Monday, March 3, 2014

"A Conspiracy Unmasked" - Ben's Thoughts

It's been interesting to read about everyone's differing perspectives on these introductory chapters. Eric found real value in "A Short Cut to Mushrooms," and Jacob tackled the wild encroaching on Hobbits' doorsteps in "Conspiracy." I have to admit that it was hard for me to do anything but skim this particular chapter, however. When I think of Tolkien and his long-lasting impact on fantasy fiction, I don't think of chapters such as this. I think of the harrowing journey from Bree to Rivendell (shocking that such suspense is packed into three short chapters!), or the Mines of Moria, or the battle of the Pellenor fields. This, to me, is chaff that must be sifted through to get to the real inspiring gems.

The chapter begins firmly in Sam's head, with his introspective thoughts regarding leaving home behind forever, as far as he knows. Perhaps this would have had more impact upon me as a first-time reader, but knowing the depths that the hobbits will get themselves into, crossing the Brandywine doesn't really pack that much of a punch. It was certainly nice that Sam got a moment, however. He is also the one to notice the Black Rider snuffling around on the far bank when the ferry reaches the east side of the river. His introspection and observant behavior really shines through. We've been in Sam's head more than any other character's to this point (barring Frodo). I do find Tolkien's shifts of point-of-view a bit jarring, but that's likely because I'm used to dedicated point-of-view chapters a la "The Wheel of Time" or "A Song of Ice and Fire." I'm going to have to keep a sharper eye out for narrative voice in the future. I know to this point it has been dominated by Frodo, with occasional shifts to Sam.

On the Rider: once again the difference between the movie-Riders and Tolkien's riders is striking. What are these Riders going to do when they catch Frodo? The image of the Rider as a rag or bundle snuffling around on the ferry landing plays with the corporeality of the Riders themselves -- is Sam seeing the wraith without its cloaked outer form? The sense of the unknown associated with the Riders is growing, also aided by their shrieking cries from "Short Cut." It's too bad that the tension is going to go down the tubes later in this chapter and into the following chapters, as Eric rightly points out. Going from the spooky, foggy ferry to a nice hot bath is a substanital misstep, in my opinion.

Thus on to the conspiracy. I'm not a fan. First and foremost in my mind, it makes Frodo look like an idiot. I'm all for the characterization given to Merry. As pointed out by Jacob, he's immediately a solid character, and assumes a secondary -- or even primary, at this point -- leadership role in the group. I will likewise be interested to see if these qualities fade into the background as the books progress and whether he will be rendered indistinguishable from Pippin. But my beef with this characterization is that it comes at Frodo's expense! Frodo is completely unaware that his closest friends have been essentially spying on him, or that they recruited his hired hand (Sam, before Gandalf caught him eavesdropping) to do further spying for them. The conspiracy knows everything from the Ring itself to Frodo's eventual destination. Tolkien even goes so far as to pre-empt Frodo's reveal that he is leaving the Shire. Merry doesn't even let the words get out of his mouth, which completely deflates the would-be hero of the story.

Why did Tolkien think this character assassination was really necessary?  I remain baffled. The fact that Frodo wasn't willing to take any of his cousins with him into "exile" certainly speaks to his nobility and self-sacrificial nature. But he is sooooo melodramatic about the whole thing! And in the end, caves far too easily. If he was really committed to leaving alone, he would have put more pressure on Merry and Pippin to stay, and would have been understandably outraged at their continual snooping for a period of over twenty years (since before Bilbo left town)! As it is, Frodo hardly tries to dissuade them from coming at all.

Another unfortunate product of this conspiracy is the character of Fatty Bolger. If Pippin seems like a cipher to this point (despite have spent the better part of three chapters with him), Fatty is completely opaque. Far from being an "archetype," as Eric terms the hobbits, Fatty is just a stick figure. His characteristics consist of being fat and cowardly. If Tolkien felt that he needed Fatty's unwillingness to come along in order to juxtapose Merry and Pippin's loyalty, he needn't have bothered. All Fatty serves to do is annoy me. We will check back in with the house at Crickhollow in a few chapters, to see how Fatty fares versus the Black Riders -- which I will tackle when we get there, but I remember as an unnecessary aside that could have been dealt with through alternative means.

A few final thoughts. It was nice of Merry to allow Sam to bathe with Frodo and Pippin. Judging by the way Pippin's treated him to this point, I was afraid they were going to make him wait until after the "gentlehobbits" had their turn. And Frodo's dream takes things in an interesting direction. I can't help but wonder if this is the wrong place in narrative for the dream. If I recall, it pops back up in the Tom Bombadil chapters but then, thematically, does not return until after the Ring is destroyed (and thus is long forgotten by a reader until they re-read Book 1). But it is intriguing nonetheless. Does Frodo's connection to the Sea, and thus to Valinor, tie in with Gandalf's references to a "higher power" that is guiding the hobbits in their quest? It certainly foreshadows Frodo's eventual destiny to cross the Sea as a shattered trauma survivor. In a way, the vision is altogether too hopeful to square with the bittersweet ending of the series. I will continue to look for similar elements linked with Frodo as the re-read continues.

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