to leave the Shire. He just wanted the Joke.
- Even though this is not a good interpretation of Frodo’s intentions, having it be a prank is the most generous interpretation, as it does not imply malicious intent.
- Note: In a modern setting, the use of “prank” has the connotation of some minor cruelty for the prankster’s own pleasure. Bilbo does want to make the partygoers uncomfortable.
- Strider is willing to go along with the accident explanation, though he has his misgivings and suspects the power of the Ring is at play. He is hinting that he knows how the Ring works.
- Strider does not believe that Frodo is lying about the accident, but that Frodo is mistaken.
- He partly concedes to the accident explanation to avoid talking about the Ring in public.
- Strider is the one to reveal that he knows that the Black Riders are not merely horsemen, even though Frodo does not mention.
- Strider’s revelation that he knows specifics about the Riders but does not choose to reveal it.
- Does Strider know ring-lore? He would have learned some from Gandalf, and he has some experience with the Nazgul, but there are gaps in his knowledge and experience.
- Bill Ferny is a Bree native, and his bad reputation is well-known, but the southerner is a stranger.
- Strider does imply that he believes that most of the people from the South are refugees, but he also knows that there are bad people planted in among them.
- Strider wants the hobbits to know that Ferny is also willing to cause trouble for its own sake.
- Frodo is not being subtle or attempting to deceive Strider by denying that he understands Strider’s news, but he rather wants to convince himself that his trouble less than it could be.
- Note: In the early drafts, the hobbit Trotter was captured and tortured (and possibly maimed) by the Black Riders, and his reaction to speaking of them is a reaction to that. This is preserved in the text here, but not explained, though it’s clear that Strider has experience with the Nazgul.
- The capitalization of “Night” points something more ominous about the darkness outside.
- Why does Strider bring up his age in his appeal to the hobbits?
- Strider leads with emphasizing the hobbits’ danger and wants Frodo to stop fooling himself about the news reaching the Black Riders.
- Before, Strider had tested them by asking for reward, and then dropped that demand. Now, Strider is making a sales pitch to accompany them for their sake.
- Strider uses his age as one of his qualifications that sets him apart, and even more than they know by his appearance and his reputation among the Bree-folk.
- At this point, using his age as an example, he begins to hint that he is not as he appears.
- This is also a very vague hint as to his Numenorean heritage. He does not look young; his grey hairs reveal that. He wants them to know that there is more to it without betraying his identity.
- The hobbits know that there is something uncanny and strange about the Black Riders, but they don’t know anything specific. Strider wants them to know that he has that information.
- Strider is the first person they’ve encountered since Gildor who knows about the Riders.
- Note: Strider uses the word “terrible” for the Riders in its older meaning of “full of terror”.
- Strider ends by saying roughly the opposite of what Gildor does. Gildor claims not to know enough to advise Frodo; Strider says that he does know.
- Gildor had told them that knowing more would cause them to be scared into inaction, while Strider tells them that they should be more afraid to motivate them to act.
- Strider is very specific about referring to “Strider” in the third person, which is his acknowledgement that “Strider” is a part that he acts and cultivates for some purpose.
- Frodo’s statement that he believes that the horsemen have missed them leads Strider to believe that the hobbits do not have the right amount of fear, along with their actions in Bree.