Book IV

Gollum
Journey -- Dead Marches
Ithilien / Faramir
Minas Morgul
Shelob

Choices of Sam [like choices of Frodo end of Book II]

journey -- landscapes desolate, barren, bleak

bad smell, Dead Marches, Shelob, Morannon (worse thing)

details -- jaged mountains, minimal vegetable growth, fungus or stunted growth, nightmare quality (endless stairs)

only hopeful growth -- crown on head of fallen king, mostly waste contrast to Book III, grass, trees, sea of grass

Book IV added a degree of difficulty in getting over landscape

powerful use of nature as moral counter

no rebirth possible in landscape of Book IV

T's use of 20th century landscape = Wasteland

originally a Quest langscape, land blighted by death of its Lord. in 20th Century life, Wasteland a symbol for sense of meaninglessness of modern world.

Book IV and Book VI most psychological, character oriented books

little "adventure" happens, one must perservere through landscape, great contrast with Books III and V, much action

Books IV and VI straight-line progression -- character reaction

Book IV sets up love triangle between Frodo--Sam--Gollum

parallel to Book III centers around 3 hunters

(sword - ax - bow diversity of 3 hunters in Book III but similarities of Frodo, Sam, and Gollum)

Book IV plodding pattern only broken twice -- once with encounter with Faramir, later with Shelob

orc capture important because (inspite of extra difficulty of their Quest) Merry and Pippin are not spared danger [compare Merry and Pippin whose highlight is capture by orcs to Frodo and Sam]

business with Faramir: onlookers in human battle -- meet princely man, human world, both fused in Dead marshes (battlefield of Last Alliance) like Mounts in front of Edoras (also like Barrow Wights)

mercy/pity continuously practiced by "good" guys, purpose rehabilitation (non coercive) PREMISE of BOOK IV

Frodo's pity important in developing Frodo's character

psychological -- F and S involved in growth

compare Frodo's 2 brushes with Lord of Nazgul

if T denying Gollum's possibility of change is also denying Frodo's change.

When F and S are on top of stairs and Gollum comes back, F & S asleep, Sam holding F's hand, Gollum wants to touch also but Sam thinks he is grasping.

mercy/pity -- Saruman's point of view = cruelty, gloating over his weakness, can be if pity offered with contempt, what separates real pity is sense of humility on part of person who offers pity, endurance goes along with that frailty

Major heroism of whole book based on suffering and acceptance of hardship

Frodo is passive hero but much psychic expenditure of energy like physical energy required for military prowess.

Shelob climax, Frodo gets 2nd wound (much suffering, often wounded)

Sam is the practical one -- thinks about details: food, getting back

Frodo doesn't think beyond end of Quest: despair/endurance combined

Sam more hopeful [Sam wants to go back to Shire]

whole book -- odd # books not as good as even # books

true Quest goes on in second book in each volume

odd # books most derivative, also most rely on heroic ideals, easy to find parallels to

3 companions -- Frodo, Sam, and Gollum [also Faramir]

Frodo -- preserverance, no hope for after end. He is Ringbearer and nothing else. becomes abstracted.

At beginning he has many interests, at end all is gone but Ring

seems to trust Gollum because he has Ring

p. 197 when there is an impressive moral revelation "towering", character grows

[Aragorn does it twice, Gandalf, Frodo] shows Frodo as having a kind of power

Frodo becoming more elvish -- light shining through him

p. 229 not easy to know how one is to respond, something inexplanable is going on in Frodo. The higher heroism is hard to talk about, what is involved is literary fact [like trying to describe heaven], this is what is happening to Frodo, special treatment which shows his value, but description cheapens it, pure light is best description. as sort of moderated silence.

End of Book IV last chapter in which Frodo can be examined until end, concentration is on Sam, what reader sees of Frodo is through Sam, see Sam's sufferings but hint "it must be much worse for Frodo"

p. 229 Frodo's face -- paradox at the center, Frodo "at peace" yet "fear and care" is around, lines "fire" but suggest stress. lines like those produced by old age, but Frodo not supposed to be aging (Ring)

having ring proves harsh on Frodo, much self-sacrifice

p. 280 Frodo's will hardening, more sense of control. resists Rider's will, doesn't seem to have to fight will--he watches his hand, stops it. He realizes that by carrying Ring he gains power, may be able to challenge Rider.

most omnipresent, sense of burden, weight becomes awesome, special gravity all its own. when Sam puts on Ring, it is initially heavy but then not so. For Frodo, progressively heavier.

choices important passage, devotion should have run out. Sam and Ring, most like Bilbo. Sam purified, doesn't even like wearing Ring. 1st thing he does is reject vengeance

way Frodo has become unexplanable, more emphasis on Sam and Gollum.

Gollum has become schizophrenic, physically a grotesque, made that way by Ring, this allows Frodo to feel pity.

grotesqueness, comparison of Gollum to spider, many connections, he jumps on Sam as Shelob does on Frodo.

has turned into 2 voices. Gollum wants revenge on all with Ring. In Book IV both Sam and Gollum get vision of what they would do with Ring. in sense Gollum charicature of Pippin, thinks of food, fish 3 times a day [Sauron will eat the whole world]

Sam would be great gardener, Sam's vision a tribute to his mental health.

Gollum's relationship to Sam almost borders on jealousy.

Sam -- resiliance, refuses to abandon hope. throughout Quest Sam carries with him a sense of normal life, remembers Shire, dreams of going back. certain amount of rustic ignorance (fear of water, of heights) when has to choose, knows whatever he decides will be wrong.

emphasis on heart, he feels intensely, not long on brains. many "touching" passages, hold Frodo.

Sam can be ferocious (stabs Shelob, Faramir)

swords most important thing is where they come from

Gandalf still carries Glamdring

other good swords are Numenorean, Pippin and Merry from Barrow Wights -- Sting also from Troll's lair Andruil, brough over the sea

gifts more important, light and Arwen's gem, horns as gifts. Merry's horn has same properties as Boromir's (Eorl's horn) Aragorn gifts all tokens of true king

food gifts, set up Merry and Pippin, Ent Draughts, Star given to Sam