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sador
Gondolin
Nov 21 2008, 8:18am
Post #1 of 3
(864 views)
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The Land of Shadow, part VIII - The spirit of Mordor
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The rest of this chapter divides quite naturally in three parts, which will be each discussed in a seperate thred. As I must leave this room for the next couple of days, I'm going to post now two new threads, and the last one on Sunday morning (which to the readers in California will still be Saturday night), and follow it with a summary and wrap-up later that day.
Coming down from the tops of the Morgai, Sam and Frodo sneak past an orc-hold, but soon are nearly overtaken by two orcs: a large soldier, and a tracker of a smaller breed.
Some twenty paces before the place the hobbits hide in, the tracker stops – and wants to go home!
1. How come the tracker lost the scent? Does the orc-gear the hobbits wear cover that as well?
The soldier banters the tracker, and blames the mess on confusion High Up: ‘Whose blame’s that?’ said the soldier. ‘Not mine. That comes from Higher Up. First they say it’s a great Elf in briht armour, then it’s a sort of small dwarf-man, then it must be a pack of rebel Uruk-hai; or maybe it’s all the lot together.’
2. Why would the ‘bosses’ be confused by the accounts? I can understand by the different accounts of the spies, but why mix it up with “the black sneak”, which the tracker seems to be looking for?
3. Who are those ‘bosses’ the tracker mentions? They seem to imply a structured chain of authority.
4. What does ‘Tower raided’ mean? Did they know of Sam’s escape?
Then, the two orcs describe ‘that gobbler with the flapping hands’?
5. Before, the soldier said ‘I reckon eyes are better than noses’. Does it mean he saw Gollum? Or did he see Frodo and Sam, while the tracker was looking for Gollum’s scent?
6. The soldier seems not to know who Gollum was; but Shagrat and ‘his lads’ did. What is the connection between the soldier and his ‘precious’ (???!!!) Shagrat?
While discussing Gollum, the soldier refers to ‘that cast-off mail-shirt’ as having saved his life, while the tracker says the soldier simply missed. This is the fourth time Gollum’s life is saved from archers: in Lorien, Haldir didn’t shoot him because he did not know what he was; in Ithilien, Anborn didn’t because of Faramir’s standing orders; and in the Hidden Pool, Anborn and then Faramir didn’t because Frodo bade them not to.
7. I feel the soldier was right this time – and Gollum’s life being saved by the armour Frodo cast away fits nicely in the pattern. What do you think?
8. Later, Frodo comments “We have evidently had a very narrow escape, and the hunt was hotter on our tracks than we guessed“. What does he mean – the orcs, or Gollum?
After the tracker threatens to desert, the soldier threatens to report him to the Nazgul who is at the present in charge at the Tower of Cirith Ungol. This really drives the tracker over the edge: Go to your filthy Shriekers, and may they freeze the flesh off you! If the Enemy doesn’t get them first. they’ve done in Number One, I hear, and I hope it’s true!
Such hatred! But remember, even the orcs which are supposed to work with the Nazgul, seem to accept them only because of Sauron’s will.
Gorbag says in ‘The Choices of Master Samwise’: “But he likes ‘em; they’re His favourites nowadays, so it’s no use grumbling”.
And even Grishnakh’s reaction to the mere mention of them is illuminating (especially in contrast to his earlier bravado in bragging the Nazgul would take him across the river): “’Nazgul, Nazgul,’ said Grishnakh, shivering and licking his lips, as if the word had a foul taste that he savoured painfully... ‘You ought to know that they’re the apple of the Great Eye’
9. These words seem to imply more than just fear of the Nazgul – is there also a resentment, remembering that orcs were faithful to the Dark Lords from the beginning of time, while the wraiths were originally just Men?
10. Is there a solidarity among Orcs? Are they supposed (as the tracker implies) to stick to each other against the Nazgul?
These words are too much for the fighter – either because of the rebellious comment, or because of the personal insult (which is more likely?). He leaps up, spear in hand. But the tracker, springing behind a stone, put an arrow in his eye as he ran up.
11. Is it another case of the fighter ‘running too slow’? I can picture him sitting and making his sneering comments at the tracker’s (and at the authorities) expense.
12. Is this the true ‘spirit of Mordor’?
Admittedly, the last question takes Frodo’s words in a very modern sense. Frodo himself seems to imply the hatred and in-fighting is the land’s spirit – “These creatures, being filled with malice, hating even their own kind...” (Appendix F). He also arrives at the conclusion that the pursuit was too close for comfort, and that they must move on.
One Ring to bring them all, and in the darkness bind them.
In the Land of Mordor were the Shadows lie.
"And thither we are going against my wish. Who will lead us now in this deadly dark?" - Boromir, ‘A Journey in the Dark’.
Join us in the Reading Room for 'The Land of Shadow'!
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batik
Dor-Lomin
Nov 22 2008, 9:25pm
Post #2 of 3
(583 views)
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How come the tracker lost the scent? Does the orc-gear the hobbits wear cover that as well?
Seems to me as if the Tracker is blaming that on Gollum ("He messed up the scent back there...") and that he's only moved in the current direction at the Orc's demand that he do so. Interesting the the Tracker seems not to have caught the Hobbits scent at all.
Why would the ‘bosses’ be confused by the accounts? I can understand by the different accounts of the spies, but why mix it up with “the black sneak”, which the tracker seems to be looking for?
Bad lines of communication? Who is responsible for relaying information? Sounds as if several conflicting stories were told and there's no one *boss* to receive this and make sense of it.
Who are those ‘bosses’ the tracker mentions? They seem to imply a structured chain of authority.
Maybe the Nazgul due to the tracker's statement "One of them's in charge at the Tower now". Also I think this was implied by Gorbag back in "The Choices of Master Samwise" when he called them the Top Ones.
What does ‘Tower raided’ mean? Did they know of Sam’s escape?
Ha "tower raided" by one little Hobbit! Well, they do mention that the prisoner escaped. Wouldn't that be Frodo?
Before, the soldier said ‘I reckon eyes are better than noses’. Does it mean he saw Gollum? Or did he see Frodo and Sam, while the tracker was looking for Gollum’s scent?
Reads as if he saw Gollum well enough to shoot at him.
The soldier seems not to know who Gollum was; but Shagrat and ‘his lads’ did. What is the connection between the soldier and his ‘precious’ (???!!!) Shagrat?
Must be one of his "crew".
I feel the soldier was right this time – and Gollum’s life being saved by the armour Frodo cast away fits nicely in the pattern. What do you think?
Gollum is either very lucky or there is some outside intervention happening here.
Later, Frodo comments “We have evidently had a very narrow escape, and the hunt was hotter on our tracks than we guessed“. What does he mean – the orcs, or Gollum?
Perhaps both-but more so with regards to the orcs. He is certain of what the orcs intentions are, Gollum he can negotiate with a bit.
These words seem to imply more than just fear of the Nazgul – is there also a resentment, remembering that orcs were faithful to the Dark Lords from the beginning of time, while the wraiths were originally just Men?
Yes I can see not only fear but a big dose of resentment of Sauron favoring these relatively *newcomers* who have expereinced life beyond Mordor-rule.
Is there a solidarity among Orcs? Are they supposed (as the tracker implies) to stick to each other against the Nazgul?
Not too much-seems to be every Orc for himself most of the time.
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Dreamdeer
Doriath
Nov 22 2008, 10:02pm
Post #3 of 3
(599 views)
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The hobbits did not put on clean orc-gear, but no doubt clothes, cloaks, and armor very ripe with goblin-scent. Even though they themselves have not recently bathed, either, I imagine that eau de orc would drown out a lot. Even so, the tracker deserves credit for finding at least some trail. I do find it telling that Gollum messed the trail up, further confirming his kinship with hobbits, in that he smells so much like Frodo and Sam that he confused a goblin nose.
As for solidarity between orcs, I wager that there is--until there is not. Orcs do have ideals, though they seldom meet them. For instance, blaming Sam for apparently abandoning Frodo's body, then laughing about abandoning a comrade alive to Shelob. If they had no ideals, they would not be evil, simply forces of nature. To be truly evil, you have to know better and choose worse.
Life is beautiful and dangerous! Beware! Enjoy!
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