Pity, Power, and Tolkien's Ring: To Rule the Fate of Many

by Thomas P. Hillman

Illuminating the central struggle in The Lord of the Rings to deepen understanding of the whole of Tolkien’s legendarium In this remarkable work of close reading and analysis, Thomas P. Hillman gets to the heart of the tension between pity and the desire for power in J. R. R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings. As the book traces the entangled story of the One Ring and its effects, we come to understand Tolkien’s central while pity is necessary for destroying the Ring, it cannot save the Ring-bearer from the Ring’s lies and corruption. In composing The Lord of the Rings, Tolkien explored the power of the Ring and the seeming powerlessness of pity. All the themes his mythology had come to encompass―death and immortality, fate and free will, divine justice and the problem of evil, power and war―took on a new dimension in the journey of Frodo Baggins. Hillman’s attention to specific etymologies and patterns of words used in the text, complemented by his judicious use of Tolkien’s letters, earlier drafts of the novels, and Tolkien’s essays, leads to illuminating and original insights. Instead of turning his interpretation to allegory or apologetics, Hillman demonstrates how the story works metaphorically, allowing Tolkien to embrace both Catholic views and pagan mythology. With this fresh understanding of familiar material, Pity, Power, and Tolkien’s Ring will ignite new discussions and deeper appreciation among Tolkien readers and scholars alike.

Genres: Nonfiction

320 pages, Paperback

Published December 19, 2023

Reviews

[Katherine Sas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstandingly thoughtful and profound. Well done, Tom. I will be recommending this book to anyone who ever suggests that Tolkien doesn’t care about subtle characterization.

[Scott Wise · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book can be challenging. It is extremely detailed and in-depth. Its audience is those who want to go deep into the story, characters, and themes contained in The Lord of the Rings. However, if that is you, this book is one of the most thorough journeys through what is going on behind the text. It is not a light read, but it does follow details of theme and characterization all the way down to word choice, drafts, and intent without losing the heart of the story. In fact, putting that heart on full display for those willing to go on the journey with the author.

[Mythlee · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author is a classicist who has spent a half-century reading and re-reading The Lord of the Rings. The result is a thoughtful and engaging close reading and argument, with plenty of wit and Shakespearean allusions. What's not to like?

[Clare Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

An ambitious book that explores the theme of pity throughout the entirety of The Lord of the Rings by focusing on Frodo and Gollum primarily. It also touches on material from The Hobbit and The Silmarillion and other works by Tolkien, but Frodo’s pity for Gollum and its relationship to the One Ring is the main through line of the book. Some excellent interpretations and close readings make this book well worth the read for Tolkien scholars and fans.

[Vincent Waldron · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Pity, Power, and Tolkien's Ring, Thomas Hillman did a deep dive on one of the most important themes in the Lord of the Rings (LoTR). He painstakingly analyzed the text of the LoTR from the first chapters through to the bitter sweet end. Along the way, he brought in quotations from Tolkien's letters and other works of Tolkien.

"The real theme for me is about something much more permanent and difficult. Death and Immortality: the mystery of the love of the world in the hearts of a race "doomed" to leave and seemingly lose it, the anguish in the hearts of a race "doomed" not to leave it, until its whole evil-aroused story is complete." (Tolkien Letters no. 186)"

Tolkien used the word "Pity" many times throughout the LoTR. It is clear from early on -- in the Shadow of the Past -- that Gandalf, at least, believed that those whose hearts were compassionate would be protected from the worst effects of the Ring. Yet, even there, the Ring could turn that desire to do good to something evil.

"The desire that one would seek to gratify through the Ring -- whether it is Gandalf's "desire of strength to do good," Galadriel's and Boromir's desire to defeat evil and to rule, or even Frodo's to destroy the Ring itself and save the Shire -- is the substance, the mass, as it were, on which the Ring exerts its pull."

The point is that the Ring is corrupting. For someone who desired power to do good, it would seem to offer them the power to fulfill those desires. The only real solution from the standpoint of the mighty was to turn down the power the Ring offered.

"This, I think, is a problem faced often but by no means exclusively by scholars who examine the Lord of the Rings from a Christian perspective, not always successfully. By focusing too narrowly on how Frodo suffers and sacrifices to save the Shire and destroy the Ring, we can develop a simple image of him as saintly or even messianic. Yet, the longer Frodo has the Ring and the closer he comes to the source of its power, the more both darkness and light grow within him and advance his weary feet. Without the chiaroscuro the shadow of his faults brings to his nobility, our understanding can only be incomplete."

There is a long discussion of Tom Bombadil and the seeming lack of the Ring to have power over him. Since Tom has no desire to rule over anything, the Ring has no hold over him.

"Because he is his own master, the Ring has no power over Tom; and he is his own master because the desire to dominate or possess is not in him."

Later on, Hillman posits Shelob as almost an anti-Bombadil -- a creature fully evil, but indifferent to power. Instead, she only desired to consume and grow her own destructive essence.

When Frodo pulled the Lady's Glass from his pack to reveal its light shining in the darkness, it also revealed him.

"What the light reveals, however, is not Earendil or Beren. Rather it is "Frodo, hobbit of the Shire," hardly a heroic epithet to match Beren One-Hand or even Earendil the Mariner. Yet it is not mockery. For they are all part of the same tale..."

Hillman brings a bit of Tolkien's analysis of The Battle of Maldon, an Old English poem -- perhaps the last one composed before the Norman Conquest. Sam is like these Anglo-Saxon men, defeated at the battle and yet different too.

"As Hammond and Scull have noted, the hardening of Sam's will as he wearies beneath the burden of the Ring is a clear echo of the famous lines in the Old English poem, The Battle of Maldon, lines which Tolkien rendered as "Will shall be the sterner, heart the bolder, spirit the greater, as our strength lessens."

"Love of his master and plain hobbit sense allow his humility and his reason to shrink the hero back down to a terrified halfling gardener. Thus, unlike Beorhtnoth whom ofermod moved to make a grand and foolish choice, Sam, can in this moment see through the lies of glory and renewal grown from his fantasies by the power of the Ring. He rejects the choice of Beorhtnoth as he had previously done that of Beorhtnoth's heorpwerod."

I could put a dozen more quotes in here. Tolkien was a master of figuring out after the fact what his work actually meant and his letters and other writings are able to be mined.

It seems that Tolkien realized that Frodo failed in his quest and this failure, along with the loss of the Ring, left him a shell of himself. Anyone with greater power would never have gotten so far along the path without claiming the Ring for himself, but on the other hand, only Bombadil would have had such a lack of desire for the Ring in order to attempt its destruction.

I hesitate to know whether to recommend this book. It is a scholarly book that draws on many sources. Maybe it helps the reader to understand some of the themes better of this wonderful work, but maybe, through deep analysis, it steals some of the joy of the story.

Gandalf told Saruman that "He who breaks something to find out what it is, has left the path of wisdom." This is true and at the same time, if we understand how Pity and the Ring's Power play across this great story, we will understand the beauty of what Tolkien created here.

[Henry Pensell · Rating 4 out of 5]

One interested in this book should have read The Lord of the Rings. Having read The Hobbit and The Silmarillion will make getting through Hillman’s work easier and more informative but is not necessary. Hillman’s close reading of the Lord of the Rings trilogy takes the reader through each segment of the story of the Ring with careful attention paid to the ideas of pity and power, but also to “all the themes–of Death and Immortality, Fate and Free Will, Power and War, the Noble and the Humble, Love and Home, Justice and Mercy” (267). Through this lens Hillman analyzes the true nature of the one Ring and its bearers along with those who refused the burden. Someone with a strong interest in the subject and desire to do further reading will gain the most out of this book. Hillman references many works by both Tolkien and scholars; the astute student will find many jumping off points from which to explore. I came into the experience without having finished The Silmarillion but still gained valuable insight to the Legendarium. Hillman draws connections throughout his reading that I had never considered before but left me with lots to think about. For instance, in chapter nine Hillman compares Bombadil to Shelob, “both Bombadil and Shelob are their own masters, one wholly good, one wholly evil. Neither is interested in dominating the wills of others.” (175) By reading along with someone so well-learned in the subject as Hillman, everyone stands to glean something of value. Hillman will analyze a passage of text by considering the different ways it appeared in various drafts and the timeline of when Tolkien wrote specific lines. He truly did an incredible amount of legwork in organizing outside information for us to reap the benefits. Hillman writes “Frodo’s denial of pity proceeds from his conviction that Gollum deserves death, not pity” (74). Today it can be so hard for us to find pity in ourselves, especially for those who we believe (perhaps rightly) do not deserve it, like Frodo with Gollum. Reading Hillman’s work helps us to consider the when, why, and how to find pity (and Pity) in our lives.

[Maggie Lin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tom Hillman’s Pity, Power, and Tolkien’s Ring is a deep-dive analysis into the inner workings of Tolkien’s major literary themes in The Lord of the Rings. Hillman walks you through every aspect of the series including: character philosophies, Middle-Earth’s world-building, Tolkien’s writing inspirations and process, and much more. If you are a dedicated fan or scholar of The Lord of the Rings and would like to know more about Tolkien’s narrative development, then this book may be a great read. At its core, this book focuses on the role of pity and how it is an important component to overcoming the evil befalling Middle-Earth. While this theme is very obvious in Tolkien’s original work, Hillman’s expert analysis allows to reader to better reflect on the choices of pacifist characters such as Frodo, Tom Bombadil, and Bilbo against their foils as well as consider the power of pity in the realm of reality. In many ways, it inspires me to take up The Silmarillion to delve back into Tolkien’s world and characters. Hillman also infuses his writing with clever humor, keeping what would be a dense read lighthearted. Comments such as “one does not simply walk out of Mordor” balance out the profound stretches of narrative exploration.

[Joshua · Rating 5 out of 5]

A thoughtful and deep dive into the main themes of not only The Lord of the Rings, but J.R.R. Tolkien's entire legendarium. Hillman not only does a razor close reading of the text, but brings in Classical, linguistic, and religious background to give some wonderful insights about Frodo, Bilbo, Gollum, and the Ring. Hillman also connects with other Tolkien scholars and lovers, bringing as many voices as possible into his discussion.

The highest compliment I can give a book about Tolkien is that it made me want to immediately start rereading all the books, and 'Pity, Power, and Tolkien's Ring' gave me that feeling from the first chapter.

[Susan Ferguson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This presents many different ideas about the power and effect of the ring. Many ideas were new to me. I had never considered things in this light. Good research among Tolkien’s papers and letters. Very interesting and insightful.

[Sørina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Here's my review: https://digitalcommons.georgefox.edu/....

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tom is amazing in the way he gets the reader to think more deeply about Tolkien, the LotR, and the entire legendarium. Read this book.

[Martina]

My review is available here: https://brill.com/view/journals/rart/...

[Jacob DeBoer]

An excellent study of some of the themes most central to Tolkien's magnum opus.