Catholic Thought discussion

Summary

Book 2, Chapter 9: The Great River

After a night camp on shore, the company continued tranquilly southward on the Great River, also called Anduin. They drifted by the Brown Lands, which were on the east bank, where the land was treeless and withered and it seemed had been burnt by a fire. The west bank was also treeless but there were green plains of grass and forests of reeds. The only living creatures they noticed were flocks of birds, and at one point they spotted black swans, which they speculated could have been under the direction of the enemy.

For several days they floated down without any event, but on the fourth night Sam related how he had seen a log in the water with eyes. Frodo replied it must have been Gollum because he had seen him that first night in Lothlórien. The company passed through the land of Emyn Muil, a land of craggy hills, and finally before the rapids of Sarn Gebir, where the river ran at a dangerous speed. Here Aragorn with great strength got the boats to stop and huddle into a safe spot before the raging current capsized them all.

Just as they thought it safe, Orcs appeared across the bank from the cliffs and shot arrows at the company. Frodo was struck by an arrow but his coat of mail saved him. They pushed on, escaping the orc’s grasp, and when a huge dark creature floated above them like a bird but big as a cloud, Legolas fired arrows at it, striking it, and heard a gasping scream as it fell beyond the hills. Then Aragorn had the boats turn around and go back upstream to an alcove where they moored their boats and rested. It was here that Sam noticed that the crescent of the moon did not make sense per the time they had traveled, and Legolas explained that time in Lothlórien does not pass at the same rate as the rest of the world.

That morning a fog had come in that made it impossible to go forward and attempt the rapids and then the Falls of Rauros, and great unnavigable waterfalls. Here Aragorn and Boromir came to a head. Boromir said that it was impossible to go forward, and that they should journey now on land on the west bank to Minas Tirith, the capital of Gondor. Aragorn said that they could continue on foot passed the Falls of Rauros carrying the boats. But he needed to wait for the fog to lift. Boromir conceded when Frodo said he would follow Aragorn.

With the fog partially clearing, Aragorn and Legolas went ahead on land to scout what was ahead. When they came back, Aragorn said there was a path on land that would by-pass the rapids, but they must carry the boats. The task proved difficult trekking with the boats but in several trips they reached a place of shallow water but still north of the falls. Here they rested for the night.

The fog lifted in the morning and they headed downstream, and as they entered a sort of gate formed by huge boulders leading into the lake Nen Hithoel they came across two huge boulders that had been sculpted into the form of kings, known as the Pillars of the Kings or the Argonath, representing Kings Isildur and Anárion, ancient kings in the lineage of Aragorn. Past the gate the rapids eased into the placid waters of the long, oval lake. As they entered the lake, Aragorn pointed out three mountain peaks that could now be seen at the southern end of the lake: Tol Brandir (in the middle), Amon Lhaw (to the east), and Amon Hen (to the west).

This was the tenth day of the journey, and they could go no farther without deciding whether to go to the east or to the west.


Book 2, Chapter 10: The Breaking of the Fellowship

The company found a place to nestle their boats beneath the shadow of Tol Brandir and at the feet of Amon Hen. They would spend the night camped there and in the morning decide on the direction. In the morning, the decision was still just as difficult and so it was decided that Frodo, the ring bearer, would make the decision. This pained Frodo but he understood and asked for an hour to meditate on the decision by wondering through the woods alone. He wondered aimlessly and eventually sat to think it over.

To his surprise he suddenly notice that someone had followed him. It was Boromir who used the excuse that he was afraid for Frodo walking alone. But in short order, Boromir lobbied once again to head to Minas Tirith. Then the conversation turned to the Ring, and Boromir appearance darkened and became energized. He brought up once again the insanity of not using the power of the Ring to defeat the enemy. Boromir’s rant actually clarified Frodo’s mind on the decision and it was to do the opposite. This enraged Boromir and his demeanor elevated another notch to proclaim violence. He thrust himself toward Frodo.

Frodo, putting the Ring on to disappear, maneuvered about so that the lunging Boromir fell face down to the ground, allowing Frodo to run up the mountain of Amon Hen, escaping. Boromir on the ground realized what a grave error he had made and repentantly called after Frodo. But Frodo kept running, not even hearing Boromir, and ran all the way to the summit of Amon Hen.

There was a mist at the summit, and at a flat circular area that had once been a battlement but now was crumbling with age, there were four pillars with a seat upon the top, and the ancient seat could only be reached by a column of stairs. Frodo, still invisible with the Ring on, went up the stairs and sat on the seat.

Frodo from the Seat of Seeing could view the entire landscape in all directions. Then the view became visions and he could see mighty battles and the horrible fallout of war everywhere. He could see the Dark Lord in motion about the world in triumphant conquest. Then Frodo suddenly felt the Eye, the Dark Lord reaching toward him. He fell into an ambiguous state of resisting the Dark Lord and subjecting himself to him. The two forces battled within him, and finally he took off the ring and He could feel the Dark Lord’s grasp miss him. It was here that Frodo decided that the Ring must be destroyed, and that he alone would go to Mordor.

When the rest of the company realized that Frodo was gone for a lot more than an hour they decided to go searching for him. It was then that Boromir reappeared and told them that Frodo had run up the summit. They all scattered to search for him.

When they had all left the boats, Frodo could take one unseen and set off by himself. But Sam had spotted him and jump toward the boat but fell short and landed into the river. He was about to drown but Frodo was able to grab him by the hair and pull him up. After some dispute, Frodo agreed to let Sam attend him as a companion. They navigated to the eastern mountain of Amon Lhaw, hid their boat, and set on foot for Mordor.

Here are my random observations and thoughts on these last two chapters.

1. This was a fabulous finish to the first volume, The Fellowship of the Ring. I think I loved every moment of these two chapters. The trek down the Great River was imaginative and filled with suspense. It did remind me of Huck Finn floating down the Mississippi. There was both rest and action, calm and intensity. One moment they floated for days at a comfortable pace, another you had strange birds flying over, another you had orcs firing arrows from across the bank, and then finally a reaching of the rapids where some ingenuity was required to overcome the obstacle. All the while there was anticipation of needing to make a decision on whether to go East or to Minas Tirith. This was masterful storytelling construction.

2. The Breaking of the Fellowship was also masterful. The scene of the big lake and the three mountains was iconic. I have not seen the movie, so I can imagine this was very picturesque. The burden falling on Frodo to decide the next step was necessary since he is the ring bearer. By the way, ring bearer seems to echo cross bearer, and so we could see Frodo as carrying the cross. He is a Christ typology after all. His conflict with Boromir was intense, and if I had not known already I’m sure would have had an element of surprise. Frodo racing up the mountain to the Seat of Hearing and Seeing to encounter a sort of spiritual conflict with the Enemy is a great climax to this first volume. Racing down and deciding to go off on his own for Mordor is a wonderful coda that prepares the reader for the next phase of the quest. Going off on his own in a boat again reminded me of Huck Finn, escaping society. For those in college reading this, an essay comparing and contrasting Huck and Frodo might be an interesting theme for a term paper.

3. Tolkien uses his landscape setting so well here. The burnt landscape of the Brown Lands to the East contrasted with the green and woods on the West is certainly suggestive of the moral nature of inhabitants on the two sides. The East recalls The Waste Land of T. S. Eliot’s great poem.

4. As picturesque as the final scene was painted, it was difficult to understand at first. This is a minor criticism, but I had to read it more than once and do some internet research to fully grasp the scene. Tolkien essentially just gives us the names of the lake and mountains without much detail. I’m glad I took the time to research it, but it was not obvious. I don’t know what the point of not giving the reader a full description here, but I don’t think it was wise, especially since it is so beautiful a scene.

5. I was not surprised that Boromir confronted Frodo, since that was being built up for a while. I was mildly surprised that Boromir went so far to momentarily lose his wits and attack Frodo. I’m not sure that innate violence in Boromir was previously suggested. Perhaps it was, I can be persuaded. But I was really surprised he was repentant so quickly afterwards. No sooner did Frodo run off did Boromir regret what he had done. Was all this delineated naturally? It felt a little stilted to me. I wonder what others thought.

6. The Seat of Hearing and Seeing was fascinating. Unlike the mirror of Galadriel, the vision into time and events seemed much more imaginative here. It was fascinating how the seat was on top of a mountain and on top of pillars elevating the seat into the sky. The seat had the feel of both a throne and an altar. Perhaps even a cross since it required steps (or was it scaffolding?) to get to the top. His encounter and psychic battle with the Enemy was great!

7. There was a bit of the comic and a bit of the Biblical in that scene where Sam joins Frodo for the next part of the quest. Sam leaping toward Frodo’s boat and falling short and nearly drowning was funny. That was slapstick comedy. Sam then drowning and being pulled up by the hair, also comic, had a baptismal element to it but it also reminded me of the Apostle Peter trying to walk on water and falling under only to be rescued by Jesus.

8. Book I of Volume I ended at a critical transition point, and so does Book II of Volume I. Tolkien has carefully crafted the novel.

9. These last two chapters were perhaps the most enjoyable two chapters in The Fellowship of the Ring. And the other chapters were pretty good too.

I forgot to mention the magnificent way they entered into the territory of Gondor, passing on the river through the two huge boulders sculpted into the statues of the ancient Kings Isildur and Anárion, the Pillars of the Argonath. I think an extended quote is worthy of the scene.

Nothing happened that night worse than a brief drizzle of rain an hour before dawn. As soon as it was fully light they started. Already the fog was thinning. They kept as close as they could to the western side, and they could see the dim shapes of the low cliffs rising ever higher, shadowy walls with their feet in the hurrying river. In the mid-morning the clouds drew down lower, and it began to rain heavily. They drew the skin-covers over their boats to prevent them from being flooded, and drifted on; little could be seen before them or about them through the grey falling curtains.

The rain, however, did not last long. Slowly the sky above grew lighter, and then suddenly the clouds broke, and their draggled fringes trailed away northward up the River. The fogs and mists were gone. Before the travellers lay a wide ravine, with great rocky sides to which clung, upon shelves and in narrow crevices, a few thrawn trees. The channel grew narrower and the River swifter. Now they were speeding along with little hope of stopping or turning, whatever they might meet ahead. Over them was a lane of pale-blue sky, around them the dark overshadowed River, and before them black, shutting out the sun, the hills of Emyn Muil, in which no opening could be seen.

Frodo peering forward saw in the distance two great rocks approaching: like great pinnacles or pillars of stone they seemed. Tall and sheer and ominous they stood upon either side of the stream. A narrow gap appeared between them, and the River swept the boats towards it.

‘Behold the Argonath, the Pillars of the Kings!’ cried Aragorn. ‘We shall pass them soon. Keep the boats in line, and as far apart as you can! Hold the middle of the stream!’

As Frodo was borne towards them the great pillars rose like towers to meet him. Giants they seemed to him, vast grey figures silent but threatening. Then he saw that they were indeed shaped and fashioned: the craft and power of old had wrought upon them, and still they preserved through the suns and rains of forgotten years the mighty likenesses in which they had been hewn. Upon great pedestals founded in the deep waters stood two great kings of stone: still with blurred eyes and crannied brows they frowned upon the North. The left hand of each was raised palm outwards in gesture of warning; in each right hand there was an axe; upon each head there was a crumbling helm and crown. Great power and majesty they still wore, the silent wardens of a long-vanished kingdom. Awe and fear fell upon Frodo, and he cowered down, shutting his eyes and not daring to look up as the boat drew near. Even Boromir bowed his head as the boats whirled by, frail and fleeting as little leaves, under the enduring shadow of the sentinels of Númenor. So they passed into the dark chasm of the Gates.

Sheer rose the dreadful cliffs to unguessed heights on either side. Far off was the dim sky. The black waters roared and echoed, and a wind screamed over them. Frodo crouching over his knees heard Sam in front muttering and groaning: ‘What a place! What a horrible place! Just let me get out of this boat, and I’ll never wet my toes in a puddle again, let alone a river!’

‘Fear not!’ said a strange voice behind him. Frodo turned and saw Strider, and yet not Strider; for the weatherworn Ranger was no longer there. In the stern sat Aragorn son of Arathorn, proud and erect, guiding the boat with skilful strokes; his hood was cast back, and his dark hair was blowing in the wind, a light was in his eyes: a king returning from exile to his own land.

‘Fear not!’ he said. ‘Long have I desired to look upon the likenesses of Isildur and Anárion, my sires of old. Under their shadow Elessar, the Elfstone son of Arathorn of the House of Valandil Isildur’s son, heir of Elendil, has naught to dread!’

Manny wrote: "I forgot to mention the magnificent way they entered into the territory of Gondor, passing on the river through the two huge boulders sculpted into the statues of the ancient Kings Isildur and Anár..."

I liked that scene, too. The depiction of Aragorn in the boat reminded me of the Transfiguration.

If I quoted that scene from “The Great River,” I really should quote this from “The Breaking of the Fellowship.”

Soon he came out alone on the summit of Amon Hen, and halted, gasping for breath. He saw as through a mist a wide flat circle, paved with mighty flags, and surrounded with a crumbling battlement; and in the middle, set upon four carven pillars, was a high seat, reached by a stair of many steps. Up he went and sat upon the ancient chair, feeling like a lost child that had clambered upon the throne of mountain-kings.

At first he could see little. He seemed to be in a world of mist in which there were only shadows: the Ring was upon him. Then here and there the mist gave way and he saw many visions: small and clear as if they were under his eyes upon a table, and yet remote. There was no sound, only bright living images. The world seemed to have shrunk and fallen silent. He was sitting upon the Seat of Seeing, on Amon Hen, the Hill of the Eye of the Men of Númenor. Eastward he looked into wide uncharted lands, nameless plains, and forests unexplored. Northward he looked, and the Great River lay like a ribbon beneath him, and the Misty Mountains stood small and hard as broken teeth. Westward he looked and saw the broad pastures of Rohan; and Orthanc, the pinnacle of Isengard, like a black spike. Southward he looked, and below his very feet the Great River curled like a toppling wave and plunged over the falls of Rauros into a foaming pit; a glimmering rainbow played upon the fume. And Ethir Anduin he saw, the mighty delta of the River, and myriads of sea-birds whirling like a white dust in the sun, and beneath them a green and silver sea, rippling in endless lines.

But everywhere he looked he saw the signs of war. The Misty Mountains were crawling like anthills: orcs were issuing out of a thousand holes. Under the boughs of Mirkwood there was deadly strife of Elves and Men and fell beasts. The land of the Beornings was aflame; a cloud was over Moria; smoke rose on the borders of Lórien. Horsemen were galloping on the grass of Rohan; wolves poured from Isengard. From the havens of Harad ships of war put out to sea; and out of the East Men were moving endlessly: swordsmen, spearmen, bowmen upon horses, chariots of chieftains and laden wains. All the power of the Dark Lord was in motion. Then turning south again he beheld Minas Tirith. Far away it seemed, and beautiful: white-walled, many-towered, proud and fair upon its mountain-seat; its battlements glittered with steel, and its turrets were bright with many banners. Hope leaped in his heart. But against Minas Tirith was set another fortress, greater and more strong. Thither, eastward, unwilling his eye was drawn. It passed the ruined bridges of Osgiliath, the grinning gates of Minas Morgul, and the haunted Mountains, and it looked upon Gorgoroth, the valley of terror in the Land of Mordor. Darkness lay there under the Sun. Fire glowed amid the smoke. Mount Doom was burning, and a great reek rising. Then at last his gaze was held: wall upon wall, battlement upon battlement, black, immeasurably strong, mountain of iron, gate of steel, tower of adamant, he saw it: Barad-dûr, Fortress of Sauron. All hope left him.

And suddenly he felt the Eye. There was an eye in the Dark Tower that did not sleep. He knew that it had become aware of his gaze. A fierce eager will was there. It leaped towards him; almost like a finger he felt it, searching for him. Very soon it would nail him down, know just exactly where he was. Amon Lhaw it touched. It glanced upon Tol Brandir – he threw himself from the seat, crouching, covering his head with his grey hood.

He heard himself crying out: Never, never! Or was it: Verily I come, I come to you? He could not tell. Then as a flash from some other point of power there came to his mind another thought: Take it off! Take it off! Fool, take it off! Take off the Ring!

The two powers strove in him. For a moment, perfectly balanced between their piercing points, he writhed, tormented. Suddenly he was aware of himself again, Frodo, neither the Voice nor the Eye: free to choose, and with one remaining instant in which to do so. He took the Ring off his finger. He was kneeling in clear sunlight before the high seat. A black shadow seemed to pass like an arm above him; it missed Amon Hen and groped out west, and faded. Then all the sky was clean and blue and birds sang in every tree.

Frodo rose to his feet. A great weariness was on him, but his will was firm and his heart lighter. He spoke aloud to himself. ‘I will do now what I must,’ he said. ‘This at least is plain: the evil of the Ring is already at work even in the Company, and the Ring must leave them before it does more harm. I will go alone. Some I cannot trust, and those I can trust are too dear to me: poor old Sam, and Merry and Pippin. Strider, too: his heart yearns for Minas Tirith, and he will be needed there, now Boromir has fallen into evil. I will go alone. At once.’

I admit I finished the book a while ago, with my freshman year in college approaching and whatnot, so I lost a few thoughts, but I found all of yours very insightful, Manny, as always.

I love the way Tolkien crafts the beauty of nature in his books. When I was researching Tolkien's philosophy, I learned that Tolkien warned against the loss of our contact with nature. He did not think industrial progress was bad, he simply warned against it consuming us, consuming the nature around us that is so important and that, too, was created by God. I think we can see his appreciation for nature not only in these chapters but in the entire book(s).

And to connect this with your other thought about a comparison of Frodo to Huckleberry Finn, I would also like to make a connection; one of the most famous authors in my country is Karel Čapek, who, similarly, warned against the misuse of technology. I have thought about writing a sort of essay, comparing Tolkien to Čapek, and I've never gotten around to doing it, but your comment sparked my interest again. I highly recommend reading Čapek's works! Although he is not my favourite, there is wisdom in his books.

Concerning Boromir, I like that his repentance came when it did. Tolkien showed the fickleness of human beings in Boromir. I don't think he was innately evil, I think he was entirely human (different from the Christ figures of Aragorn, Frodo, or Gandalf). He was tempted and succumbed to this temptation. Only then did he realise how wrong he was, only then did he realise that there was something more to strive for. I especially adore the scene of Boromir's death in the movie. It's so masterfully done. Boromir's humanity is what could make him a saint if he lived on. (I am a fan of Boromir's if you can't tell, haha!)

My last thought would be on the scene with Frodo and Sam. Looking back at it, I didn't notice the similarity between Jesus pulling up St. Peter and Frodo pulling up Sam. It's a striking Biblical reference, I don't think that's accidental. I think it's meant to further deepen the idea that Frodo is one of the Christ-figures in this story, and also that Sam is a very important character in the stories to come.

This is a random thought, but something I can't really put my finger on was this idea of legacy, being present especially in Aragorn's story and lineage. We see him as somebody who is supposed to be king, somebody from a long line of great rulers. I don't think this is a Catholic reference, but probably another one of the ideas that Tolkien borrowed from medieval texts/history. I don't know, maybe there is something to it!

I read Čapek's R.U.R. many, many years ago! I don't think I remember anything from it, but yes I am familiar.

Very good point on Boromir. He is not innately evil. My memory of Boromir stops with The Fellowship of the Ring. I don't remember if he comes back or redeems himself. Don't tell me. I will be surprised. :)

I agree, there is something medieval about Aragorn's Kingship. You just reminded me that in the Arthurian legends the Kingship of Arthur has a sort of genealogy. There is a certain power from a king's line. This is probably Biblical in that Jesus has a genealogy and those in the genelogy have special efficacy. Yes, I think you are on to something there with Aragorn.

An example of what I mean about the Arthurian legends. The rightful king of England, only the true heir of the deceased king (Uther Pendragon, I think he was called) would be able to draw the sword Excalibur out of the stone it was embedded. Lots of noblemen and strong knights tried but could not pull it out. Only the boy Arthur, who was the true son, was able to draw it out, and it came out easily for him. He was the rightful heir.

Oh, so sorry about the spoilers! I got confused with the movies, I won't say any more, haha!

But yes, I think Aragorn's Kinship can be both an allusion to Christ's Kingship and Tolkien drawing from Arthurian legends, that's what I was also thinking about. Now that you mention Excalibur, Aragorn has also an Excalibur of his own; Elrond gave him Andúril, the sword of kings, back in Rivendell and he has carried it ever since, it is a sign of his heritage in a long line of kings. He, too, is the rightful heir, even if the throne is currently guarded by stewards ;)

Our two heads combined on this novel is amazing! ☺️

I've been reading a book by Fr. Mike Schmitz called Untroubled by the Unknown: Trusting God in Every Moment, and the section I was reading earlier today brought up LotR.

He was comparing the Apostles on the Road to Emmaus with Sam and Frodo. Actually, he also drew the comparison between all of the Apostles and the Fellowship. The Fellowship was born when Gandalf came to the Shire and spoke about the need to save the land from the great evil in Mordor. The Apostles were similarly recruited by Jesus in Galilee, also for the mission of salvation. I found his comparisons to be succinct but powerful. Just as Sam and Frodo miss their home and wish for things to be the way they once were, the Apostles on the way to Emmaus- presumably on their way back home- wished that the Passion and Death had never happened.

One more parallel from Fr. Schmitz: Frodo needs Sam's help to make it to Mordor just as our Lord needed the aid of St. Simon of Cyrene on the way to Golgotha.

Interesting Michelle. Thank you.

That's wonderful, Michelle! I had no idea Fr. Mike Schmitz had written any books, I have to check it out, since I've been his fan for a while now! But I really like that comparison.

I want to share a quote that we may have discussed already, but it came to mind right now:

“Frodo: I wish the Ring had never come to me. I wish none of this had happened.
Gandalf: So do all who live to see such times, but that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us.”

I think it ties into what you said about the Apostles wishing that Christ didn't die and it also shows more Christ-like qualities of Gandalf.

It does! I always loved that quote from Gandalf. And yes- Fr. Schmitz has several books out. He speaks so fast when I listen to him on Hallow, so I'm glad that I can read his books as an alternative.

Haha, that is true!! But I myself speak pretty fast, so it's not too hard to understand for me... I love that his homilies are on Hallow, too.

I’m another who finds Fr. Mike speaks too fast! But he’s so pleasant and chirpy he’s endearing. I find that on video I have less trouble than podcasts since I can see his face and lips.

Manny wrote: "I’m another who finds Fr. Mike speaks too fast! But he’s so pleasant and chirpy he’s endearing. I find that on video I have less trouble than podcasts since I can see his face and lips."

I may have to look into the videos then. He really is likeable and enthusiastic.

I find Joseph Pearce’s reflections very insightful: “Tolkien’s epic presents several Everyman figures, evocative of Tolkien’s insistence in his famous essay ‘On Fairy Stories’ that fairytales hold up a ‘mirror to man.’ They show us ourselves. This is most evident in the character of Boromir, who is the official representative of the race of men in the Fellowship of the Ring. He is there on our behalf. It is he who betrays the Fellowship, seeking to use the power of the Ring to save his own people. This willingness to use evil means to a purportedly good end leads only to the ultimate triumph of evil because sin can’t be used to defeat sin. Boromir repents and lays down his life for his friends. His final exchange of words with Aragon reflects the form of the sacrament of penance, Aragon acting in persona Christi as Boromir confesses his sin.”

Thank you, Frances

I love that, Frances! I think it exactly encapsulates Boromir's character. No matter what we think of him, he IS us: a sinner in need of repentance. I like the phrase "sin can't be used to defeat sin." It's reminiscent of something I read in a YouTube comment: "Two evils don't make a good."