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| Leaving the Shire by Ted Nasmith |
The next morning after the party with the Elves, Pippen is in an extraordinarily good mood considering the circumstances. He had a rather strange day what with Dark Riders and a full day of walking and hasn't slept in a proper bed in several nights. Why, he doesn't even have beer, a fact he bemoans in Chapter 4. Granted, Pippen knows much less about whats going on and the true danger than Frodo and Sam, but his cheer is a strong contrast to Frodo who wakes up troubled and concerned.
This marks the first time that Frodo tries to get his friends to leave him.
Sam seems to understand what Frodo is trying to get at and rejects him firmly. He relays an interesting exchange with the Elves from the night before.
" 'Don't you leave him!' they said to me, 'Leave him!' I said, 'I never mean to. I am going with him, if he climbs to the Moon and if any of those black riders try to stop him, they'll have Sam Gamgee to reckon with!' "First, this is important because it is one of the earlier instances of "oaths" or promises making their appearance. Words are very powerful in Tolkien's world (which makes sense, being a linguist and language scholar and all) and spoken words can carry weight of their own. Think Gandalf speaking to bring down the Chamber of Mazarbul in Moria, or Grima Wormtongue using his voice to manipulate the King. It's not simple political persuasion, it's actual control.
The power of voice is a strong theme in old Norse mythology and Tolkien uses his research in that area to tie in these traditional elements. It's pretty similar to Skyrim where the Nord characters revere those who can use the Dragon Shouts, essentially, those who can command the world with their voice. This is an old Nordic trope and Tolkien hits it throughout the series.
Oaths, and promises, are of a similar vein and it's important to take note when they are made, by whom, and how they are kept.
Another important piece of this conversation is how Sam comments that he doesn't really have an interest in seeing Elves, Dragons, or Mountains anymore. He wants to continue because he feels like he must. He claims that he feels a sense of duty and there is something that he needs to do before the end. A pretty solid turnaround from the starry eyed boy from a chapter ago. Remember, Sam is a young-guy still. Late teens in terms of human development while Frodo is probably closer to early 30's in this regard. Important to keep in mind.
Tolkien's choice of language and writing style varies throughout the book. In these early chapters, its more casual. He drops parenthetical asides referencing whats really going on such as "Sam claimed his pack was too light (it wasn't)." which is a feature not really seen in later chapters. In Chapter 3, he even writes a paragraph of the inner monologue of a fox who happened to be walking by. In generally, it feels like a children's book that is growing darker and darker with each chapter, which I think is by design.
Another example of the power of words that stuck with me was the riddle game between Bilbo and Gollum. It is said multiple time in that scene that "such promises [riddles] were held sacred, and of old all but the wickedest things feared to break them."
ReplyDeleteGreat reference to the Hobbit! I think this theme really hits a crescendo with Saruman and his wordplay in the Two Towers, excited to get to it!
DeleteThis Ted Nasmith guy must have illustrated every single scene of LOTR.
ReplyDeleteAlong your lines of the early writing style, I found myself thinking about the scale of the story being told. Initially, its a bit more like the Hobbit, giving it a lighter feel. I think you nailed it by describing it as a children's book. For instance, is that a Black Rider or just Merry coming to meet them? It reads with some light suspense, but mostly its just some hobbits trying to get to a different part of the Shire. I imagine as the story progresses (its been some time since I read it), it will begin to feel much grander and more sweeping, and the threat of a lone Nazgul will seem pretty tame in comparison to the armies of the dark lord.
And damn, Sam is such a great character.
Check out Ted's website, he has a ton of great work. If I ever have disposable income for art purchases, I'll probably buy some of his stuff for my office. It's awesome.
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