Episode 77 Summary

Tony Meade

Active Member
SESSION 77

Comment on Aragorn’s actions during the Ringwraith attack:
  • The passage of time in the scene is distorted by the time it takes to read the descriptions.
  • If Aragorn is the central point of the spiritual influence, then he would be the focus of the power of the Nazgûl in order to get him to hesitate long enough to attack Frodo.
  • Note: Whatever theory is crafted about Aragorn’s actions is unsupported by any text.
  • Once Frodo’s focus is narrowed by the power of the Witch-king and putting on the Ring, Frodo would have no vision of what the other four were doing during the attack.
  • The coincidence of Frodo’s counterattack and invocation of Elbereth and Aragorn’s attack is not an accident. It was only after the Witch-king was repelled that Aragorn snaps back into action.
  • In the spiritual battle, Aragorn’s leaping in with the flaming brands is a viable counterattack.
  • The power of Elbereth’s name, or Elbereth herself, would break the spell of the Witch-king, but Aragorn would also be able to recover quickly once the spell was broken.
  • Note: Aragorn seems to have had some kind of negative encounter with the Nazgûl, based on the PTSD-like reaction to talking about them. This is something with which Tolkien would be familiar within his own life and other WWI veterans, and later with his sons who served in WWII.
  • There may also be a kind of blindness associated with the power of the Nazgûl, and this could have affected Aragorn and the others. We’ve seen Merry’s sight affected by the Black Breath.
  • Note: This scene survived almost unchanged from its earliest version, so there’s no evidence that Tolkien had alternate versions that revealed more of what happened in the dell.
Comment on the absence of revisions:
  • Tolkien’s primary method of revision is to leave the text unchanged as much as possible, but re-contextualizing that text through the new material in other passages.
  • The example of the barrow blade that flickers red is something that was there from the first drafts, long before it was associated with Arnor or the Dúnedain.
  • Christopher Tolkien has said that the removal of an idea from an earlier text doesn’t mean that his father actually changed his mind, but rather he chose to make it implicit rather than explicit.
  • Reading the earlier drafts is useful to learn what was in Tolkien’s mind as he wrote and changed the story, but it may or may not help us to understand the final text.
  • It’s possible that in the case of the barrow blade, the original interpretation of the red glow was something to do with the power of the Witch-king, or even Frodo’s will, but the text doesn’t say.
  • After introducing the idea of Arnor, and that this blade was made by the Dúnedain, we are led to associate that red flickering with a power infused in it by them.
  • Without an explicit retcon, should we turn to the earlier drafts? That can be a risk, because we don’t always know if Tolkien changed his mind or not, and the final text may not work with that.
  • The final text, and speculating on what we can glean from that, is always the better option.
  • We can also assume that in some cases, Tolkien invented an image, such as the first appearance Black Rider, for which he now needs to invent backstory to explain afterwards.
  • Tolkien often described his writing process as a discovery, rather than as a creation.
  • The History of Middle-earth series is more appropriate for those who have a strong familiarity with the published texts, as it requires one to hold the final text in mind to see the changes.
Frodo comes to himself beside the fire:
  • Note: The phrase “came to himself” echoes a similar moment in The Hobbit where Bilbo wakes up after the Battle of Five Armies and carries a similar idea of having been out of commission.
  • There doesn’t seem to be a large amount of time that had gone by, but enough time has passed that they have found him, moved him to a fire which they build up, and Strider to leave.
  • The fact that the hobbits are urgently standing over Frodo suggests that it may have only been several minutes since they found and moved him before Frodo wakes up.
  • Under the circumstances, Frodo being unconscious and Strider being absent for even a few minutes would be worrying, as they would wonder if they are about to be attacked again.
  • We had been given one small glimpse of Sam’s point of view during the attack, but this passage fills that out more. We also learn that the others were unable to see much detail at the time.
  • Sam makes it clear that everything happened very quickly and most of it was invisible.
  • Why does the black shadow rush past Sam, if he is cowering on the ground next to Frodo? Frodo might back away from the Witch-king after he puts on the Ring, which separates him from Sam.
  • The black shadow itself is certainly the Witch-king, as he is the one wraith who continues forward with Frodo draws his sword, though it’s not clear when he passes by Sam.
  • Once Frodo puts on the Ring, Sam is unable to do anything to help him, though he may move toward the Ringwraiths. This breaks the spiritual support that was Strider was trying to achieve.
  • It’s possible that Sam was closer to the Witch-king to begin with, while still facing outwards.
  • It seems that the stabbing was always part of the plan, though the Witch-king had intended to stab Frodo in the heart and take him back to Mordor in wraith-form.
  • The Witch-king had advanced with the knife in hand to stab, just as the Ringwraith had done in Crickhollow, but was thwarted by the invocation of Elbereth, and stabbed as a parting shot.
  • Note: Maybe this is also what happened to Eärnur, last king of Gondor, at Minas Morgul.
The disappearing of Strider.
  • The hobbits seem unnerved by Strider vanishing into the night, and though he’s gained their confidence, Sam has always been untrusting of Strider, the most among the hobbits.
  • Frodo and the others may have noticed that Strider hasn’t been candid with them about everything that is happening, thought partly to manage their fear.
  • Strider doesn’t consider the hobbits to be colleagues in the way he might think of Gandalf. He would have discussed things like the flame on the mountaintop with Gandalf.
  • Strider is there to help and guide and protect them, not to be their friend. He has taken them on as charges, almost in a paternalistic way.
  • Note: He and Gandalf will continue to interact differently and in a more collegial way when the Fellowship is travelling than with the other members.
  • Strider may have made an oversight in not telling the hobbits where he was going, but he may not have been in a clear frame of mind following the Ringwraiths attack.
  • He had given Merry compliments for his courage for pursuing the Ringwraith in Bree, so it’s remarkable that he gives chase to five of the Ringwraiths here.
  • Strider may be thinking more in the way that he would if he were alone in the wild.
Strider reappears:
  • Strider doesn’t think that the fight is over and needs to see if the Ringwraiths have withdrawn or are going to attack again. He seems surprised that they have left.
  • Sam shows his own stout heart by drawing his sword when he thinks Strider is a Black Rider. He also puts himself between Frodo and whatever danger is approaching.
  • Sam seems to already know it is Strider by the time his sword is drawn and stands over Frodo.
  • Strider understands exactly the conclusion to which will jump, and he doesn’t react to Sam’s brandishing his sword. He allows Sam to do whatever he will while he tends to Frodo.
  • This willingness to accept whatever Sam chooses helps to disarm his suspicions, along with his gentle words and explanations of his movements.
  • Why did Strider find no sign of the movements of the Black Riders? This is partly because it is still very dark, and he wouldn’t be able to track them as he could in daylight.
  • He also doesn’t seem to be tracking them necessarily, but rather feeling for their presence.
END OF SESSION
 

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