Entmoot
 


Go Back   Entmoot > J.R.R. Tolkien > The Hobbit (book)
FAQ Members List Calendar Mark Forums Read

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 02-28-2015, 01:37 AM   #1
Alcuin
Salt Miner
 
Alcuin's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: gone to Far Harad
Posts: 987
A small Ring thing.

I’m rereading The Hobbit, and I’ve noticed a small thing.

At the beginning of chapter 6, “Out the Frying Pan into the Fire”, after Bilbo has spared the life of Gollum and so begun his stewardship of the One Ring with mercy and pity, he faces a second test after he escapes the goblin-tunnels:
Quote:
He still wandered on, … but all the while a very uncomfortable thought was growing inside him. He wondered whether he ought not, now he had the magic ring, to go back into the horrible, horrible, tunnels and look for his friends. He had just made up his mind that it was his duty, that he must turn back – and very miserable he felt about it – when he heard voices.
It strikes me that this is very similar to the test the Frodo faced in the barrow as the Barrow-wight approached his sleeping friends to kill them with the sword across their necks:
Quote:
[A] wild thought of escape came to [Frodo]. He wondered if he put on the Ring, whether the Barrow-wight would miss him, and he might find some way out. He thought of himself running free over the grass, grieving for Merry, and Sam, and Pippin, but free and alive himself. Gandalf would admit that there had been nothing else he could do.

But the courage that had been awakened in him was now too strong: he could not leave his friends so easily. He wavered, groping in his pocket, and then fought with himself again; and as he did so the arm crept nearer. Suddenly resolve hardened in him, and he seized a short sword that lay beside him, and kneeling he stooped low over the bodies of his companions. With what strength he had he hewed at the crawling arm near the wrist, and the hand broke off; but at the same moment the sword splintered up to the hilt.
This seems to me essentially the same test for both Bilbo and Frodo: to abandon his companions or help them. Bilbo’s situation is a little different, of course: he’s lost with Gandalf and the Dwarves, so going back to look for them might be argued as much for his good as for theirs; though it was an extremely courageous thing for him to determine to do. And Frodo’s temptation probably came from the Ring itself: putting it on would reveal him to the Barrow-wight, which would have captured him and the Ring, enabling the Witch-king to come and retrieve them both. But the tests seem to me remarkably similar.
Alcuin is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-02-2015, 09:46 AM   #2
Earniel
The Chocoholic Sea Elf Administrator
 
Earniel's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: N?n in Eilph (Belgium)
Posts: 14,363
There are indeed similarities, I never noticed that before.

Although I wonder whether the Ring was an active tempting force with Frodo in that specific moment. Naturally, the Ring would have been stronger with Frodo than with Bilbo, considering the timing. But Bilbo was at the moment of his consideration in relative safety and freedom while Frodo was not. And the thought to save yourself in that sort of situation would have been a strong one, I think, and quite natural, not necessarily coming from the Ring.

Both Hobbits proved very brave regardless. Bilbo was willing to go back into danger to look for his friends, while Frodo decided to protect his friends from imminent danger.

In Bilbo's case it's even nicely contrasted with one of the Dwarves (Tolkien wisely left him unnamed at the moment) even suggesting to leave the Hobbit behind and not look for him!
Earniel is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply


Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may post new threads
You may post replies
You may post attachments
You may edit your posts

vB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Forum Jump

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Doing the Green Thing Grey_Wolf General Messages 3 05-17-2011 08:40 PM
The Last Battle: did King Tirian have a thing for Jill? Valandil C.S. Lewis 23 03-09-2010 08:03 AM
Demaethor and Amariel Rosie Gamgee Writer's Workshop 14 11-13-2007 09:05 PM
A Small Puzzle About Aragorn etherealunicorn Lord of the Rings Books 14 05-29-2000 03:11 PM


All times are GMT -4. The time now is 12:46 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.7.1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
(c) 1997-2019, The Tolkien Trail