Second Round of Notes on FoTR: The Shadow of the Past
Sam's first words,'Queer things you do hear these days to be sure', have a poetic rhythm to them. This way of speaking is pointed out explicitly later: '"They are sailing, sailing, sailing over the Sea, they are going into the West and leaving us," said Sam, half chanting the words. (Sam has, as Owen Barfield might have said, poetic diction.)
Sam calls Frodo, for the only time, 'Mr. Baggins' when speaking with Ted Sandyman. Cara saw this as protectiveness; I think it may be Sam's way of giving Frodo the dignity of his rank, the only time he discusses him with other working-class hobbits. Perhaps it is two ways of saying the same thing.
The first thing Gandalf tells Frodo about the Ring: 'in the end it would overcome any of the mortal race who possessed it. It would possess him.'
Calanthe thinks that 'dangerous' and 'perilous' have different connotations in LoTR; 'perilous' referst to dangers connected with the Perilous Realm. I am not convinced of this, but here is one possible case: 'The lesser rings were only essays in the craft before it was full-grown, and to the Elven-smiths they were but trifles - yet still to my mind dangerous for mortals. But the Great Rings, the Rings of Power, they were perilous.' In this sentence, 'perilous' is unqualified, unlimited, and applied only to Rings worthy of capitalization, so perhaps it refers to a different quality than 'dangerous'.
'The Ring was trying to get back to its master. It had slipped from Isildur's hand and betrayed him' No idea is ever put forward why the Ring should have done this. My current guess is that Isildur, being its first alien host, didn't feel right because he wasn't Sauron. 'then when a chance came it caught poor Deágol, and he was murdered; and after that Gollum, and it had devoured him. It could make no further use of him: he was too small and mean; and as long as it stayed with him he would never leave his deep pool again. So now, when its master was awake once more and sending out his dark thought from Mirkwood, it abandoned Gollum.' Perhaps after abandoning Isildur it was willing to stay with whoever found it until it felt the call of its real master.
'But I don't think you need go alone. Not if you know of anyone you can trust, and who would be willing to go by your side - and that you would be willing to take into unknown perils. But if you look for a companion, be careful in choosing! And be careful of what you say, even to your closest friends! The enemy has many spies and many ways of hearing.'
This is a double-message that Frodo, with his entire world changed beyond recognition, is in no state to decipher properly. He has determined to go alone, taking all the danger on and with himself; he wants to leave the Shire 'safe and comfortable' behind him. When Sam asks to come with him, Frodo reacts to 'the enemy has many spies and many ways of hearing' rather than to 'anyone you can trust, and who would be willing'.
Besides, Sam is engaged in deceiving Frodo. When caught listening, he produces a great deal of nonsensical talk, probably to keep anyone from asking, or himself from telling, that he was listening on behalf of Merry and Pippin. As much as he wants to both go where Frodo goes and see Elves, his feelings must be all tangled up with being caught in a deception (which however well-meant, he cannot like). I think that his bursting into tears at the end is a combination of grief for Frodo, terror of all he has heard, a frustrated wish to confess, distress that Frodo did not grant his wish ('take me to see the Elves, sir, when you go'), and a feeling that he doesn't deserve the trust Frodo would have given had he said yes.
'turn you into a spotted toad and fill the garden with grass-snakes' which eat toads: It is because Frodo doesn't accept, but rather threatens Sam (however jokingly) with death should he not keep secret all he heard, that Gandalf 'punishes' Sam by sending him with Frodo; Gandalf knows that the wish is a worthy one, and, most likely, intuits that Sam is a necessary part of the quest.
Sam calls Frodo, for the only time, 'Mr. Baggins' when speaking with Ted Sandyman. Cara saw this as protectiveness; I think it may be Sam's way of giving Frodo the dignity of his rank, the only time he discusses him with other working-class hobbits. Perhaps it is two ways of saying the same thing.
The first thing Gandalf tells Frodo about the Ring: 'in the end it would overcome any of the mortal race who possessed it. It would possess him.'
Calanthe thinks that 'dangerous' and 'perilous' have different connotations in LoTR; 'perilous' referst to dangers connected with the Perilous Realm. I am not convinced of this, but here is one possible case: 'The lesser rings were only essays in the craft before it was full-grown, and to the Elven-smiths they were but trifles - yet still to my mind dangerous for mortals. But the Great Rings, the Rings of Power, they were perilous.' In this sentence, 'perilous' is unqualified, unlimited, and applied only to Rings worthy of capitalization, so perhaps it refers to a different quality than 'dangerous'.
'The Ring was trying to get back to its master. It had slipped from Isildur's hand and betrayed him' No idea is ever put forward why the Ring should have done this. My current guess is that Isildur, being its first alien host, didn't feel right because he wasn't Sauron. 'then when a chance came it caught poor Deágol, and he was murdered; and after that Gollum, and it had devoured him. It could make no further use of him: he was too small and mean; and as long as it stayed with him he would never leave his deep pool again. So now, when its master was awake once more and sending out his dark thought from Mirkwood, it abandoned Gollum.' Perhaps after abandoning Isildur it was willing to stay with whoever found it until it felt the call of its real master.
'But I don't think you need go alone. Not if you know of anyone you can trust, and who would be willing to go by your side - and that you would be willing to take into unknown perils. But if you look for a companion, be careful in choosing! And be careful of what you say, even to your closest friends! The enemy has many spies and many ways of hearing.'
This is a double-message that Frodo, with his entire world changed beyond recognition, is in no state to decipher properly. He has determined to go alone, taking all the danger on and with himself; he wants to leave the Shire 'safe and comfortable' behind him. When Sam asks to come with him, Frodo reacts to 'the enemy has many spies and many ways of hearing' rather than to 'anyone you can trust, and who would be willing'.
Besides, Sam is engaged in deceiving Frodo. When caught listening, he produces a great deal of nonsensical talk, probably to keep anyone from asking, or himself from telling, that he was listening on behalf of Merry and Pippin. As much as he wants to both go where Frodo goes and see Elves, his feelings must be all tangled up with being caught in a deception (which however well-meant, he cannot like). I think that his bursting into tears at the end is a combination of grief for Frodo, terror of all he has heard, a frustrated wish to confess, distress that Frodo did not grant his wish ('take me to see the Elves, sir, when you go'), and a feeling that he doesn't deserve the trust Frodo would have given had he said yes.
'turn you into a spotted toad and fill the garden with grass-snakes' which eat toads: It is because Frodo doesn't accept, but rather threatens Sam (however jokingly) with death should he not keep secret all he heard, that Gandalf 'punishes' Sam by sending him with Frodo; Gandalf knows that the wish is a worthy one, and, most likely, intuits that Sam is a necessary part of the quest.