Flammifer
Well-Known Member
There was some discussion during the last class on why Gandalf does not comment on Frodo’s ‘reluctance’ to throw the Ring in the Fire during the Bag End test. Comments such as Gandalf not wanting the Council to know how difficult throwing the Ring in Mt. Doom might be.
I think this whole discussion was based on a mis-recollection of what exactly happened in Bag End during this incident. Gandalf did not mention this, because nothing of importance happened.
Gandalf asked for the Ring. Frodo gave it to him (Actually this is of some importance! Here we have an example of Frodo voluntarily giving the Ring to someone else!). He handed it to Gandalf “slowly”, and it suddenly felt “very heavy, as if either it or Frodo himself was in some way reluctant for Gandalf to touch it.” However, hand it over he did.
Gandalf then, after holding it up and asking, “Can you see any markings on it?” throws it into the middle of the fire. Frodo, “gave a cry, and groped for the tongs”. Gandalf says, “Wait!” After a while he picks it out of the fire with the tongs and drops it in Frodo’s hand, whereupon they see the fire writing.
So, contrary to what seems to have been popular conception, Frodo does not refuse to throw the Ring in the Fire. He just reacts with surprise when Gandalf does, which is perfectly understandable when any gold ring is chucked in a fire, without requiring the Ring to have mysterious and inimical powers.
I suggest that the reason that Gandalf gives the Council no more details of the Bag End Ring fire test is not mysterious. It is simply because nothing of interest to any observer (other than possibly Frodo, with his feeling of either himself or the Ring being reluctant for Gandalf to touch it) happened except for the inscription showing up on the Ring.
Move along folks. Nothing to see here.
(By the way; I conjecture that the fire in Bag End was a coal fire not a wood fire. For those who have ever seen a coal fire (not many, I guess, in the USA - but more like a charcoal fire) the ring would likely just sit atop the coals when chucked, easy to pick up with tongs, whereas a ring tossed into a wood fire would likely slip down between the logs and be considerably harder to retrieve. Coal fires would have been common, and much more common than wood fires, in JRRT's day in England.)
I think this whole discussion was based on a mis-recollection of what exactly happened in Bag End during this incident. Gandalf did not mention this, because nothing of importance happened.
Gandalf asked for the Ring. Frodo gave it to him (Actually this is of some importance! Here we have an example of Frodo voluntarily giving the Ring to someone else!). He handed it to Gandalf “slowly”, and it suddenly felt “very heavy, as if either it or Frodo himself was in some way reluctant for Gandalf to touch it.” However, hand it over he did.
Gandalf then, after holding it up and asking, “Can you see any markings on it?” throws it into the middle of the fire. Frodo, “gave a cry, and groped for the tongs”. Gandalf says, “Wait!” After a while he picks it out of the fire with the tongs and drops it in Frodo’s hand, whereupon they see the fire writing.
So, contrary to what seems to have been popular conception, Frodo does not refuse to throw the Ring in the Fire. He just reacts with surprise when Gandalf does, which is perfectly understandable when any gold ring is chucked in a fire, without requiring the Ring to have mysterious and inimical powers.
I suggest that the reason that Gandalf gives the Council no more details of the Bag End Ring fire test is not mysterious. It is simply because nothing of interest to any observer (other than possibly Frodo, with his feeling of either himself or the Ring being reluctant for Gandalf to touch it) happened except for the inscription showing up on the Ring.
Move along folks. Nothing to see here.
(By the way; I conjecture that the fire in Bag End was a coal fire not a wood fire. For those who have ever seen a coal fire (not many, I guess, in the USA - but more like a charcoal fire) the ring would likely just sit atop the coals when chucked, easy to pick up with tongs, whereas a ring tossed into a wood fire would likely slip down between the logs and be considerably harder to retrieve. Coal fires would have been common, and much more common than wood fires, in JRRT's day in England.)
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