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Entwife Wandlimb
Lorien
Mar 28 2008, 5:30am
Post #26 of 34
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Back in the "thoughts" section, he is feeling useless ("He was cramped and miserable, having nothing to do but stare at the winter-lands crawling by and the grey water on either side of him. Even when the paddles were in use they did not trust Sam with one."). It's nice how Frodo picks up on this in your quotation and won't let it go.
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Entwife Wandlimb
Lorien
Mar 28 2008, 5:42am
Post #27 of 34
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But as you didn't mention it yourself (refering to Entwife Wandlimb, of course), I would like to call attention to the quote:
The heart of Legolas was running under the stars of a summer night in some northern glade amid the beech-woods And to compare it to Galadriel's message which Gandalf brings in 'The White Rider':
If thou hearest the cry of the gull on the shore
Thy heart shall then rest in the forest no more.
Very cool! I had always taken Galadriel to mean that he wouldn't be at home in the forest, but I think you could say he was "resting" in the forest even when he was on a boat in the Brown Lands. It's interesting to me that both he and Frodo "escape" in similar ways at this point in their journey.
3. Why don’t they trouble Strider and the others?
Don't you take Sam's word for his reasons?
But I would like to quote Frodo's words, in 'The Taming of Smeagol':
I should have left the Company long before, and come down form the North, east of the River and of the Emyn Muil, and so over the hard of Battle Plain to the passes of Mordor. This night, he (or they) had the opportunity. possibly, if not for Gollum, Frodo might have 'screwed himself up' and left.
By the way, this leads us to a surprising conclusion: while Aragorn wasn't really sure what to do do, Frodo actually had a plan.
I like Darkstone's comment that this is a Harry Potter moment -- if they communicated properly it would have shortened the story quite a bit. It strikes me as unlikely that people sharing a boat for days with little to pass the time wouldn't mention something this relevant to the general welfare and their specific purpose. But, I'll pretend it is an English thing. I can also easily imagine that people do dumb things sometimes.
Another great quote, there, showing the extent of Frodo's planning and the affect of Gollum's appearance at this point. I hadn't picked up on that. Thanks.
PS -- Ojbection granted. You are right about us only observing Boromir's actions. Another author, (eg Jane Austen) might have had a different explanation for his behavior.
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Elberbeth
Tol Eressea
Mar 28 2008, 7:30pm
Post #28 of 34
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Might this be where they got the idea
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for the "green flash" that heralds a returning soul in POTC: AWE?
"There are some things that it is better to begin than to refuse, even though the end may be dark."
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Laerasëa
Tol Eressea
Mar 29 2008, 5:17am
Post #29 of 34
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*...slowly realizing mistake...* oops, sorry!
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That paragraph is on the page before the quoted section in my edition, and I totally missed that line!! I feel like an idiot! Sorry! (and ditto the last two lines about Boromir!) 
But why do you think Aragorn was thinking about Gollum? I'd not thought about that at all...but I really like getting other people's viewpoints on things like this, and I was just curious where you were going with that thought; it sounds interesting! (and I've never really thought too much about the relationship between Aragorn and Gollum this early in the trilogy before!!) thanks! (and thanks for pointing out my mistake; sorry about that!) (oh, and sorry if that question's not very good; I was just wondering!)
(This post was edited by laerasea on Mar 29 2008, 5:20am)
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Entwife Wandlimb
Lorien
Mar 29 2008, 5:34am
Post #30 of 34
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Hee, couldn't resist quoting Aragorn. My original question was something like, "Why don't we get to see Frodo or Aragorn's thoughts?" but because I am a bit more meticulous when leading the discussion, I noticed Frodo's thoughts were described before Tolkien says they were each "busy with their own thoughts." Plus, as sador noted, Boromir's thoughts are described, only implied by his behavior.
The reason I thought Aragorn might be thinking about Gollum is because he isn't surprised when Sam and Frodo tell him they saw him ("Since we took to boats, he has been lying on a log and paddling with hands and feet."). If Tolkien mentioned that Aragorn was thinking about Gollum, then it might have lessened the surprise of Gollum creeping up on them. Of course, there's lots of other things he could have been thinking about, I was just musing.
I look forward to reading more of your thoughts on this story!
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Entwife Wandlimb
Lorien
Mar 29 2008, 5:48am
Post #31 of 34
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Back at The Council of Elrond, Gandalf said: "But I learned then first that Gollum's ring came out of the Great River nigh to the Gladden Fields." The Encyclopedia of Arda says that the Gladden Fields are near the Misty Mountains. So, I am wondering if Gollum is in familiar territory here? (I have a poor sense of ME geography.)
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N.E. Brigand
Half-elven
Mar 29 2008, 6:51am
Post #32 of 34
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The Fellowship is far south of the Gladden Fields.
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The Fellowship is now at least 100 miles downstream from Lórien, and those woods are at least 150 miles downstream from the Gladden Fields near which Gollum grew up. On the other hand, Bilbo met Gollum in the mountains some 100 miles upstream from the Gladden Fields, so we know he travelled at least that far before settling down for 500 years.
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N.E. Brigand
Half-elven
Mar 22 2009, 8:32am
Post #33 of 34
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The word “plashing” appears only here. //
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N.E. Brigand
Half-elven
Mar 22 2009, 8:33am
Post #34 of 34
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Gollum hasn’t been seen for a month.
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It strikes me as unlikely that people sharing a boat for days with little to pass the time wouldn't mention something this relevant to the general welfare and their specific purpose.
At least, he hasn't been seen by Frodo or Sam.
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