Chapter 6: The Forbidden Pool
Jacob's Thoughts (1/24/16)
This Frodo is a different character.
This is not the nephew pining for mountains in his lil' Hobbit hole, or cowering before Farmer Maggot, or getting half-eaten by frickin' Willow Trees, or openly lusting after Tom Bombadil's wife, or summoning his adorable little Hobbit courage against the Barrel-Wights, or making an abject fool of himself at the Prancing Pony, or getting mocked by Strider, or frolicking around Rivendell, or what have you.
No, this is a new character. Whether that is because this journey has changed him irrevocably, or he was simply never that clearly drawn of a character to begin with and thus changes fluidly based on the needs of the story, is a more difficult question to parse.
Perhaps the Ring has infected him too much by now. Or maybe the claim that Smeagol's service has made on his soul has altered it, made something a little more regal of it--Frodo now feels all the heavy responsibility of the Lordship without any of the attendant benefits. Maybe some combination of all of the above, maybe something else entirely.
In any case, the way Frodo solemnly addresses Faramir, as an equal--and the way Faramir naturally reciprocates, as a kindred spirit--is different from any manner we've seen him behave before. Don't get me wrong, I like it--and I don't normally enjoy this style of perpetual self-seriousness, but the chemistry between these two characters just seems to click in every scene they share--and I especially appreciate how Faramir's intuitive insight into the souls and intentions of others, including both Gollum's and Frodo's, makes him a natural soulmate for equally-insightful Frodo, thus enhancing the intrinsic tragedy that they will scarcely get a chance to ever let that mutual regard blossom into genuine friendship, such is the cost of war--yet nevertheless, this Frodo here feels as alien and strange to me as he does to Faramir.
This is not the same Frodo I've been journeying with all along. This Frodo is a new character. And I don't quite yet know how I feel about it.
Ben's Thoughts (1/26/16)
So I know Tolkien had to push Frodo and Gollum's relationship to a tipping point, and this chapter is his vehicle for that flashpoint. Unfortunately, I think it strains the plot to limits of my credulity.
Frodo and Sam are quasi-captives of Faramir; coming to the outpost is punishable by death for any outsider; and here comes Gollum, waltzing into the pool and diving for fish. Tolkien presents a problem, and has Frodo bungle through the fallout of Gollum's arrival with all the deftness of a drunken sailor. Part of the problem in which Tolkien has Faramir present the conundrum to Frodo in the first place: he's not up front with why he takes Frodo to the falls. From a narrative perspective, this does two diametrically opposite things: it sets Frodo on edge and off his guard, because of Faramir's tactic; but it also upsets the relationship that the two built in the last chapter, which ended with both hobbits trusting Faramir and revealing to him their secrets. Yet here, Tolkien makes Frodo and Faramir take a silent step back; the distrust has returned, for no discernable reason.
Faramir knows that Frodo is associated in some way with a small, tricky creature who evades capture by his men. Yet he chooses not to ask him about it. Faramir also notes about how brazen the creature is to swim and fish in the pool, all the while with a company of men on the other side of the falls. Frodo points out that this is probably because he doesn't know the outpost is there at all, but this should have been obvious to Faramir from the beginning. Faramir distrusts the creature from the first moment he laid eyes on him, but why? Just because he doesn't know what it is, because it looks vaguely like some "spying breed of orc"? I don't know. The motivations seem off.
Then Tolkien has Frodo stumble down to the pool's edge, by himself, to try to convince Gollum to slink into the waiting hands of the men to be captured. Why doesn't Frodo ask instead to talk to Gollum, to find out what he knows? Once he determines that Gollum doesn't know about the outpost, why doesn't he stay with Gollum until Sam can gather up their gear and leave? Why doesn't he explain to Faramir that Gollum is drawn to the Ring, and have Faramir capture him in a way that doesn't involve Frodo having to betray Gollum's trust? It just feels forced to me. All Frodo needed to do was ask for more time to consider how he could preserve Gollum's trust and achieve Faramir's goal of secrecy. The only explanation for why he would not ask that is that he didn't trust Faramir, but from the last chapter we know that those fears have been overridden.
Of course, we know the characters act the way they do because Tolkien needs them to, in order to advance the plot. It just comes across as heavy-handed, to me. I do appreciate Faramir's struggle of wills with Gollum, and that he seems to be doing some kind of Galadriel-style mind-reading on the poor creature before judging him no threat to the outpost (but possibly as a threat to Frodo). I also appreciate his decision to respect Frodo's agency. It's unclear whether or not Faramir understands just how much is riding on Frodo's quest, but he does know that the Ring in Sauron's hands would be a huge boost to the already-superpowered Enemy, so his decision to let Frodo go -- and let Gollum go with him -- should not be underappreciated. Of course, that too seems at odds with the paranoia Tolkien had him exhibit earlier in the very same chapter. Why couldn't they all have just talked it over before sending Frodo down to do the dirty work?
I love the foreshadowing of the danger that awaits the hobbits at Kirith Ungol. Tolkien manages this nicely without reavealing what is actually up there. There are some nice worldbuilding touches, as well, when Frodo refers to Minas Morgul as "Minas Ithil," and Faramir corrects him. It's interesting how ignorant Faramir seems to be regarding the Ringwraiths; I guess Sauron has not yet unleashed them in battle in the living memory of the current round of Gondorians. This is one instance, at least, in which our hobbits are more experienced and knowledgeable than their "betters."
All in all, a necessary, even compelling chapter, in terms of plot and dialogue -- just heavy-handed. Tolkien wields the plot bat to push his characters towards the final conflict of the book.
Eric's Thoughts (3/3/16)
Jacob's analysis focuses on how Frodo has changed -- gone is the deferential hobbit, replaced now by a person who is Faramir's equal. I agree. I noted in my last chapter analysis how Faramir seems to bring out excellent character development in Frodo. I think the change Jacob questions is a good thing, for the simple reason that a character change is necessary as the story progresses. As Frodo nears Mordor, so too will his power grow, distrust rise -- and conversely his will weakens.
Ben comes at this chapter from a different angle. He argues that the chapter presents a forced dilemma onto the reader that is contrived solely for plot purposes. He observes there were other reasonable ways out of the dilemma, thereby making it a conjuration to serve plot.
I didn't particularly feel that way when I was reading it. To me, Tolkien establishes Faramir as a man who will do the right thing. In this case, doing the right thing means following the law and killing Gollum.
Perhaps there were better ways to more tactfully approach the situation. But I think what Ben overlooks is that Faramir is not intimately familiar with this Gollum creature like we are. From Faramir's perspective, who cares if Gollum is offended? Neither Faramir, nor Frodo, are aware of the consequences of their actions as we readers know from previous viewings of the story. Hindsight is 20/20.
Frodo's dilemma furthers sheds light on his character change. For the first time in the story, he does not tell the truth and intentionally tricks another character (aside from his Mr. Underhill ruse). Of course, he does so to save Gollum's life. The moral ambiguity of this chapter is ultimately what makes it so compelling.
This Frodo is a different character.
This is not the nephew pining for mountains in his lil' Hobbit hole, or cowering before Farmer Maggot, or getting half-eaten by frickin' Willow Trees, or openly lusting after Tom Bombadil's wife, or summoning his adorable little Hobbit courage against the Barrel-Wights, or making an abject fool of himself at the Prancing Pony, or getting mocked by Strider, or frolicking around Rivendell, or what have you.
No, this is a new character. Whether that is because this journey has changed him irrevocably, or he was simply never that clearly drawn of a character to begin with and thus changes fluidly based on the needs of the story, is a more difficult question to parse.
Perhaps the Ring has infected him too much by now. Or maybe the claim that Smeagol's service has made on his soul has altered it, made something a little more regal of it--Frodo now feels all the heavy responsibility of the Lordship without any of the attendant benefits. Maybe some combination of all of the above, maybe something else entirely.
In any case, the way Frodo solemnly addresses Faramir, as an equal--and the way Faramir naturally reciprocates, as a kindred spirit--is different from any manner we've seen him behave before. Don't get me wrong, I like it--and I don't normally enjoy this style of perpetual self-seriousness, but the chemistry between these two characters just seems to click in every scene they share--and I especially appreciate how Faramir's intuitive insight into the souls and intentions of others, including both Gollum's and Frodo's, makes him a natural soulmate for equally-insightful Frodo, thus enhancing the intrinsic tragedy that they will scarcely get a chance to ever let that mutual regard blossom into genuine friendship, such is the cost of war--yet nevertheless, this Frodo here feels as alien and strange to me as he does to Faramir.
This is not the same Frodo I've been journeying with all along. This Frodo is a new character. And I don't quite yet know how I feel about it.
Ben's Thoughts (1/26/16)
So I know Tolkien had to push Frodo and Gollum's relationship to a tipping point, and this chapter is his vehicle for that flashpoint. Unfortunately, I think it strains the plot to limits of my credulity.
Frodo and Sam are quasi-captives of Faramir; coming to the outpost is punishable by death for any outsider; and here comes Gollum, waltzing into the pool and diving for fish. Tolkien presents a problem, and has Frodo bungle through the fallout of Gollum's arrival with all the deftness of a drunken sailor. Part of the problem in which Tolkien has Faramir present the conundrum to Frodo in the first place: he's not up front with why he takes Frodo to the falls. From a narrative perspective, this does two diametrically opposite things: it sets Frodo on edge and off his guard, because of Faramir's tactic; but it also upsets the relationship that the two built in the last chapter, which ended with both hobbits trusting Faramir and revealing to him their secrets. Yet here, Tolkien makes Frodo and Faramir take a silent step back; the distrust has returned, for no discernable reason.
Faramir knows that Frodo is associated in some way with a small, tricky creature who evades capture by his men. Yet he chooses not to ask him about it. Faramir also notes about how brazen the creature is to swim and fish in the pool, all the while with a company of men on the other side of the falls. Frodo points out that this is probably because he doesn't know the outpost is there at all, but this should have been obvious to Faramir from the beginning. Faramir distrusts the creature from the first moment he laid eyes on him, but why? Just because he doesn't know what it is, because it looks vaguely like some "spying breed of orc"? I don't know. The motivations seem off.
Then Tolkien has Frodo stumble down to the pool's edge, by himself, to try to convince Gollum to slink into the waiting hands of the men to be captured. Why doesn't Frodo ask instead to talk to Gollum, to find out what he knows? Once he determines that Gollum doesn't know about the outpost, why doesn't he stay with Gollum until Sam can gather up their gear and leave? Why doesn't he explain to Faramir that Gollum is drawn to the Ring, and have Faramir capture him in a way that doesn't involve Frodo having to betray Gollum's trust? It just feels forced to me. All Frodo needed to do was ask for more time to consider how he could preserve Gollum's trust and achieve Faramir's goal of secrecy. The only explanation for why he would not ask that is that he didn't trust Faramir, but from the last chapter we know that those fears have been overridden.
Of course, we know the characters act the way they do because Tolkien needs them to, in order to advance the plot. It just comes across as heavy-handed, to me. I do appreciate Faramir's struggle of wills with Gollum, and that he seems to be doing some kind of Galadriel-style mind-reading on the poor creature before judging him no threat to the outpost (but possibly as a threat to Frodo). I also appreciate his decision to respect Frodo's agency. It's unclear whether or not Faramir understands just how much is riding on Frodo's quest, but he does know that the Ring in Sauron's hands would be a huge boost to the already-superpowered Enemy, so his decision to let Frodo go -- and let Gollum go with him -- should not be underappreciated. Of course, that too seems at odds with the paranoia Tolkien had him exhibit earlier in the very same chapter. Why couldn't they all have just talked it over before sending Frodo down to do the dirty work?
I love the foreshadowing of the danger that awaits the hobbits at Kirith Ungol. Tolkien manages this nicely without reavealing what is actually up there. There are some nice worldbuilding touches, as well, when Frodo refers to Minas Morgul as "Minas Ithil," and Faramir corrects him. It's interesting how ignorant Faramir seems to be regarding the Ringwraiths; I guess Sauron has not yet unleashed them in battle in the living memory of the current round of Gondorians. This is one instance, at least, in which our hobbits are more experienced and knowledgeable than their "betters."
All in all, a necessary, even compelling chapter, in terms of plot and dialogue -- just heavy-handed. Tolkien wields the plot bat to push his characters towards the final conflict of the book.
Eric's Thoughts (3/3/16)
Jacob's analysis focuses on how Frodo has changed -- gone is the deferential hobbit, replaced now by a person who is Faramir's equal. I agree. I noted in my last chapter analysis how Faramir seems to bring out excellent character development in Frodo. I think the change Jacob questions is a good thing, for the simple reason that a character change is necessary as the story progresses. As Frodo nears Mordor, so too will his power grow, distrust rise -- and conversely his will weakens.
Ben comes at this chapter from a different angle. He argues that the chapter presents a forced dilemma onto the reader that is contrived solely for plot purposes. He observes there were other reasonable ways out of the dilemma, thereby making it a conjuration to serve plot.
I didn't particularly feel that way when I was reading it. To me, Tolkien establishes Faramir as a man who will do the right thing. In this case, doing the right thing means following the law and killing Gollum.
Perhaps there were better ways to more tactfully approach the situation. But I think what Ben overlooks is that Faramir is not intimately familiar with this Gollum creature like we are. From Faramir's perspective, who cares if Gollum is offended? Neither Faramir, nor Frodo, are aware of the consequences of their actions as we readers know from previous viewings of the story. Hindsight is 20/20.
Frodo's dilemma furthers sheds light on his character change. For the first time in the story, he does not tell the truth and intentionally tricks another character (aside from his Mr. Underhill ruse). Of course, he does so to save Gollum's life. The moral ambiguity of this chapter is ultimately what makes it so compelling.
No comments:
Post a Comment