Flammifer
Well-Known Member
There is some very strange dialogue right after Old Man Willow attempts to drown Frodo. Both Professor and Class were somewhat baffled by this dialogue back when this event was covered.
Sam has already been suspicious of the Tree. He hears a splash, runs back to the bank and finds Frodo being held underwater by a root. Sam pulls him out.
“Do you know, Sam,” says Frodo, “the beastly tree threw me in! I felt it. The big root just twisted round and tipped me in!”
Then the strange dialogue starts:
“You were dreaming I expect, Mr. Frodo,” said Sam. “You shouldn’t sit in such a place if you feel sleepy.”
What is up with Sam? Why this response? It seems a very bizarre comment, from Sam, who is already suspicious of the Tree, and has just pulled Frodo out from under a root that was holding him down.
A few second’s later, Frodo and Sam find that Merry and Pippin have been swallowed into cracks in the trunk of the Willow. Trying and failing to pull them out, Frodo cries wildly, “What a foul thing to happen! Why did we ever come into this dreadful Forest? I wish we were all back at Crickhollow!”
Also, an odd dialogue in the circumstances. Sam and Frodo seem like idiots.
This all becomes much more feasible, however, if we just assume that in the course of transcription or translation, a phrase was inadvertently dropped from the text. Here is the possible missing text, in italics:
“You were dreaming I expect, Mr. Frodo,” said Sam in an exaggerated tone, while furtively, but urgently, holding up a finger before his lips. “You shouldn’t sit in such a place, if you feel sleepy.”
Now, all is clear. Sam is signaling that we should not let on to the murderous Tree that we know it is a killer, while we are standing right under it.
Frodo gets it, rides with the plan, and does not accuse the Tree or scream at the Tree when he cannot get Merry and Pippin out. However, no point in this any longer. The Tree is an enemy and it is time for open war against it. Which Frodo realizes as he kicks the tree and then starts talking about axes and fire.
So, if we just assume a descriptive phrase, illuminating Sam’s response to Frodo’s accusation of the Willow, that was dropped in transcription, the whole dialogue stops being idiotic, and becomes totally understandable. Also, totally in character for the street-wise, common sensible, Sam.
Of course, if one was reading the text aloud, it might be possible to convey the reason for this odd dialogue through intonation alone.
Sam has already been suspicious of the Tree. He hears a splash, runs back to the bank and finds Frodo being held underwater by a root. Sam pulls him out.
“Do you know, Sam,” says Frodo, “the beastly tree threw me in! I felt it. The big root just twisted round and tipped me in!”
Then the strange dialogue starts:
“You were dreaming I expect, Mr. Frodo,” said Sam. “You shouldn’t sit in such a place if you feel sleepy.”
What is up with Sam? Why this response? It seems a very bizarre comment, from Sam, who is already suspicious of the Tree, and has just pulled Frodo out from under a root that was holding him down.
A few second’s later, Frodo and Sam find that Merry and Pippin have been swallowed into cracks in the trunk of the Willow. Trying and failing to pull them out, Frodo cries wildly, “What a foul thing to happen! Why did we ever come into this dreadful Forest? I wish we were all back at Crickhollow!”
Also, an odd dialogue in the circumstances. Sam and Frodo seem like idiots.
This all becomes much more feasible, however, if we just assume that in the course of transcription or translation, a phrase was inadvertently dropped from the text. Here is the possible missing text, in italics:
“You were dreaming I expect, Mr. Frodo,” said Sam in an exaggerated tone, while furtively, but urgently, holding up a finger before his lips. “You shouldn’t sit in such a place, if you feel sleepy.”
Now, all is clear. Sam is signaling that we should not let on to the murderous Tree that we know it is a killer, while we are standing right under it.
Frodo gets it, rides with the plan, and does not accuse the Tree or scream at the Tree when he cannot get Merry and Pippin out. However, no point in this any longer. The Tree is an enemy and it is time for open war against it. Which Frodo realizes as he kicks the tree and then starts talking about axes and fire.
So, if we just assume a descriptive phrase, illuminating Sam’s response to Frodo’s accusation of the Willow, that was dropped in transcription, the whole dialogue stops being idiotic, and becomes totally understandable. Also, totally in character for the street-wise, common sensible, Sam.
Of course, if one was reading the text aloud, it might be possible to convey the reason for this odd dialogue through intonation alone.