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jochenkeen
The Shire
Nov 15 2015, 4:52am
Post #1 of 14
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The Voice of Saruman: 1 of 3
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"Anyone can rat, but it takes a certain ingenuity to re-rat."
Winston Churchill
Thanks for inviting me to host this week's reading, Ch. X "The Voice of Saruman". This is my first time doing something like this, so please let me know if there's any adjustments I should make!
When the chapters were being divvied up, I instantly pounced on this one because Saruman is perhaps my favourite character in the trilogy. And there is so much in this chapter: mercy, magic, redemption, and rhetoric, to name just a few things.
I propose to discuss the chapter in three instalments. First, an introduction to the chapter generally and to the character of Saruman specifically. Second, an analysis of the parley between Saruman and the free peoples. Third, questions and thoughts about Gandalf... why did he want to talk to Saruman in the first place?
An Introduction to The Voice of Saruman
The joy of this chapter is that there is very little action, but a great deal of conflict. After conquering Isengard, the heroes and their allies come to the foot of Orthanc and hold a parley with Saruman. Saruman attempts to improve his fortunes by convincing Theoden to betray Gandalf. When this fails, he attempts to convince Gandalf to betray Theoden. And when this also fails, it is Gandalf's turn -- he unsuccessfully tries to persuade Saruman to leave Orthanc and assist the free peoples. All this failure is capped off by Wormtongue, who fails to kill Saruman (or Gandalf?) by throwing a palantir from a great height upon his head.
Unusually for the LotR, most of the text of the chapter is dialogue. Description is minimized. Tolkien focuses on words, on characterization and on the subjective experience of different characters.
Most remarkably, this is the first chapter where Saruman is portrayed directly (rather than being reported on by other characters, as in "The Council of Elrond"). I'm discounting his brief appearance to Aragorn, Gimli and Legolas in "The Riders of Rohan", since it's not really clear whether this was Saruman himself or some sort of phantom. The fact that Saruman is portrayed at all is significant: Tolkien has a very light touch when showing us villains (Of course we never see Sauron). So here, we get a big dose of Saruman... but only in his moment of defeat.
This brings me to my first question for the group: Why do we only see Saruman once he has lost the war?
Saruman: a fund of ingenuity
Saruman is a fascinating characters because he embodies so many contradictions: A wizard who reeks of technology and industrialization. An emissary of the Valar who ends up as a hoodlum. A wise man who continually makes stupid decisions. A traitor for Sauron who attempts to betray Sauron.
Despite these contradictions (or because of them?), Saruman is a believable character, with internal consistency and a great capacity to evolve. Some of Tolkien's characters could be criticized for minor (or at least suble) growth, but not Saruman. He is a self-made man, taking council from his own thoughts rather than from his allotted place in the world. He goes from "White" to "Many Colours". His hair turns from black to white (not unlike a certain character on Twin Peaks). He dares to transform knowledge into power. And ultimately, his self-destruction through overweening ambition brings him in line with some of the great tragic heroes, like MacBeth or Milton's Satan.
One could probably write a book itself just about Saruman, so I will only touch on some of these aspects. First, I have to draw attention to one of my favourite lines in the trilogy, that goes all the way back to The Council of Elrond. Gandalf reports Saruman as saying (about the transformation from S. the White to S. of Many Colours):
' "White! " he sneered. "It serves as a beginning. White cloth may be dyed. The white page can be overwritten; and the white light can be broken."
With the words "the white light can be broken", Tolkien conjures up the ghost of Sir Isaac Newton (a pioneer of the scientific revolution who discovered, among many things, that white light can be broken into all the colours of the rainbow). It's a subtle and beautiful piece of writing, hinting that Saruman sees beyond the medieval trappings of Middle-earth and into the scientific developments of our own time.
And this brings me to my second question for the group: Is Saruman a modern man? What in this chapter suggests that he is? Is there anything modern about his "voice"?
The other thing that I find interesting about Saruman is his morality. Truly, it is a mystery to me. It does not appear that he was corrupted by Sauron. Rather, although a holy being sent by the Valar, he spontaneously began scheming for his own aggrandizement. The chronology of the Third Age (Appendix B) states that he started his own secret search for the Ring in 2851, and that he was "jealous and afraid" of Gandalf in 2953. But he doesn't peer into the Palantir and become "ensnared" by Sauron until 3000, or 19 years before the events in this Chapter. But even then, Saruman was playing a double game, assisting Sauron while plotting to supplant him. It takes a lot of strength to try to screw with Sauron after Skyping with him for so long.
One of the earlier commentators (I'm sorry, I've lost track of who it was) mentioned that Saruman probably thinks he is the hero in his own story. I found this to be a fascinating comment. I've heard it said that the best villains are those who actually think that they are the heroes.
And this leads me to my third question: Does Saruman think of himself as a hero?
For my own part, I don't think Tolkien thought of him that way. But I think crafty old Saruman may have slipped out of the author's grasp (just like he will later slip away from Treebeard's prison). Saruman is too rich, too complex and too ambitious to merely be a power-hungry villain. If that's the case, what is he? What kind of a hero does he think he is? Or do you think I'm barking up the wrong tree?
Recap
So far, my questions are:
Why do we only see Saruman once he has lost the war?
Is Saruman a modern man? What in this chapter suggests that he is? Is there anything modern about his "voice"?
Does Saruman think of himself as a hero? If so, what kind of a hero?
These are all pretty broad questions... and I hope at least some of you will challenge my basic premises. Really, I just want to know what other people think about the fascinating character of Saruman of Many Colours. And in the next post, I promise we'll dig into the guts of the chapter: the conversation between Saruman and Gandalf.
As you read on, there's one other thing I'd ask you to think about (because I'm thinking about it a lot for my next post): Where is the borderline between Saruman's magic and Saruman's rhetoric?
Matthew Sullivan
Oldenhammer in Toronto
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noWizardme
Half-elven
Nov 15 2015, 10:27am
Post #2 of 14
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Couldn't agree more - Saruman is a very fine character.
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Thanks for agreeing to lead this week, jochenkeen, and you have made a great start!
I think Saruman is so interesting because he demonstrates a theme that I believe Tolkien thought about a lot. Naturally enough, the talented and powerful in Middle-earth take delight in using their talents and powers, and become attached to what they have achieved. But Middle-earth is governed by a Divine Plan (this might be something that can be inferred from reading LOTR only: it's explicit when one reads the Silmarillion. ) A person in Middle-earth ought to live their lives in accordance with this Divine Plan. That seems to be a difficult goal for anyone to achieve, because no-one is sure what the Divine Plan actually is. But the talented and powerful have a particular difficulty: they should not do things that work against the Divine Plan even if they have the ability to do so, and want to very much. This makes many powerful characters in Middle-earth into tragic figures, in that they have some character flaw that drives them to their own destruction.
Saruman is a superb example but others would include:
*Melkor cannot resist disrupting 'The Music' with his own bombastic soloing (he's the lead guitarist in the band, obviously :) )
* Feanor -cannot give up the Silmarils for the public good. Nor can he give them up as lost - instead he dooms himself and others to a hopeless quest to recover them.
* First-age Numenoreans - try to overcome the mortality of men
* Second-age elves - get into the Rings of Power project with Sauron as a way better to organize Middle-earth to their liking, rather than as it ought to be.
Working out what the Divine Plan is (and what wiggle room one has within it) seems to be very difficult - and perhaps particularly so for a thinker rather than a feeler like Saruman. It would seem, by the end of the story, that Gandalf has perceived things more clearly than Saruman: there is an opportunity to destroy Sauron here, and so it is not necessary to compromise with him or have Saruman as a less-worse alternative.
Note, though, two subtleties, which help make Tolkien's writing stand out above so much good-versus-evil fantasy fiction (and presumably make it all the harder to decide "am I doing a good thing if I make an orc army?"):
1) Good can be the route to evil:
"...frightful evil can and does arise from an apparently good root, the desire to benefit the world and others - speedily and according to the benefactor's own plans - is a recurrent motive."
JRR Tolkien, in a 1951 letter to Milton Waldman.
2) But conversely: "Oft evil will shall evil mar"
It's a recurrent theme that the bad guys score own goals, or otherwise inadvertently provide opportunities that the forces of 'good' (An earlier discussion http://newboards.theonering.net/...i?post=535159#535159 came up with many examples, so I won't type out lots of examples here. ).
I suppose Middle-earth theologians and philosophers later spent a lot of time arguing about whether Saruman was 'meant' to become corrupt, or whether things worked out anyway....
Final thought: It's always risky to infer autobiographical resonance, but I wonder whether Tolkein wondered about his own role in the Divine Plan/ I assume that, as a Catholic he would have believed there was a Divine Plan. And maybe he sometimes wondered whether his role in it could really be to spend so much time making up stories about elves and hobbits, or whether he was guilty of pleasing himself too much?
~~~~~~
Two Towers Read-through: Now looking for volunteers to lead chapters in Book IV: http://newboards.theonering.net/...i?post=878725#878725
The Book III schedule and links:
week starts # Chapter # Chapter name # leader # URL of thread
13-Sep-15 # I # The Departure of Boromir # MirielCelebel http://goo.gl/zpn7Rg
20-Sep-15 # II # The Riders of Rohan # Brethil (Part 1) http://goo.gl/yKNv7E (2) http://goo.gl/mxesBG
27-Sep-15 # III # The Uruk-hai # cats16 http://goo.gl/LUWJi1
04-Oct-15 # IV # Treebeard # Mikah http://goo.gl/2CqCXS
11-Oct-15 # V # The White Rider # Entwife Wandlimb http://goo.gl/VXb2Ni
18-Oct-15 # VI # The King of the Golden Hall # squire (Part 1) http://goo.gl/cpEvnI, (2) http://goo.gl/BBTzvR, (3) http://goo.gl/yN7QLq, (4) http://goo.gl/7726S3 (5) http://goo.gl/VC7Abc
25-Oct-15 # VII # Helm's Deep # arithmancer (Part 1) http://goo.gl/E6gVUC, (2) http://goo.gl/5aRuq0
01-Nov-15 # VIII # The Road to Isengard # Darkstone (Part 1)http://goo.gl/rdE1xG (2) http://goo.gl/54rxDw (3)http://goo.gl/Y0ZDwz (4) http://goo.gl/XVgXCx (5) http://goo.gl/Ph0O7k
08-Nov-15 # IX # Flotsam and Jetsam # Enanito (Part 1) http://goo.gl/GddHbU (2) http://goo.gl/5Z6MQU
15-Nov-15 # X # The Voice of Saruman # jochenkeen
22-Nov-15 # XI # The Palantir # Elizabeth
A wonderful list of links to previous read-throughs is curated by our very own 'squire' here http://users.bestweb.net/...-SixthDiscussion.htm
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oliphaunt
Lorien
Nov 15 2015, 2:23pm
Post #4 of 14
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The Voice: Middle Earth Tryouts!
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Thought provoking reflections! Thank you.
Why do we only see Saruman once he has lost the war?
We're following along with the Fellowship. Our exposure to others is through their eyes, their ears, their thoughts, and their conversations. Now Gandalf did have a long 'visit 'with Saruman much earlier, but at that time Gandalf's whereabouts were a mystery. Since we weren't with Gandalf, we didn't see Saruman.
Is Saruman a modern man? What in this chapter suggests that he is? Is there anything modern about his "voice"?
I'm not clear on what modern means. I guess it's a relative thing. I'm of the opinion that we don't essentially change over time. Good is good and evil is evil in every age. When someone claims to have "evolved" or "higher" thoughts, I suspect they've fallen into dark and often prideful ways. Saruman has certainly embraced the Machine, which makes him modern in that respect. His "voice", however, would exert power in any age.
Does Saruman think of himself as a hero? If so, what kind of a hero?
Good question. He is certainly proud of himself. His job in Middle Earth was to resist evil. He's an immortal maia with 'magical' powers. He is the greatest of the Wizards, and leader of the White Council. Easy enough to see how that could lead to a super-hero complex. So Saruman might think he is a hero.
Gandalf has the same basic resume, and we'd all agree that he IS a hero. Gandalf faces the same temptations as Saruman, but does not fall into disordered thoughts and actions. His pride is expressed in little ways, frequently in snide remarks during conversations. His desire to impress others with magic turns up as fireworks for parties in the Shire. The temptation to use force to get his way is evidenced when he interrogates Gollum, and a tiny bit when he stopped Bilbo from leaving the Shire with the Ring.
Gandalf does not take the Ring, even when Frodo freely offers it. Saruman wanted the Ring more than anything. Gandalf is a hero. Saruman is not, but he surely fell for the temptation of the Ring which made him imagine himself as a hero. Later, we read about Sam facing the same temptation when he's acting as ringbearer. Sam gives the Ring back to Frodo. We'd all agree that Sam IS a hero.
Where is the borderline between Saruman's magic and Saruman's rhetoric?
Ok, thinking.
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noWizardme
Half-elven
Nov 15 2015, 5:30pm
Post #5 of 14
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Does only seeing Saruman now help us to under-estmiate him? (idea via squire)
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I agree with Oliphaunt - one reason we only meet Saruman 'live'now is that otherwise he'd have to have been a point of view character, whereas Tolkien likes to stick with the doings of the Fellowship (plus Eowyn & Faramir for one chapter, but maybe we'll grant those two honorary Fellowship status, or a back-stage pass or whatever).
In another post today, I think squire just gave another reason this works:
Saruman is a one-man band, a scholar-turned-tyrant and general, and suffers the consequences. We are told by Gandalf that he is supremely crafty and orally persuasive. But we never meet Saruman, or hear his side, or discover his reflections or intelligence; we don't know him the way we know Gandalf, Aragorn, Frodo, or even Denethor and Galadriel. All we ever see are his massive operational failures (vs. Rohan, vs. Sauron, vs. the Shire) and every time he opens his mouth the most obvious lies pour out - so much so that by the end of Book III Saruman is the perfect stand-in for our favorite fantasy villain object of fun, the oafish Evil Overlord of a thousand pulp novels, comic books, and action films. squire http://newboards.theonering.net/...i?post=883891#883891
I note that we have Aragorn repeatedly putting the others right when they mock Saruman, but he's quite muted. Maybe this helps set up the surprise that Saruman is still quite capable of significant Shire-sized mischief?
~~~~~~
Two Towers Read-through: Now looking for volunteers to lead chapters in Book IV: http://newboards.theonering.net/...i?post=878725#878725
The Book III schedule and links:
13-Sep-15 # I # The Departure of Boromir # MirielCelebel http://goo.gl/zpn7Rg
20-Sep-15 # II # The Riders of Rohan # Brethil (Part 1) http://goo.gl/yKNv7E (2) http://goo.gl/mxesBG
27-Sep-15 # III # The Uruk-hai # cats16 http://goo.gl/LUWJi1
04-Oct-15 # IV # Treebeard # Mikah http://goo.gl/2CqCXS
11-Oct-15 # V # The White Rider # Entwife Wandlimb http://goo.gl/VXb2Ni
18-Oct-15 # VI # The King of the Golden Hall # squire (Part 1) http://goo.gl/cpEvnI, (2) http://goo.gl/BBTzvR, (3) http://goo.gl/yN7QLq, (4) http://goo.gl/7726S3 (5) http://goo.gl/VC7Abc
25-Oct-15 # VII # Helm's Deep # arithmancer (Part 1) http://goo.gl/E6gVUC, (2) http://goo.gl/5aRuq0
01-Nov-15 # VIII # The Road to Isengard # Darkstone (Part 1)http://goo.gl/rdE1xG (2) http://goo.gl/54rxDw (3)http://goo.gl/Y0ZDwz (4) http://goo.gl/XVgXCx (5) http://goo.gl/Ph0O7k
08-Nov-15 # IX # Flotsam and Jetsam # Enanito (Part 1) http://goo.gl/GddHbU (2) http://goo.gl/5Z6MQU
15-Nov-15 # X # The Voice of Saruman # jochenkeen (Part 1) http://goo.gl/1voDsc
22-Nov-15 # XI # The Palantir # Elizabeth
A wonderful list of links to previous read-throughs is curated by our very own 'squire' here http://users.bestweb.net/...-SixthDiscussion.htm
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enanito
Rohan
Nov 16 2015, 3:32am
Post #6 of 14
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Any background on the historical character development of Saruman?
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I'm wondering if Saruman went through various stages of character development in Tolkien's early writings/drafts? I know a few of the forum members are aware of lots of stuff I've never gotten into, and those resources might help provide some insight into why we only see Saruman now, at this point.
I was thinking that maybe if his full role in the tale was late-developing, or if the extent of his treason wasn't clear in the original drafts, that might explain why he hasn't appeared more prominently till now.
And if his part of the storyline was always present in Tolkien's mind, it adds credence to the question of why we haven't gotten to interact with him (as a reader) up to this point.
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enanito
Rohan
Nov 16 2015, 3:43am
Post #7 of 14
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I think Sauron would consider himself a 1st-Age Villain, holding on into the 3rd-Age. Saruman, to me, although of the same origins as Sauron, would fashion himself a 4th-Age Villain.
In the sense that Sauron seems to be using "traditional methods" a la Melkor to enforce his dominion over M.E., while Saruman -- and this is likely just my impression from reading -- seems to consider himself as having more "progressive ideas". I don't know that they're all that different than Sauron's (we've read that he is simply a child-like copy of Sauron in many ways), but it still seems like Saruman would think he's "modern" compared to Sauron.
I'd love to see evidence in favor and against this interpretation, I haven't really given much besides "that's my feeling", which is a wonderful debating technique :)
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Entwife Wandlimb
Lorien
Nov 16 2015, 7:11am
Post #8 of 14
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I really enjoyed your introduction and questions! If you don't mind, I will make a few observations.
"Mostly they remembered only that it was a delight to hear the voice speaking, all that it said seemed wise and reasonable, and desire awoke in them by swift agreement to seem wise themselves."
I am reminded of the Emporer's New Clothes. I wonder when this started, and if Saruman took in the White Counsel this way? To Frodo, Gandalf said "His knowledge is deep, but his pride has grown with it, and he takes ill any meddling."
"But none were unmoved; none rejected its pleas and its commands without an effort of mind and will, so long as its master had control of it."
Saruman was put in a position of power by the Powers That Be and presumably gave him charisma (which originally meant a gift of God given for the betterment of the church) to enable him to fulfill his purpose. Saruman perverted this good gift to manipulate people to serve his ego instead of to inspire them to serve the Greater Good.
Is Saruman a modern man? What in this chapter suggests that he is? Is there anything modern about his "voice"?
Tolkien write in the intro, "it has been supposed by some that 'The Scouring of the Shire' reflects the situation in England at the time when I was finishing my tale. It does not. It is an essential part of the plot, foreseen from the outset, though in the event modified by the character of Saruman as developed in the story without, need I say, any allegorical significance or contemporary political reference whatsoever. It has indeed some basis in experience... and much further back. The country in which I lived in childhood was being shabbily destroyed before I was ten..."
It seems Tolkien was annoyed that so many readers did regard Saruman as a modern man.
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squire
Half-elven
Nov 16 2015, 12:42pm
Post #9 of 14
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Well, Saruman is not Clement Attlee
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I think Tolkien is acknowledging in his second-edition Foreword that Saruman (as with Sauron) does represent in many ways the modern-day industrial mindset that all people are simply human capital, and that material progress is the only form of good. An awful lot of the romance of The Lord of the Rings is an argument against those ways of living and thinking.
What I think he is trying to refute is a claim that is perhaps more remote to us readers today than it would have been in 1954: that Sharkey's regimentation and exploitation of the Shire is an actual allegory of the introduction of Labour socialism to post-war England. Rationing, poor-quality public services, propaganda about shared sacrifices, etc. were common complaints by many English at the time, especially if they had previously been somewhat comfortable if not well-off in the prewar society. Tolkien had bigger fish to fry than inserting himself into contemporary politics; as he says, the entire story would have played out as it did whether or not Churchill or Attlee had won the 1945 election. The devastation of the Shire captures not just postwar England but many other rural parts of the Western world overtaken by raw state capitalism with an overlay of totalitarianism.
squire online:
RR Discussions: The Valaquenta, A Shortcut to Mushrooms, and Of Herbs and Stewed Rabbit
Lights! Action! Discuss on the Movie board!: 'A Journey in the Dark'. and 'Designing The Two Towers'.
Footeramas: The 3rd & 4th TORn Reading Room LotR Discussion and NOW the 1st BotR Discussion too! and "Tolkien would have LOVED it!"
squiretalk introduces the J.R.R. Tolkien Encyclopedia: A Reader's Diary
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Mikah
Lorien
Nov 17 2015, 12:29am
Post #11 of 14
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Does Saruman think of himself as a hero? If so, what kind of a hero?
He probably sees himself as the only realist, and the only one able to see the big picture. The rest either don't have his vision, or cling to old hopes and sureties
He probably does see himself as the only realist. And if there is one thing that gets on a realist's last nerve it is what they may perceive as hopeless ideology. Looking at it objectively, in a way he could be right. I am sure he deemed Sauron a powerful being; and rightly so. He may have believed that the procurement and destruction of this ring was kind of a hopeless endeavor...it would certainly seem so. I remember reading the book for the first time and wondering how on earth the hobbits would get the thing into Mordor. So many things could have gone wrong.
How much faith do we think that any of the leaders of Middle Earth at the time, really had that they would be fruitful in their quest? There was certainly hope, but faith is another matter entirely. Perhaps, the hobbits did. But they really did not have much experience in the outside world as to how things can go hopelessly amok. Not the way, Galadriel or Celeborn would know. I think that Saruman probably really thought he was looking at the whole thing from a realistic point of view.
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jochenkeen
The Shire
Nov 17 2015, 12:32am
Post #12 of 14
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So many great observations! I'm so happy that the chapter has already provoked such a lovely discussion.
Let me make a note of just a few of the things that have jumped out at me: I think NoWizardMe's observation that Saruman is a "realist" is bang on. This is a good way of capturing what I meant by suggesting that Saruman is "modern". Using calculation and realpolitik, Saruman concluded that Sauron would win. This lead him to abandon his (idealistic) mission, which (of course) ended up bringing him down a dark road indeed. It's easy to imagine Saruman's frustration with the elves (who seemed detached from this real world) and Gandalf, who probably seemed to Saruman to be a disloyal subordinate.
Incidentally, I think that this view of Saruman is almost redeeming. He was right: the forces of good had very little chance of winning against Sauron. That is the beauty of the book: everything hinged on a crazy plan, hatched by an eccentric wizard and carried out by stunningly improbable heroes. Betting on the success of this venture would have been a poor wager indeed.
And like Enanito, I think Saruman probably does think of himself as "ahead" of Sauron. He certainly seemed to think that once Sauron takes over Middle-earth, he (Saruman) can somehow become the true power behind the throne (this comes from the reported discussion with Gandalf during the Council of Elrond).
And finally, I loved Entwife and Squire's conversation about the historical interpretation of Saruman. As you'll see in Part 2 of my intro to this chapter (to be posted in a few moments) I think the historical events that occurred during Tolkien's life are important context for understanding the LotR. That, of course, doesn't mean that the LotR is a historical allegory, or a Roman a clef, with clear equivalencies between a character (Sauron) and a historical figure (Hitler).
Matthew Sullivan
Oldenhammer in Toronto
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jochenkeen
The Shire
Nov 17 2015, 2:37pm
Post #13 of 14
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I think my last post crossed with Mikah's.
It seems like we were thinking along precisely the same track.
For me, Saruman's disdain for the realism of fighting Sauron is a way that Tolkien highlights the perilousness of the quest: "The wisest of the wise thinks that we better surrender, so who are you to keep on fighting?"
Matthew Sullivan
Oldenhammer in Toronto
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Darkstone
Immortal
Nov 18 2015, 3:01pm
Post #14 of 14
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"Anyone can rat, but it takes a certain ingenuity to re-rat."
Winston Churchill
I didn't miss the rat race, but I kinda missed the rats.
Jerrry Nachman
Thanks for inviting me to host this week's reading, Ch. X "The Voice of Saruman". This is my first time doing something like this, so please let me know if there's any adjustments I should make!
The general consensus is that if someone is willing to lead a discussion they pretty much have carte blanche.
The joy of this chapter is that there is very little action, but a great deal of conflict.
Kinda like a Platonic dialogue.
After conquering Isengard, the heroes and their allies come to the foot of Orthanc and hold a parley with Saruman. Saruman attempts to improve his fortunes by convincing Theoden to betray Gandalf. When this fails, he attempts to convince Gandalf to betray Theoden. And when this also fails, it is Gandalf's turn -- he unsuccessfully tries to persuade Saruman to leave Orthanc and assist the free peoples.
Like a reality show, but no one is willing to accept the Flying Finger of the White Hand.
All this failure is capped off by Wormtongue, who fails to kill Saruman (or Gandalf?) by throwing a palantir from a great height upon his head.
I’ve always thought it was an accident. I mean, tennis courts on tops of buildings like in Manhatten and Paris are already kind of dumb, but only Saruman would think of put a bowling alley on top of Orthanc.
Unusually for the LotR, most of the text of the chapter is dialogue. Description is minimized. Tolkien focuses on words, on characterization and on the subjective experience of different characters.
I love Tolkien’s dialogue. To be a fly on the wall in any of those all night discussions from Bag End to Rivendell to Edoras to Minas Tirith. I also love his descriptions, action, poetry, wordplay… Er, it may be simpler just to list what I don’t love about Tolkien.
Hmmmm….. Let me get back to you on that.
Most remarkably, this is the first chapter where Saruman is portrayed directly (rather than being reported on by other characters, as in "The Council of Elrond").
Even when he’s there he’s not there!
I'm discounting his brief appearance to Aragorn, Gimli and Legolas in "The Riders of Rohan", since it's not really clear whether this was Saruman himself or some sort of phantom.
I’m voting it was two midget Uruk-hai in a panto-Saruman costume.
The fact that Saruman is portrayed at all is significant: Tolkien has a very light touch when showing us villains (Of course we never see Sauron). So here, we get a big dose of Saruman... but only in his moment of defeat.
A little Saruman goes a long way. Kinda like the Bubonic Plague.
This brings me to my first question for the group: Why do we only see Saruman once he has lost the war?
Same reason as in The Wizard of Oz why you don’t see the little man behind the curtain until the Wicked Witch of the West is defeated: The Reveal of the Great Humbug is best saved for last.
Saruan: a fund of ingenuity
Saruman is a fascinating characters because he embodies so many contradictions:
He’s a man of many faucets, all of them dripping. (Or did I just make that joke a few posts ago? Oh, well, ain’t nobody reading my posts anyway except me, you, and the poor mod that lost the coin toss.)
A wizard who reeks of technology and industrialization.
And a cetain astringent used as a mordant. (See below.)
An emissary of the Valar who ends up as a hoodlum. A wise man who continually makes stupid decisions. A traitor for Sauron who attempts to betray Sauron.
Sounds like any successful political candidate.
Despite these contradictions (or because of them?),..
Yes.
…Saruman is a believable character, with internal consistency and a great capacity to evolve.
"It has come to my attention that some have lately called me a 'collaborator', as if such a term was shameful. I ask you, what greater endeavor exists than that of collaboration? In our current unparalleled enterprise, refusal to collaborate is simply a refusal to grow—an insistence on suicide, if you will. Did the lungfish refuse to breathe air?"
-Dr. Wallace Breen, Half-Life 2
Some of Tolkien's characters could be criticized for minor (or at least suble) growth, but not Saruman. He is a self-made man,….
And he worships his Creator.
…taking council from his own thoughts rather than from his allotted place in the world.
All his social networking takes place between the Voices in his head.
He goes from "White" to "Many Colours".
He’s gone plaid!
His hair turns from black to white (not unlike a certain character on Twin Peaks).
Sounds like something apocalyptic going on:
I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire.
-Daniel 7:9
And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks;
And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle.
His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire...
-Revelation 1:12-14
There I beheld the Ancient of days, whose head was like white wool, and with him another, whose countenance resembled that of man. His countenance was full of grace, like that of one of the holy angels. Then I inquired of one of the angels, who went with me, and who showed me every secret thing, concerning this Son of man....
-Enoch 46:1
Or at least something messianic.
He dares to transform knowledge into power.
E = mc^2 and all know how well *that* turned out!
And ultimately, his self-destruction through overweening ambition brings him in line with some of the great tragic heroes, like MacBeth or Milton's Satan.
For some reason Saruman and Grima always bring to mind Mr. Burns and Smithers.
One could probably write a book itself just about Saruman,…
I look forward to it.
…so I will only touch on some of these aspects.
Be sure to use gloves. Or an eleven foot pole. Or both.
First, I have to draw attention to one of my favourite lines in the trilogy, that goes all the way back to The Council of Elrond. Gandalf reports Saruman as saying (about the transformation from S. the White to S. of Many Colours):
What comes immediately to mind is:
Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age: and he made him a coat of many colours.
-Genesis 37:3
Then you go from Joseph who is also known as “The Dreamer” to Olorin whose name in Quenya means “Dreamer” to Gandalf.
Seems Saruman has some Gandalf envy.
Note, however, that, as surely philologisr Tolkien would know, the Hebrew word “passim” in the phrase “kethoneth passim” can not only mean “colorful”, but “embroidered”, “illustrated”, “long-sleeved”, “full length”, “striped”, “silk”, “fine wool”, or anything within reason.
(Frankly, if it was me I’d just translate it as “a purty robe” and leave it at that, but I don’t claim to be divinely inspired.)
Anyway in one sense Saruman can be seen as only looking at one facet of the prism of passim.
"White! " he sneered. "It serves as a beginning.
Blindness and naivety of a newborn babe.
White cloth may be dyed.
there's dirt everywhere,
None have white garments in this time
-The Admonitions of Ipuwer, 19th-16th century BCE
Actually natural linen is off-white with a yellow or pearl-grey tinge. White cloth was made by bleaching using nitrum, struthium, sulfuric fumes, or simply leaving it under the sun for a while, and it’s okay if you don’t know what those first two are because nobody today is exactly sure either.
But the main problem with dye in the olden days was that until mordants were discovered colors faded, especially when washed. Mordants are astringents used to “fix” the dye on the fabric. The most common astringent used as a mordant in ancient times was urine.
So probably before being dyed Saruman’s coat of many colors was pre-soaked in orc pee…
The white page can be overwritten;..
One is immediately reminded of the legend of how all this started: Professor Tolkien grading papers for some extra money suddenly confronted by a blank white page at the back of one student’s test booklet impulsively writing "In a hole there lived a hobbit" without having the slightest idea what a “hobbit” was.
(If that ain’t true then it oughta be!)
…and the white light can be broken."
White can also symbolize sterility, coldness, isolation, emptiness, and obsessive cleanliness and order.
With the words "the white light can be broken", Tolkien conjures up the ghost of Sir Isaac Newton (a pioneer of the scientific revolution who discovered, among many things, that white light can be broken into all the colours of the rainbow).
Maybe more like Pliny the Elder, who knew about it but had absolutely no idea how it worked:
The name that appears in these writers immediately after ‘ceraunia’ is that of the so-called ‘iris,’ or ‘rainbow stone.’ It is dug up on an island in the Red Sea 60 miles distant from the city of Berenice. In every other respect it is merely rock-crystal, and is sometimes called ‘root of crystal’ for this reason. It is known as ‘iris’ in token of its appearance, for when it is struck by the sunlight in a room it casts the appearance and colours of a rainbow on the walls near by, continually altering its tints and ever causing more and more astonishment because of its extremely changeable effects. It is agreed that it has hexagonal faces, like the rock-crystal, but some people assert that it has rough faces and unequal angles; and that in full sunlight it scatters the beams that shine upon it, and yet at the same time lights up adjacent objects by projecting a kind of gleam in front of itself. But, as I have said, it does not produce any colours except in a dark place; and even then, the effect is not as though the stone itself contained the colours, but rather as though it were forcing them to rebound from the wall. The best kind is that which produces the spectra that are the largest in size with the closest resemblance to a rainbow. There is also another ‘rainbow stone,’ the ‘iritis,’ which is similar to the former in every respect except that it is very hard. According to Orus, this when burnt and crushed to a powder cures ichneumon bites, but is actually found in Persis.
-Natural History, Book XXXVII
Note wise old Pliny started writing his Natural History in 70 AD, but wasn’t wise enough to leave Pompei when Vesuvius started grumbling so his work came to a rather abrupt end in 79 AD.
Shows even the wisest person can miss the rumbling volcano just outside their window.
It's a subtle and beautiful piece of writing, hinting that Saruman sees beyond the medieval trappings of Middle-earth and into the scientific developments of our own time.
And the socio-political meaning of a rainbow.
And this brings me to my second question for the group: Is Saruman a modern man?
What with the rugged beard he’d appear to be a subspecies of modern man known as the “lumbersexual”.
What in this chapter suggests that he is?
His condescending attitude towards living conditions in the Third World, or at least Rohan.
Is there anything modern about his "voice"?
“Mr. Watson — Come here — I want to see you.”
-Alexander Graham Bell’s voice, first intelligible words heard over the telephone.
The proliferation of The Voice could be said to symbolize the march of modernity from the late 1800s to the present day. From telephone to phonograph to radio to motion pictures to television to the internet. From the next room, from the next town, from across the Channel, from across a continent, from across the ocean, from Earth orbit, from the moon. And from the grave:
“His Master’s Voice”, by English artist Francis Barraud (1899).
(Nipper is listening to a recording of his dead master.)
Of course there were some concerns expressed along the way. For example, writer Ray Bradbury feared that television would supplant books:
In writing the short novel Fahrenheit 451 I thought I was describing a world that might evolve in four or five decades. But only a few weeks ago, in Beverly Hills one night, a husband and wife passed me, walking their dog. I stood staring after them, absolutely stunned. The woman held in one hand a small cigarette-package-sized radio, its antenna quivering. From this sprang tiny copper wires which ended in a dainty cone plugged into her right ear. There she was, oblivious to man and dog, listening to far winds and whispers and soap opera cries, sleep walking, helped up and down curbs by a husband who might just as well not have been there. This was not fiction.
-Ray Bradbury interview with Kingsley Amis in New Maps of Hell: A Survey of Science Fiction (1960)
So The Voice could be seen modern man callously trampling on all the aspects of the ideal pre-industrial pastoral life in the name of progress and for the base motive of profit!
I have recently made some tape-recordings of parts of the Hobbit and The Lord (notably the Gollum-passages and some pieces of 'Elvish') and was much surprised to discover their effectiveness as recitations, and (if I may say so) my own effectiveness as a narrator, I do a very pretty Gollum and Treebeard. Could not the BBC be interested?
-Letter #134
Et tu, Professor?
The other thing that I find interesting about Saruman is his morality. Truly, it is a mystery to me. It does not appear that he was corrupted by Sauron. Rather, although a holy being sent by the Valar, he spontaneously began scheming for his own aggrandizement.
Or injured pride:
Then Manwë asked, where was Olórin ? And Olórin, who was clad in grey, and having just entered from a journey had seated himself at the edge of the council, asked what Manwë would have of him. Manwë replied that he wished Olórin to go as the third messenger to Middle-earth (and it is remarked in parentheses that "Olórin was a lover of the Eldar that remained," apparently to explain Manwë's choice). But Olórin declared that he was too weak for such a task, and that he feared Sauron. Then Manwë said that that was all the more reason why he should go, and that he commanded Olórin (illegible words follow that seems to contain word "third"). But at that Varda looked up and said: "Not as the third;" and Curumo remembered it.
-Unfinished Tales, The Istari
The chronology of the Third Age (Appendix B) states that he started his own secret search for the Ring in 2851, and that he was "jealous and afraid" of Gandalf in 2953.
Kinda like how in the film Thor (2011) Loki is jealous and afraid of Thor, but schemes to prove to Odin how he is the better son.
But he doesn't peer into the Palantir and become "ensnared" by Sauron until 3000, or 19 years before the events in this Chapter.
Though possibly he had become ensnared even before he settled into Orthanc:
Chief among them were those whom the Elves called Mithrandir and Curunír, but Men in the North named Gandalf and Saruman. Of these Curunír was the eldest and came first, and after him came Mithrandir and Radagast, and others of the Istari who went into the east of Middle-earth, and do not come into these tales. Radagast was the friend of all beasts and birds; but Curunír went most among Men, and he was subtle in speech and skilled in all the devices of smith-craft. Mithrandir was closest in counsel with Elrond and the Elves. He wandered far in the North and West and made never in any land any lasting abode; but Curunír journeyed into the East, and when he returned he dwelt at Orthanc in the Ring of Isengard, which the Númenóreans made in the days of their power.
-From The Silmarillion, "Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age"
Could Saruman have met Sauron during his travels to the East and formed the unholy alliance then?
But even then, Saruman was playing a double game, assisting Sauron while plotting to supplant him. It takes a lot of strength to try to screw with Sauron after Skyping with him for so long.
"The Germans called me the old fox. I am an old fox. If you believe, that it was simple in Vichy! I never disclosed my true intentions! An infantry man should never poke his head out of his foxhole too early.”
-Marshal Philippe Petain, Prime Minister of Vichy France (1940-1944) at his 1945 trial for treason
Petain’s defenders claimed that by collaborating with the Germans he was acting as France’s shield, while Free French leader Charles de Gaulle fighting in exile was acting as its sword.
One of the earlier commentators (I'm sorry, I've lost track of who it was) mentioned that Saruman probably thinks he is the hero in his own story. I found this to be a fascinating comment. I've heard it said that the best villains are those who actually think that they are the heroes.
And this leads me to my third question: Does Saruman think of himself as a hero?
“It became necessary to destroy Rohan in order to save it.”
For my own part, I don't think Tolkien thought of him that way. But I think crafty old Saruman may have slipped out of the author's grasp (just like he will later slip away from Treebeard's prison).
Tolkien does seem to have problems controlling willful characters:
A new character has come on the scene (I am sure I did not invent him, I did not even want him, though I like him, but there he came walking into the woods of Ithilien): Faramir, the brother of Boromir – and he is holding up the 'catastrophe' by a lot of stuff about the history of Gondor and Rohan (with some very sound reflections no doubt on martial glory and true glory): but if he goes on much more a lot of him will have to be removed to the appendices — where already some fascinating material on the hobbit Tobacco industry and the Languages of the West have gone.
-Letter #66
Saruman is too rich, too complex and too ambitious to merely be a power-hungry villain.
There’s Dr. Marc "Blackie" DuQuesne in E. E. “Doc” Smith’s Skylark space opera series: Brave, honorable, principled, murderous, thoroughly evil, and wants to rule the universe.
If that's the case, what is he?
Another example of Tolkien’s theme that it’s not the choice between Black and White that corrupts man, but the choice between Grey and White.
What kind of a hero does he think he is?
Misunderstood, unappreciated, and in the end, betrayed.
Or do you think I'm barking up the wrong tree?
Arf!
Recap
So far, my questions are:
Why do we only see Saruman once he has lost the war?
Presently they heard a solemn Voice, that seemed to come from somewhere near the top of the great dome, and it said:
"I am Oz, the Great and Terrible. Why do you seek me?"
They looked again in every part of the room, and then, seeing no one, Dorothy asked, "Where are you?"
"I am everywhere," answered the Voice, "but to the eyes of common mortals I am invisible. I will now seat myself upon my throne, that you may converse with me." Indeed, the Voice seemed just then to come straight from the throne itself; so they walked toward it and stood in a row while Dorothy said:
"I am everywhere," answered the Voice, "but to the eyes of common mortals I am invisible. I will now seat myself upon my throne, that you may converse with me." Indeed, the Voice seemed just then to come straight from the throne itself...
-The Wizard of Oz
Is Saruman a modern man?
While he surrounds himself with cavemen.
What in this chapter suggests that he is?
Modern man destroys forests to manufacture things. Primitive man destroyed forests to cook and keep warm.
Is there anything modern about his "voice"?
He’s the anti-Lorax.
Does Saruman think of himself as a hero?
Sure.
If so, what kind of a hero?
Upon their shields they bore a strange device: a small white hand in the centre of a black field; on the front of their iron helms was set an S-rune, wrought of some white metal.
"I have not seen these tokens before," said Aragorn. "What do they mean?"
"S is for Sauron," said Gimli. "That is easy to read."
-The Departure of Boromir
Actually, Gimli, “S” is for SUPERMAN! One can just picture Saruman leaping off the top of Orthanc with a beach towel as his cape!
******************************************
The audacious proposal stirred his heart. And the stirring became a song, and it mingled with the songs of Gil-galad and Celebrian, and with those of Feanor and Fingon. The song-weaving created a larger song, and then another, until suddenly it was as if a long forgotten memory woke and for one breathtaking moment the Music of the Ainur revealed itself in all glory. He opened his lips to sing and share this song. Then he realized that the others would not understand. Not even Mithrandir given his current state of mind. So he smiled and simply said "A diversion.”
(This post was edited by Darkstone on Nov 18 2015, 3:03pm)
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