Episode 95 Summary

[Tony Meade]

SESSION 95

Comment on the use of alliteration in the Ford passage:

• The sentence describing Frodo’s final escape from the Ringwraiths is very dense with alliteration, which is one of Tolkien’s favorite techniques.
• All of the alliterated groups of words are also connected by their meanings and context.
• Tolkien is also fond of using assonance in these related words, playing with the sounds.
• This comes together to lend an archaic, Anglo-Saxon flavor to the passages, and his use of parataxis is also very common in his action scenes, or scenes of high tension.
• This may be a natural by product of his lifelong study Germanic alliterative verse, though its use may be more unconscious than conscious, trying to find the right sound and rhythm.
• The alliterated words also come at focal points of each sentence, drawing attention to them.
• The use of these effects partially explains why the text remains memorable for readers.

Frodo has many questions:

• Why is Sam absent from this scene if he’d tended Frodo for the whole time? From an author’s perspective, it gives Frodo a chance to have a private conversation with Gandalf.
• It allows the impact of Sam’s arrival to be heightened, and by separating the two events, each one gets its own emphasis. Also, Gandalf gets a chance to speak about Sam without him there.
• Frodo’s explanation of his experience of dimness seems to imply that he thinks he should be able to remember things more clearly now that the dimness is removed, but that’s not so.
• Frodo may also be saying that his memory of the events is even dimmer than the experience.
• He is experiencing normal senses now, but this makes him more aware of the abnormal.
• Note: Tolkien himself experienced something similar to this when he woke up in the hospital after recovering from trench fever in WWI.
• This is different from the experience from waking from a disjointed dream which made sense at the time, but rather that the original experience seemed disjointed at the time, and still does.
• Frodo may also be feeling as though he has lost something of his memories in the wraith world.
• This is not an effect that was discussed during the trip to Rivendell, and he wasn’t part of those.
• This is why he is desperate to have Gandalf to explain what happened to him, to re-anchor him in understanding, as he has been without understanding for a long time.
• He also wants Gandalf to connect the memories he does have into a coherent narrative.
• Frodo’s grouping of the Merry, Pippin, Strider, and Glorfindel as “the others” is not a slight on them, but he highlights Sam’s loyalty and care, and is surprised to not find him there.
• Frodo also feels responsible for Sam and has grown in his understanding of Sam’s loyalty.

Gandalf gives a few answers:

• Gandalf’s use of the word “fade” refers back to their conversation in Bag End, when he explained what happens to mortals who use a Ring of Power.
• He also makes the connection to the wound, and how that had been doing something similar.
• There is an implicit warning for the future for Frodo, citing this as what might happen later.
• Gandalf praise is paired with affection, and he emphasizes Frodo’s strength over his good luck.
• When Gandalf mentioned the absurd things before, Frodo had reviewed his mistakes, but Gandalf feels the need to soften this with his praise and understanding.
• Why was the barrow the most dangerous moment? Because in the other instances, he had support, whereas in the barrow he was on his own and subject to two different evil powers.
• Therefore, his hewing of the hand in the barrow is the bravest thing that he does alone. This is coupled with his calling of Tom Bombadil, which also required strength.
• It’s not clear that he was in more purely physical danger in the barrow than on Weathertop.
• Note: The original meaning of “touch and go” was regarding the near crash of two carriages on a road, when they come too close to each other. This phrase was also used in the Great Goblin’s lair in The Hobbit, concerning Gandalf’s magic to aid their escape.
• The Barrow-wight also had a home ground advantage over Frodo the Witch-king did not.

Frodo’s reticence to speak of the Ring:

• The fact that Frodo never told the others about his experience in the barrow is important, as he may have been ashamed of his Ring temptation. He doesn’t talk much about Ring experiences.
• Frodo rationalizes things regarding the Ring often, in order to excuse his own behavior.
• Note: Within the frame of Frodo as narrator, this makes part of the text a confession of his failures, and he also has to explain aspects of bearing the Ring he didn’t understand at the time.
• He may assume that none of the others could understand what it was like to carry the Ring.
• Note: After the Ring is destroyed, much that was unclear about the Ring is cleared up for him.
• Note: Dr. Michael Drout has theorized that the shift in tone between the first three chapters and the rest of the novel is explained that those chapters were the ones written by Bilbo in Rivendell, so those have more in common with the tone of The Hobbit. Frodo and Sam are known to be reluctant to change anything written by Bilbo, so this tone is preserved.

Gandalf ‘s knowledge of hidden things:

• Gandalf’s mention of being able to read Frodo’s mind and memory is very casual, as if this is just a given, and its possible that he has done this before.
• Note: As the Maia Olórin, he is associated with dreams and thoughts, so this is understandable.
• Does Frodo talk in his sleep normally, or part of the effects of the wound and/or his recovery?
• Frodo seems to have been drifting in and out of consciousness, of which he has no memory.
• Note: Gandalf may be doing something similar to Pippin after he looks into the palantir later.
• Gandalf’s admonishment not to worry seems to be to comfort Frodo that he does not disapprove of Frodo or think badly of him.
• Is Gandalf’s reading of Frodo’s mind a transgressive act? He may only be interpreting what Frodo has been saying in his sleep, not using a form of telepathy, but this is also possible.
• Gandalf may be combining Frodo’s talk with his own general knowledge and the stories of the other companions to piece the story together. Therefore, he is “reading” as interpretation.
• He also has enough lore about the Ring to infer Frodo’s experiences with it as well.
• Note: It is important that Galadriel later will do something explicitly like telepathy on them. We are also told that she, Elrond, and Gandalf commune in their minds later.
• Had Gandalf been capable of reading minds, he might have used that on Gollum or Bilbo earlier.
• Note: Tolkien might not be willing to use the idea of reading minds in a telepathy context, as this is more of a science fiction concept. The late 19th and early 20th centuries were a time of much focus on spiritualists and psychics, and this is reflected in the literature, including Dracula.

Frodo’s veiled reproach of Gandalf:

• Gandalf’s absence is commented on by Frodo in the context of Strider’s necessary help.
• There is a sense of a post hoc rationalization by Gandalf, in that he was able to draw off part of the Nine away from the party, as well as the growth in the strength of the hobbits.
• Gandalf may be considering the role of Providence in these events, and his role in that. They probably would not have passed through the Old Forest with him, and not gotten the benefits.
• He also seems to be deliberately understating his imprisonment and betrayal by Saruman, but he uses the passive voice to avoid talking about this subject right then.
• Gandalf uses “our ruin”, not “your”, in that there were more people in peril than just Frodo.

Frodo’s worries:

• Gandalf says that Frodo is not supposed to be worried by any news he may get, but it is precisely this lack of news that worries Frodo. This is similar to is conversation with Gildor.
• Frodo is also saying that giving hints is more likely to make him worried than candid answers.
• Frodo is asserting that Gandalf owes him an explanation as recompense for his absence.
• Why does Gandalf want to wait for the Council to reveal what really happened with him?

END OF SESSION