The Shadow of the Past

[Elessar]

"As Frodo did so, he now saw fine lines, finer than the finest pen-strokes, running along the ring, outside and inside: lines of fire that seemed to form the letters of a flowing script. They shone piercingly bright, and yet remote, as if out of a great depth."

I'm sorry I forgot about starting this! And again, I can't really post my thoughts right now, as I've got a paper due tomorrow... but I will say though that this is one of my favorite chapters, because so many themes are introduced here. I hope to be able to post more about it later.

[Arwen Evenstar]

These are some of my favorite things about this chapter:
Pity? It was pity that stayed his hand. Pity and Mercy: not to strike without need. And he has been well rewarded, Frodo.
I love the way it shows pity and mercy as being so important, and goes on to talk about how the reason Bilbo isn't worse off from the ring is because of his pity and mercy.
And:
Many that live deserve death. And some that die deserve life. Can you give it to them? Then do not be too eager to deal out death in judgement. Even the very wise cannot see all ends.
That's one of my favorite quotes!

[EldarLOTRfan]

This chapter is full of wonderful lines by Gandalf and Frodo!

Frodo has to do some hard hearing and hard thinking in this chapter. His decision here seems to have a foundation in the Shire remaining the Shire, or, as he puts it:

I feel that as long as the Shire lies behind, safe and comfortable, I shall find wandering more bearable; I shall know that somewhere there is a firm foothold, even if my feet cannot stand there again.

Here in this chapter too is some revelation of Gandalf's background that Frodo never knew, some inkling that he is far more than a 'mere wizard'.

Also in this chapter is the line about Frodo being meant to have the Ring.

I too have to get going, but I am hoping to post more later this week.

 

[Shieldmaiden]

I must admit I finished this chapter last week and already am half way through the third one. So I have to go back before I can do any real posting but I mus agree with you all. Some of the best lines in the whole books and the movies are in this chapter as well as some very interesting insights into the charachters.

[MirkwoodArcher]

I like the part where Frodo offers Gandalf the Ring. "Do not tempt me! For I do not wish to become like the Dark Lord himself. Yet the way of the Ring to my heart is by pity, pity for weakness and the desire of strength to do good."

That says a lot about the Ring and a lot about Gandalf. It also shows how easy it is for even the good to be corrupted through believing that the end justifies the means.

[Lothiel]

Well said, Nen. I agree; in this chapter, we really begin to see just what Frodo is dealing with. Throughout the Hobbit and the first chapter of LOTR, the Ring is just this ring which can make people invisible. Nothing really special, although it appears very mysterious. No one really sees it as something which is potentially dangerous (except maybe Gandalf).

In the first chapter, we get our first inklings of it's evil when Bilbo refuses to give it up (was that in the first chapter? I can't remember for sure). This is vastly different from Bilbo's normal behavior--he's acting extremely selfish and is accusing Gandalf of wanting it for himself. This is our first clue that something is not right, that this ring has an unwholesome influence (also note the fact that he called it his "precious" to which Gandalf says "It was called that before and not by you." ) . After all, Bilbo may have his faults, but he's not greedy.

This behavior appears odd, but we still don't really see what's going on until now. Now we really begin to see what an evil thing it is. Gandalf spills the beans, and Frodo begins to fear for his life.

[EldarLOTRfan]

In this chapter I feel so bad for Frodo. He asks question after question, the answers to which are much more than he really cares to know after a while. With each answer and in depth explanation that Gandalf gives to Frodo, you can almost feel yourself sinking into despair with Frodo.

Frodo also gets a crash course in justice and mercy from Gandalf as concerns Smeagol, though he does not yet know it. His heart is not stirred to pity at the telling, but the quick lesson comes in rather handy when he finds himself face to face with the creature and holds Gollum's life in his hands.   

[Marieke]

This chapter is a very important one. Another site said that it is thechapter where the ring becomes the Ring, and I think that's very well said. It's a lot of information we get in this chapter, and the same thing for Frodo. I think he still doesn't realize how evil theRing is and what will happen, and maybe it's better not to know.
The thing I really wondered about was the talking about that tree outside the Shire. How do you think about this?

[Shieldmaiden]

I'm not relly sure I remember what you're talking about.

I love the part when Sam says "Don't turn me into anything unatural!" He's so cute and innocent at that moment.

[EldarLOTRfan]

Marieke said:

The thing I really wondered about was the talking about that tree outside the Shire. How do you think about this?

I came here today in order to post about that!! It was actually Sam talking to Ted Sandyman, with the other hobbits listening of course, at the Green Dragon. Sam is telling the guys that dragons are real, and the response of course is there is only one 'real' dragon and it is 'green'. Hahaha, they all laugh.

'All right,' said Sam, laughing with the rest. 'But what about those Tree-men, these giants, as you might call them? They do say that one bigger than a tree was seen up away beyond the North Moors not long back.'
'Who's they?'
'My cousin Hal for one. He works for Mr. Boffin at Overhill and goes up to the Northfarthing for the hunting. He saw one.'
'Says he did, perhaps. Your Hal's always saying that he's seen things; and maybe he sees things that aint' there.'
'But this one was as big as an elm tree, and walking-walking seven yards to a stride, if it was an inch.'
'Then I bet it wasn't an inch. What he saw was an elm tree, as like as not.'
'But this one was walking, I tell you; and there ain't no elm tree on the North Moors.'
'Then Hal can't have seen one,' said Ted. 'There was some laughing and clapping; the audience seemed to think that Ted had scored a point.
'All the same,' said Sam, 'you can't deny that otheres besides our Halfast have seen queer folk crossing the Shire-crossing it, mind you: there are more than that turned back at the borders.'..   

I know I have read that plenty of times before, but now it is leaping off the page: Do you suppose this was one of the Ent-wives?

Also, how do you like how even Mr. Tolkien not only makes 'ain't' a word, but even gives it contraction properties! hehe

 

[MirkwoodArcher]

I've always thought the walking tree was an Ent-wife!

 

[Lothiel]

I'm fairly sure Tolkien wouldn't have put it in unless it was a key point. Going on "the rules" of writing, the idea that possibly that Elm-tree was an Ent-wife is supported simply by the fact that later on in the story, Ent-wives are mentioned again (I believe Treebeard said the Ent-wives headed west when they left??).

Authors generally don't put something in a story unless it relates to the tale.

[Mirkgirl]

Yup. Also Treebeard says that the entwives would have felt good in the Shire, I think. (:

[Shieldmaiden]

As soon as treebeard said something about the Entwives I just knew they were in the shire. Alas Tolkien died and I do not know if he ever said.

[EldarLOTRfan]

I certainly agree with what you all are saying, but I was commenting on the fact that I have read this book many times and somehow didn't pay that little snippet of conversation any mind; or at least not enough mind to have the little light go on in my brain, saying, Entwives, you silly goose!