So I once read something by Tolkien's old friend C.S. Lewis (I think it was a preface to The Screwtape Letters), wherein Lewis gave his theory of Hell as a place where everyone is trying to consume everyone else. Besides being a sadly apt description of our late-capitalist global economy, this theory has stuck with me because it also explains why Hell is so miserably self-defeating.
I bring this up because, up till now, Mordor has just been so frighteningly competent, right? The Nazgul are terrifyingly efficient, Mordor's spies are everywhere, their forces grow exponentially, and they always seem to be at least a step ahead of our heroes. We've discussed before how Sauron's goal is total control over everything and everyone, and he appears to be well on his way to accomplishing so. I don't know the mythology near as well as Ben, but I have to think Sauron actually thinks of himself as the good guy, the epic hero, the one who brings absolute order to this world of interminable chaos. Sauron has probably been able to attract so many forces and allies precisely because he promises them total power over others.
Key word: Others.
Because the key flaw, the inherent vice, in this quest for total power is that the sort of people most attracted to it mainly only want it over others, not over themselves. And thus when someone else wants the same power that you want, even a nominal ally, your entire system becomes unstable.
We see the first cracks in Mordor's philosophy of power in this chapter, as we follow the Uruk-Hai running across the plains with Merry and Pippin. We soon begin to learn that these orcs are not a disciplined unit, but a haphazard composite of Mordor and Sarumanian forces; supposedly they are all on the same side, but really they can barely stand each other. Their cruel taunts of Merry and Pippin are constantly interrupted by their own petty infighting and bickering. Everyone accuses each other of treachery, and/or of trying to cheat them out of their reward. The lead orc Uglรบk must decapitate 2 goblins early on just to maintain his (very fragile) control.
Merry and Pippin are able to exploit this fundamental selfishness to trick an orc into separating them from the main group in exchange for a non-existent Ring--this, in fact, is how they escape. And though Tolkien does not state this explicitly, I have to suspect that the Riders of Rohan are able to so completely decimate the orcs and goblins precisely because the latter did not stand united when they fought back. But then why would they? They were never united in the first place, for they were all trying to consume each other. They willfully lived the doctrine of Hell, and they literally burn because of it.
I recall that Gandolf first sold everyone on carrying the Ring to Mordor because, quite simply, Sauron would never see it coming; Sauron desires is absolute power, and so it never occurs to him that anyone would want anything else. This blinds him to altruism, heroism, friendship, selflessness and self-sacrifice, and is thus how Frodo and Sam are able to sneak right under his nose. This also blinds him to the weakness of his own militias--for no matter how large his forces get, they will never be truly united, for they are will always be at each others throats. The Eye of Sauron sees much, but it does not see all.
I hereby posit that this is the first chapter wherein we get a hint of how Mordor can be defeated.
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