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The One Ring Forums:
Tolkien Topics: Reading Room:
3, 4, and 5:
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Ethel Duath
Gondolin
Dec 18 2024, 2:49am
Views: 6056
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'I have often wondered what you and Bilbo were doing, so close in his little room,' said Merry. 'Bless the old hobbit! I love him more than ever. I hope we get a chance of telling him about it!' - Lothlorien
Here's Merry's curiosity again. Apparently he was watching Frodo and Bilbo, but didn't manage to suss out what they were doing.
3. If Merry had known, would your have expected him to keep that information to himself? What does Merry's delight in Bilbo's gift say about his affection for Frodo?
Personally, I would have, but I'm not certain what Merry would have done in that situation. I do think he might have shared it with Sam or Aragorn, or possibly Gandalf, if he thought it would be of help to Frodo; but I'm sure he wouldn't have broadcasted far and wide and I wouldn't be surprised if he would actually have kept it to himself unless there was an extremely good reason in the moment not to.
I think Merry's delight in the Mithril coat shows both his sense of responsibility for Frodo, and the extent or rather the depth of his friendship, which really isn't spelled out the way it is with Sam; but this is an indication.
Finally, the remaining eight reach the safety of Lothlorien, the "secret woods" Gandalf mentioned. When the elf Haldir says he does not know where the havens of the High Elves lie beyond the land of the Halflings, Merry tells him:
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'You out at least to guess, since you have seen us,' said Merry. 'There are Elf-havens west of my land, the Shire, where Hobbits live.'
'Happy folk are Hobbits to dwell near the shores of the sea!' said Haldir...'Tell me of these havens as we walk.'
'I cannot,' said Merry, 'I have never seen them. I have never been out of my own land before. And if I had known what the world outside was like, I don't think I should have had the heart to leave it.' - Lothlorien
4. Merry is far away from singing travelling songs in the cottage at Crickhollow! Does he mean it? Or is fear, sorrow and exhaustion speaking? Elrond made it clear that none of Frodo's companions were obligated to travel with him.
It's largely about Gandalf, I think. The grief for all of them was unimaginable, partly because the loss of Gandalf was unimaginable. To some extent, I wouldn't be surprised if all of them were feeling that way, even Aragorn. I don't think that Merry is changing his mind as to whether he would have gone with Frodo from Rivendell, which I think he would have anyway, even knowing everything that would happen to him and the others all the way through, but rather it was a wish that none of it had ever happened, or that he could have stayed blissfully unaware in the comfort of the Shire.
In addition, I do think that he's also expressing a profound disillusionment. He was probably expecting something similar to Bilbo's journey, only with more sinister enemies and more at stake. But I don't think he had any idea what "things were like out there," and rather than regretting joining the quest with Frodo from Rivendell, he was expressing that disillusionment with the world outside. I think his duty remain clear to him and he would have followed it.
The other thing I think about with this statement is how most of us will make extreme statements like that just to express our grief or despair, not because we really would have done anything differently. It's simply a very natural sort of that people say when feeling grieved or guilty or otherwise overwhelmed.
It's generally not the kind of thing we necessarily expect to be taken literally, although of course it can be meant that way if only in the moment.
After the wordless interrogation by Galadriel, Sam says:
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'She seemed to me looking inside me and asking me what I would do if she gave me the chance of flying back home to the Shire to a nice hole with - with a bit of garden of my own.'
'That's funny, said Merry. 'Almost exactly what I felt myself; only, only well, I don't think I'll say any more,' he ended lamely. - The Mirror of Galadriel
Now it's Merry deciding to keep his thoughts private, a parallel to Gandalf saying "'To the end of the journey - in the end."
5. Why would Merry not want to share openly after Sam did so?
I think it was either something far more embarrassing than Sam's temptation, or his personality type didn't lend itself to revealing weakness. I'm not sure we know enough about Merry to be sure which it was, but I lean towards reasons of personality. I kinda would like to know what it was, though!
(This post was edited by Ethel Duath on Dec 18 2024, 2:50am)
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Edit Log:
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Post edited by Ethel Duath
(Gondolin) on Dec 18 2024, 2:50am
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