The almost plodding pace of Book IV always managed to capture my attention more than the ebbs and flows of Book III, and this chapter is an example why. Tolkien slowly describes the magnitude of the forces arrayed against the hobbits in their journey to Mordor, and at the same time, makes it clear that they have no idea what they are doing. The tension builds, and builds, and by the time we have Black Riders soaring overhead on leathery wings and Smeagol/Gollum on the ground, plotting against the duo, the reader is on the edge of his seat. Not to mention the soul-crushing struggle Frodo is engaged in on a constant basis over mastery of the Ring; the marshes and their environmental threat; and the simple fact that quite aside from being caught, killed, or tortured by the forces of Sauron (and therein dooming the entire world), the duo may not have enough food to even reach the mountain, let alone return back from it. The stakes seem incredibly high; far higher than those present with Aragorn & Co. Their conflicts are almost laughable in comparison.
Eric and Jacob both highlighted the fascinating Gollum section, which leaves the reader wondering just who "She" might be (and shaking their heads as Sam, who immediately dismisses the question out of hand). But what grabbed me this time around was the description of Frodo's struggle with the Ring. It's been years and years since I read LOTR last, and since that last time I've had heaps and heaps of personal responsibility heaped upon me in my own life. Not that I think that's necessarily comparable to dual malevolent forces struggling for dominance of your soul, but I would say that I think most of us can understand ongoing situations of continual stress and pressure, whether from jobs, family members, education, you name it. Frodo's day is one of continual concentration; continual defense against the assault on his will and spirit, both externally from "the Eye" and quasi-internally from "the Ring". The reader practically rejoices when Frodo, at the end of the chapter, wakes to find his burden made lighter, just for a time, by the "fair vision" he enjoyed while dreaming, and the rest he was able to capture.
Finally, I also appreciate the sense of history that Tolkien invests the chapter with. Frodo and Sam are trudging through the battle plain where Sauron was defeated by the combined armies of Men and Elves 3000 years previously, where ultimately Sauron's physical form was destroyed and the Ring was seized by Isildur. There certainly is some circular symbolism here: the Ring is returning to the place where it was seized and created. What is depressing is that the corpses have no affiliation, once dead -- the Elves and Orcs, both at once, are "all foul, all rotting, all dead. A fell light is in them." Their struggle, their battle, is forgotton; they are just present, as shades or figures, with less power than even the Barrow-wights encountered in Book 1. A grim contrast to the honor heaped upon the dead after the battles by the Rohirrim in the last book. Tolkien provides this counterpoint, I think, to once again highlight the fact that war, in and of itself, brings no joy, creates no life; it only ends it.
I'm back! I'm going to try to catch up to you guys by writing one post every day this week. We'll see if we can get back on schedule with the posts.
Awesome-sauce! Looking forward!
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