Session 7 Summary

[Tony Meade]

SESSION 7

On Gollum’s interest in “roots and beginnings”

• Is this an inside joke at Tolkien’s own profession as a philologist?
• Gollum’s curiosity is not a bad thing, but it opens him up to fall, like Fëanor and Melkor.
• Gollum is a very small and mean character but has an outsized effect.

On the Ring verse, again:

• Is the translator to the common tongue of the Ring's text Gandalf or Bilbo?
• This must be Gandalf’s direct translation, as reported by Frodo.

On the “not wholly vain” deeds of the Last Alliance:

• This at first appears to be faint praise from Gandalf of the defeat of the Great Enemy.
• From the long view of the Elves, the Last Alliance was ultimately a failure.
• From the point of view of mortals, it is an unbelievable success, due to the time constrains of those involved. In Gondor and Arnor, in the centuries following, it seemed to have worked.
• Gandalf undermines the great deeds with his faint praise, though it is praise, nonetheless.
• Gandalf is also emphasizing hope for defeating Sauron, as it has been done before.

On sad stories in Tolkien:

• Gandalf goes first for the sorrow and gathering dark that was present in the first rise of Sauron.
• He also uses this to connect it to the present time for Frodo.
• The sorrow seems to be at least as important as the great deeds that follow.
• Stories of sorrow seem to have a power in Tolkien to move people to action.

On Gollum’s history as a hobbit:

• Frodo’s use of the words “loathsome” and “abominable” is interesting. This is a very strong reaction to the idea that Gollum was connected to Hobbits like himself.
• Gandalf’s switch into a storytelling tone seems to be in order to set up Frodo for the reveal of Gollum as Sméagol, the Stoor hobbit.
• Frodo knows the Gollum story from Bilbo. He’s always viewed Gollum as a monster.
• Frodo is experiencing a certain amount of cognitive dissonance, based on the old story, and violently opposes it.
• Gandalf’s tone of pity is to connect Gollum’s state to what might happen to other Ringbearers.
• Like when confirming the Ring’s identity, Gandalf leads with what it means for Frodo personally.
• Gandalf emphasizes the kinship between Gollum and Bilbo, not the differences.

On the “not no hope” for Gollum:

• Frodo puts the most negative spin on Gollum’s actions, in answer to Gandalf’s pity.
• The elephant in the room is Bilbo himself, as he and Gollum connected.
• Frodo does not want to believe that what happened to Gollum could happen to Bilbo.
• Gandalf saw clearly that not only could it happen, it was happening.
• Frodo does not know about the encounter between Gandalf and Bilbo on the night of the Long-expected Party. Gandalf only alludes to Bilbo behaving in a concerning manner.
• Bilbo’s arguing with himself is indicative that he is starting to split like Gollum.
• Gandalf is emphasizing hope again, in this case for Gollum, and for Frodo to have pity for Gollum, over Frodo’s objections.

On Gollum’s hate and love of the Ring:

• When Gollum is talking “my precious”, he isn’t necessarily addressing the Ring.
• Gandalf also emphasizes Gollum’s loss of his free will to the Ring.

On the sentience of the Ring, again:

• Frodo is resistant to Gandalf’s story in order to protect himself from the truth.
• Gandalf admits that the Ring’s ability to take actions means that it has a will.
• Gollum had become an obstacle to the Ring’s intention to return to Sauron.
• Bilbo, of all people, finding of the Ring was clearly not the intention of the Ring.
• He also starts to hint that other powers are at play in thwarting the Ring’s will.

Frodo is not encouraged:

• Note: This is a place where Tolkien begins wrestling with “fate vs. free will” questions.
• Frodo is dismayed that this was fated for him. This is not necessarily good for him.
• Gandalf is cryptic about the outside powers when Frodo has no frame of reference for them.
• Frodo is now resisting Gandalf’s answers, after pressing him for the truth earlier.
• Gandalf becomes a little annoyed with Frodo’s resistance, and with being contradicted.
• It’s starting to set in for Frodo that all of this now comes down on him.

Frodo vs Gollum:

• Gollum is still resentful and seeking to justify himself and his actions.
• Frodo is also attempting to justify his long-held assumptions about Gollum.
• Frodo dehumanizes Gollum by denying that he could be a hobbit, and Gollum dehumanizes Bilbo by treating him like a meal that got away.

Gollum in Mordor:

• Gandalf emphasizes the tragedy of Gollum’s story.
• Gollum’s free will is overridden by Sauron’s, and this leads to his capture.
• That Sauron now knows about the Shire and Hobbits, and the fate of the Ring, and this is the greatest evil that Gollum has committed.

Why does Gandalf feel safe in leaving the Ring in the Shire with Frodo?

• There are no maps of the country, and most people don’t know where it is.
• Gandalf believes that the Nâzgul are unavailable for this mission.
• The Hobbits are the most likely to resist the temptation of the Ring.
• Had it been left in some elven stronghold like Rivendell, there would be in danger from the elf-lords themselves succumbing to the temptation to take it up.
• Gandalf also is betting on fate, as Bilbo, and therefore Frodo, was destined to have the Ring.

END OF SESSION