Post by MajahTR on Jan 17, 2009 1:03:21 GMT -6
Tuor would like us to track the theme of Suspicion. All theme tracking will be a group effort.
DA
I found a common theme in FotR to be suspicion.
Nobody seemed to be trustable in Middle-Earth at that time of the third age. Corruption ran amok and no one could be carefree and happy outside the Shire it seemed.
Tolkien made this image quite obvious as he often said that 'spies' were everywhere that worked for 'him' or Saruman. The men of Bree considered the Rangers to be suspicious and yet they were the truest men of all.
Sam doubted Strider since he thought Strider was dangerous and might lead them into the Black Riders hands. Yet again, this suspicion was of a man who was one of the saviours of middle-earth. Aragorn saved the World you could almost say....yadda..yadda. Nonetheless suspicion was prevalent and was a major part of the FotR.
Tuor
Here is just some small examples of this I found. Nothing big, but perhaps it starts the atmosphere of suspicion? At the beginning of chapter 1, some off the hobbits talk about Bucklanders, boats and particularly the Old Forest in terms of (at least mild) suspicion. The Gaffer says, " Not that the Brandybucks of Buckland live in the Old Forest, but they're a queer breed seemingly."
Farmer Maggot says when they meet him in Chapter 4, " Its lucky for you that I know you. I was just going out to set my dogs on any strangers. There are some funny things going on today."
Fallo
To add on to your Shire suspicion you should include the fact that the farmers of the Marish and people of Buckland consider the folk from Hobbiton and the west of the shire to be suspicious.
The Hobbits of the Shire in its entirity do not care for the outside lands. The Hobbits considered these lands too be unsafe and the folk suspicious. In Bree, Hobbits from Buckland used to come and stay at the Pony in safer times but as evil got closer to the shire the Hobbits considered the Breefolk to be queer and suspicious. I guess they thought the Hobbits of Bree were suspicious due to their sharing of living area with the Big Folk.
Tuor
Chapter 9
The hobbits are suspicious of the gatekeeper. " Our names and our business are our own, and this does not seem a good place to dicuss them." said Fodo, not liking the look of the man or the tone of his voice."
Stider warns Frodo, "if I were you, I should stop your young friends from talking too much." "..... there have been even stranger travelllers through Bree lately."
Butterbur warns Frodo, "We're a bit suspicious round here of anything out of the way- uncanny"
Here is the end of the chapter, a narrative of Frodo's thoughts. "Were all these people in league against him? He began to suspect even old Butterbut's fat face of concealing dark designs."
Fallo
At the council, everyone is suspiscious of everyone else. No one trusts anyone else with the ring. Think the suspicion of Gimli and Legolas. Boromir and Aragorn. Are there are suspicions of other free people of hobbits, or are they just "unobtrusive?"
Elanor
It seems like it's just in the nature of hobbits to be suspicious - which is ironic since they're so sheltered and safe in their environment, they really have less reason to suspect. Until the events in the beginning of FOTR, that is.
The suspicion/disagreements between elves and dwarves and men at the council have a lot of history - it seems like the free peoples have always had arguments. In the movie I think I remember that during the scene of everyone arguing at the council, there seemed to be laughter coming from the ring - as if Sauron was happy to have them all distrusting each other and indirectly helping him. I don't know if that was just my imagination, though...
Eleandune
DA
I found a common theme in FotR to be suspicion.
Nobody seemed to be trustable in Middle-Earth at that time of the third age. Corruption ran amok and no one could be carefree and happy outside the Shire it seemed.
Tolkien made this image quite obvious as he often said that 'spies' were everywhere that worked for 'him' or Saruman. The men of Bree considered the Rangers to be suspicious and yet they were the truest men of all.
Sam doubted Strider since he thought Strider was dangerous and might lead them into the Black Riders hands. Yet again, this suspicion was of a man who was one of the saviours of middle-earth. Aragorn saved the World you could almost say....yadda..yadda. Nonetheless suspicion was prevalent and was a major part of the FotR.
Tuor
Here is just some small examples of this I found. Nothing big, but perhaps it starts the atmosphere of suspicion? At the beginning of chapter 1, some off the hobbits talk about Bucklanders, boats and particularly the Old Forest in terms of (at least mild) suspicion. The Gaffer says, " Not that the Brandybucks of Buckland live in the Old Forest, but they're a queer breed seemingly."
Farmer Maggot says when they meet him in Chapter 4, " Its lucky for you that I know you. I was just going out to set my dogs on any strangers. There are some funny things going on today."
Fallo
To add on to your Shire suspicion you should include the fact that the farmers of the Marish and people of Buckland consider the folk from Hobbiton and the west of the shire to be suspicious.
The Hobbits of the Shire in its entirity do not care for the outside lands. The Hobbits considered these lands too be unsafe and the folk suspicious. In Bree, Hobbits from Buckland used to come and stay at the Pony in safer times but as evil got closer to the shire the Hobbits considered the Breefolk to be queer and suspicious. I guess they thought the Hobbits of Bree were suspicious due to their sharing of living area with the Big Folk.
Tuor
Chapter 9
The hobbits are suspicious of the gatekeeper. " Our names and our business are our own, and this does not seem a good place to dicuss them." said Fodo, not liking the look of the man or the tone of his voice."
Stider warns Frodo, "if I were you, I should stop your young friends from talking too much." "..... there have been even stranger travelllers through Bree lately."
Butterbur warns Frodo, "We're a bit suspicious round here of anything out of the way- uncanny"
Here is the end of the chapter, a narrative of Frodo's thoughts. "Were all these people in league against him? He began to suspect even old Butterbut's fat face of concealing dark designs."
Fallo
At the council, everyone is suspiscious of everyone else. No one trusts anyone else with the ring. Think the suspicion of Gimli and Legolas. Boromir and Aragorn. Are there are suspicions of other free people of hobbits, or are they just "unobtrusive?"
Elanor
It seems like it's just in the nature of hobbits to be suspicious - which is ironic since they're so sheltered and safe in their environment, they really have less reason to suspect. Until the events in the beginning of FOTR, that is.
The suspicion/disagreements between elves and dwarves and men at the council have a lot of history - it seems like the free peoples have always had arguments. In the movie I think I remember that during the scene of everyone arguing at the council, there seemed to be laughter coming from the ring - as if Sauron was happy to have them all distrusting each other and indirectly helping him. I don't know if that was just my imagination, though...
Eleandune