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Escapist
Rohan
Oct 13 2012, 12:52am
Views: 108
Shortcut
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What do you think of the narrator’s backtracking like this to fill in the events of the story while the dwarves and Bilbo were plundering the hoard in the last chapter? Do you think that this information could have been presented differently? Is this the patronising adult voice talking to children? Could Tolkien have intercut the scenes in this chapter with the scenes from the previous one? What would he gain and what would he lose by doing so?
To me, this gives the impression that somone wrote this part during the down time while everyone else was lost in the treasure horde.
According to John Rateliff’s History of The Hobbit, Tolkien originally planned to have what became this “Fire and Water” chapter placed before the “Not at Home” chapter. Good decision to switch them around and have “Fire and Water” following “Not at Home”? What does Tolkien gain, what does he lose by putting them in this order?
There is added suspense and uncertainty – and also more time for the dwarves to prepare, reminisce, and organize.
Why describe Smaug from this point of view and in this way? Do you know if anyone has ever painted this scene?
It sounds like a fantastic thing to see. This adds to a feeling that this part of the story wasn’t written by Bilbo.
What about your favorite sentences in this section? What do you like (or not) about the way the battle is described?
Although there are soooo many arrows that miss, there is one that hits the target.
A Bilbo-free chapter
Is this the first chapter in the book that does not involve Bilbo? Is this significant in any way?
The whole story feels different around this point. The patterns of narrator speech, limited perspective, and almost everything else shifts. Did representatives among the elves, men, and dwarves each contribute heavily to this chapter in concert with Bilbo writing his memoirs?
Well of course not … but that is what it makes me think.
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User
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Time
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***Fire and Water*** I: Smaug Attacks
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Modtheow
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Oct 9 2012, 8:14pm
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Smaug happens
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CuriousG
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Oct 10 2012, 10:52pm
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Fall of Gondolin
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Modtheow
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Oct 11 2012, 4:45pm
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My Thoughts
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justbennett
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Oct 12 2012, 10:18pm
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The last lucky arrow
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Modtheow
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Oct 14 2012, 4:34pm
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The sequence is excellent.
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dernwyn
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Oct 13 2012, 12:23am
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Bilbo as dragon-slayer
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Modtheow
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Oct 14 2012, 4:46pm
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quite a scene
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Escapist
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Oct 13 2012, 12:52am
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Bilbo as author
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Modtheow
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Oct 14 2012, 4:57pm
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I think of Bilbo and Frodo as the writers of an original manuscript
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Escapist
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Oct 14 2012, 5:05pm
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Late answers
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sador
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Oct 14 2012, 3:11pm
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and a late question
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Modtheow
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Oct 14 2012, 5:14pm
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All of those you've said
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sador
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Oct 15 2012, 9:39pm
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