In the House of Tom Bombadil

[Elessar]

"'Have peace now,' she said, 'until the morning! Heed no nightly noises! For nothing passes door and window here save moonlight and starlight and the wind off the hill-top. Good night!'"

This chapter seems to serve as sort of a time of rest for the hobbits. But it's kind of ironic, because almost all of the worst of their hardships have yet to come.

Tom seems to be a very brave character for Tolkien to have put in... he's the sort of character that can come off completely wrong and possibly ruin the mood of the beginning of LOTR. But he seemed so geniune that this didn't happen.

Anyone have any ideas as to why Tom wasn't affected by the Ring? 

[Pippin]

Well, I believe Tom isn't affected by the Ring because he had lived for a long time in Middle Earth (tell me if I'm correct) and he knew all about this and wouldn't...you know...fall easily into the power of the Ring?

Not sure lol. But I like this chapter, Tom and Goldberry amuses me and talk very cool lol, as in what they say...yea.

[Arwen^elfstone*]

I get very confused about Goldberry. What's her deal?

[Tishamet]

The way I interpreted it...it may seem a little wierd, but...I don't really think Tom and Goldberry are people at all. 'm sure about this with Goldberry. She's the daughter of the river...

It's sort of a similar situation to the Istari...they were sent to Middle-Earth for a purpose. I think they are both great.

[Marieke]

I like the characters of Tom and Goldberry. LOTR is a very serious book, and sometimes, it's really depressing. But Tom and Goldberry are so happy... I like that.

I always thought that Tom already was there before Sauron and the Rings of Power, and that that's why he wasn't influenced by the power of the One Ring.

[Arwen^elfstone*]

You could have a point there, Marieke. But, that would make Tom pretty old!

[radagastthebrown]

I think the fact that Tom wasn't affected marks him as a separate and distinct sort of being...

[Simbelmyne]

I absolute love Goldberry, and the House of Tom Bombadil. It just sounds so beautiful, and you can tell the pair really love each other. Tom is a surprising character - as Elessar says, he can come out all wrong. He's a bit like a little excited kid, when the other elder characters are very wise and calm. Tom's the exception to the rule.

I just thought I'd launch another area of discussion: which artist has painted the best rendition of Tom Bombadil? My personal favourite is Anke Eissmann's rendition It's just the right colouring, I think - not too garish and over-bright.

[Quënarth]

I'm still finding my way around here, so if any of my posts are rather out of place...don't hesitate to deleate them! I don't mind while I'm learning...

*timidly puts in her bit of understanding*

Tom Bombadil isn't affected by the Ring in the same way that Sam wasn't affected by it. Why? Because of his ignorants. Tom's strength is incredible joy, not wisdom. He has no understanding for such things, or if he has, he soon forgets. Elrond himself mentioned this. Samwise also had little understanding of the Ring, and because of that he couldn't fully understand the danger of it, nor have the great and terrible a fear of it as Frodo had, the Ring itself held no great power over him.

Ignorance is bliss, I suppose =)

[Simbelmyne]

I like that idea - as you say, ignorance is bliss. Tolkien also said that "But if you have, as it were taken 'a vow of poverty', renounced control, and take delight in things for themselves without reference to yourself, watching, observing, and to some extent knowing, then the question of the rights and wrongs of power and control might become utterly meaningless to you, and the means of power quite valueless." Tom didn't understand and Tom didn't care.

I'm always intrigued by Bombadil - while he appears a fat, jolly man and I admit I would almost be embarassed to see him on film, there is so much more to Tom. He feels like a link from the slightly fairytale-esque style of the Hobbit (not meant to be a criticism of it, merely an observant) to the Lord of the Rings and in the end, to the Silmarillion. In many ways, Tom is more of a symbol than a character, but I do think that he helped to make the books seem more real. It might have seemed almost silly to arrive in Bree so quickly without Tom being around, and thanks to Tom we met Goldberry, who is one of my favourite characters