Chapter 1: A Long Expected Party pt 2

This post picks up where the last one left off, which is to say, after the first page or so. In this post, I wanted to look at just how strange Bilbo (and by extension Frodo) really seemed to others in the Shire and how, in some respects, they seemed destined for adventure.

Green Hill Morning by Ted Nasmith

Strange Visitors

Dwarves

The chapter continues to describe Bilbo's preperations for the party, which is the buzz of the entire Shire. Not only does Bilbo send for the bulk of the Shire's cooks and food stores to serve everyone at his massive feast, but he has some odd visitors the movie left out as well. Early in the chapter, several dwarves come to Bilbo and stay with him throughout the week leading up to the party. At the Ivy Bush Inn, Sandyman, the miller, mentions that dwarves are relatively frequent visitors at Bilbo's door and since he returned from his adventure 50 years prior, he has often disappeared for short stretches at a time.

I think this is very significant because it establishes that Bilbo is not a recluse (from the world, at least), and actively attends to his desire to get out and "see mountains", so to speak. At the end of the chapter when Bilbo finally leaves, he does so in the company of three dwarves and they set out at a jog across the fields, not taking the shorter road.

Also, take a moment to check out this song recorded by The Tolkien Ensemble, a Dutch orchestra which wrote music to all of Tolkien's lyrics and poems in the books. This is the first song in the book, the Walking Song which Bilbo sings while leaving.

Gandalf

Bilbo: "I suspect you know best"
Gandalf: "I do - when I know anything"

Gandalf is perhaps the strangest of the visitors to Bilbo. The ancient man appears without any specific description of his powers, but even Tolkien himself seems to respect them, describing them with the subtle and inherent respect that true power commands. Seen rarely in the Shire, and even then only for short periods of time and always in the company of Bilbo, Gandalf is eyed suspiciously as men are not seen often in the Shire.

Gandalf is a favorite character of mine and one we'll be talking about much more in later chapters. For right now, I think the quote above is enough food for thought as we interpret Gandalf's actions throughout the book. Clearly, his interactions with Saruman come to mind, as does his decisions in Moria. What other situations can you think of right now that we can examine through this statement?

Frodo

Not a visitor per se, Frodo is the yound nephew of Bilbo and arguably the main character of the story. His father is Bilbo's second-cousin and his mother is Bilbo's first-cousin (on opposite family sides), and they perished when we was young in a boating accident. Bilbo adopted him and made him his heir after that. Frodo is referred to often as "half-Bucklander" meaning his father's family comes from Buckland which is on the far edge of the Shire, away from other more "respectable" Hobbits. Often called a "queer folk", Tolkien shows from the start that Frodo is not cut from the same cloth as most.

Frodo is interesting because he represents a new generation of Hobbits, caught between the traditional values of the Shire, and the tales of wonder and excitement of Bilbo. When Bilbo shares his plan to leave the Shire with Frodo, Frodo offers to join him and laments that he did not once Bilbo finally does leave. Clearly, he is not alone in this as the Gaffer bemoans their plight at the inn, "The legend of Bilbo's wealth was now too firmly fixed in the minds of the younger generation of Hobbits."

Merry, Pippen, and Sam clearly fit into this category (Sam is the one MOST enamored with Mr. Bilbo's stories) and their actions combining traditional values with a new approach shape not only the Shire but the entirety of Middle Earth by the end of the tale.

Theme 2: Lineage

We'll dive into this throughout the book but lineage plays a strong role in developing characters from the earliest pages. Frodo is the best early example. As explained above, he is seen as different already for his unusual lineage of Bucklander. Combining that lineage with his mother's Took side (a family often seen as the most adventurous of Hobbits - read about the Bullroarer Took, one of my favorite Tolkien characters) and place him under the watch of the Hobbit who had the greatest adventure in centuries and there is a recipe for peculiarity. Does Frodo uphold his bold and adventurous pedigree? I'd argue no, but we'll keep reading.

Aragorn is another interesting case study here, along with Boromir/Faramir.

Theme 3: Sibling "Rank"

In literature especially, there is often important placed on where one is born in a family. The eldest son is the heir, the "man of the house", and the one who must most closely resemble manly ideals and masculine virtues. This is often portrayed through martial prowess, with great physical size and strength. Usually, these characters are not the smartest of offspring, but make up for it with the idea that they represent the families "honor" and must show chivalry to ensure its kept. A Song of Ice and Fire has many examples of where this is true. See Ned Stark's older brother Brandon or Tywin Lannister's eldest son Jaime.The younger brother often needs to find their own niche in the world, for example as a cunning strategist instead of a physical fighter (see Faramir). 

Through this lens, Frodo and Sam are particularly fascinating. Sam's father has been the head gardener at Bag End for 40 years and Sam and Frodo have been friends for a long time, practically brothers. Bilbo took Frodo in because Frodo is his eldest cousin, while Sam is the Gaffer's youngest son. In a way, this creates a similar, but subtle dynamic in the story.

I never noticed it before this read through, but I'm already fascinated about what I will find when looking at Sam and Frodo through this lens. Frodo is the "big brother" but who fulfills that role more traditionally? I know it's going to be Sam, but I'm interested in finding the examples!

Until next time,

Chapter 1: A Long Expected Party pt 1

This is the first post in what promises to be a riveting and exceptionally geeky exploration of Tolkien's legendarium. I'll be tinkering with the format as we go, but please leave comments below on parts you find interesting and would like me to expand on, or simply areas you enjoyed.

Green Hill Country by Ted Nasmith

The Lord of the Rings begins as any story worth telling does: with an epic party. I won't go into terrible detail about the plot narrative as surely most of my readers are familiar with that (check out this wonderful resource if you want a refresher. It's great.) Instead, I will explore a few things I found interesting and worth further commentary. I will also discuss points where the movies left out details or portrayed events differently. I do this because most of my generation encountered the movies first and then read the books and they, probably justifiably, have a strong imprint of what they remember which isn't always what the books intended.

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The chapter starts with an introduction to Mr. Bilbo Baggins, a figure well-known throughout the Shire, and indeed, one of the more globally famous Tolkien characters. These pages of introduction tell us quite a bit about the Hobbits and what we can expect from our protagonists throughout the tale.

Theme 1: Appearance

The first paragraph is describing how Bilbo is seen by others throughout the Shire. Major background plot (revolving around the events of The Hobbit) is explained over pints of ale at the Gaffer's Ivy Bush Inn.Similarly, many Hobbits' derived their own self-worth on their appearance to others. Sam's father, the Gaffer, takes great pride in his belief that he is the best gardener in the Shire. Sure, others say it, but no one says it louder than the Gaffer which must make it mostly true in a Hobbit's eye.

Additionally, gossiping and whispering are favorite pastimes of Hobbits young and old. Not in a scheming, plotting sort of way that leads to any sort of action, but in a "huh, ever wonder about this?" sort of way. Notable, Bilbo's gratuitous wealth is the subject of many conversations and each Hobbit about the tavern has his own theory over what his treasure entails and how he acquired it. When Bilbo disappears at the end of the chapter, they take great delight in wondering over its fate, or, in some instances, whispering about how Bilbo's dear nephew Frodo and that strange visitor Gandalf have plotted to take the wealth for some time.

We clearly see the importance of social interactions and appearances in Tolkien's narratives through the introductory chapter. This will be a theme we explore greatly later on when we encounter the lost king Strider, when we experience more of the One Ring's presence, and when we run into Saruman the White.