Post by Stormrider on Jan 20, 2009 19:27:49 GMT -6
From: DaleAnn (Original Message) Sent: 10/21/2002 10:23 AM
Jerseyshore would like to track Sam's development through TTT. She is responsible to post however, anyone may comment or add to it.
* * *
From: jerseyshore Sent: 12/5/2002 7:06 PM
We've finally returned to the adventures of Frodo and Sam after a long break. Sam is still reluctantly accompanying Frodo on this journey and wishing for the simplicity of life back in the Shire. "a bit of plain bread, and a mug--aye, half a mug--of beer would go down proper."
Sam, ever protective of Frodo, volunteers to go first down the cliff. But his haste and lack of planning are too much for Frodo who hauls him back up and takes the lead himself. Sam's whole attitude is "if we have to do this, let's get on with it." He has lost any taste he once had for the travel and just wants to have the whole thing over with.
When Sam remembers the rope, it seems an especially fortuitous event. It comes at a moment of despair. The unearthly shriek of the Black Riders has caused Frodo to loose his grip on the cliff and strands him on the face of the precipace. The rope, with its silvery sheen, not only enables Sam to rescue Frodo, but provides the means of descending in the morning. And it comes when called to be available for future need. The stars and moon make an unusual appearance, adding to the feeling that something is watching over the pair and trying to give them hope.
Sam's feelings toward Gollum seem to go through several changes as he comes to know the creature. He sees him at first as a "nasty crawling spider," and is both angered and disgusted by him. Sam's suggestion is to tie up Gollum and leave him there, but Frodo says that would be condemning him to death, and they couldn't do that. Sam fears the creature will throttle them in their sleep, and is amazed that Frodo seems to have an understanding of Gollum and even discloses their destination to him.
Sam seems very aware of the two sides of Gollum. Surprisingly, he suspects and distrusts Smeagol more than Gollum. I think it might be because Smeagol seems to show a little more intelligence and stability than Gollum, making him more dangerous.
When Gollum sings his song of the water, it is the first time Sam hears music he doesn't like. Every song he has heard along the journey has prompted his praise, but not this one!
Sam begins to have momentary flashes of pity for Gollum. "Poor wretch..Now I wonder where he's got to." "The nasty creature; the poor wretch." But the feeling never lasts long. When Sam remarks on the lack of birds, he is disgusted by Gollum's smacking of his lips. He shudders to think that they are becoming more like their guide as Smeagol leads them through the marsh. His distrust of Smeagol grows as they leave the marsh and get their first glimpse of Noman-lands. When he wakes to see Smeagol bending over the sleeping Frodo, he realizes how strong the lure of the ring was for the creature. He knows now that Gollum is a danger to Frodo whether with them or on his own.
I found it strange that Sam becomes more talkative than he had been in a long time as they look on the gates of Mordor. Is he hoping that Frodo will now see the hopelessness of the quest and turn back? Obviously this is not going to happen. "He had stuck to his master all the way; that was what he had chiefly come for, and he would still stick to him." He hopes now to see the last of Gollum (or Slinker and Stinker as he calls him now). He sees Frodo as too soft-hearted, and hopes he will be wise enough to avoid putting any trust in Gollum and his hints of another way into Mordor. Sam is surprised to hear Frodo threaten Gollum. He has a new look and tone--one of which Sam approves.
Sam cannot see how Gollum's alternate route makes any sense. After all, Gollum admits that passage is also guarded, and his distrust of any plan that comes from Gollum makes him extremely wary.
The Oliphaunt poem strikes a strange note in the midst of all this anguish about how to get into Mordor. For just a moment we see the old enthusiastic, natural Sam. He makes Frodo laugh and enables him to make the fateful decision that will guide their footsteps to the land of Mordor.
* * *
From: jerseyshore Sent: 12/21/2002 7:10 PM
Food, food, food--that's all this chapter is about! Sam longs for a "good homely meal." As they march through Ithilien, Sam seems to regain more of his old spirits at the sight and smell of nature. He begins to plan for the future, and asks Gollum to help find some food. They trade remarks on cooking (or lack of it in Gollum's case). After the "feast," Sam seems more tolerant of Gollum--he still distrusts him, but seems almost light-hearted about their disagreement. With his body and spirit a little more satisfied, Sam regains his awareness of the world around them. He hears the whistle of Faramir's men, and his "keen hobbit eyes" spot them around the grove. Amazingly he expresses some worry for the missing Gollum: "He stands a fair chance of being spitted for an Orc...But I fancy he'll look after himself." Later his "keen hobbit ears" think they hear Gollum following them as they walk with Faramir.
I found the section describing the fight between the Southrons and Faramir's men through the eyes of Sam rather interesting. "It was Sam's first view of a battle of Men against Men, and he did not like it much... He wondered what the man's name was and where he came from; and if he was really evil of heart, or what lies and threats had led him on the long march from his home; and if he would not really rather have stayed there in peace." I hear the author's voice very strongly here, and feel that these are Tolkien's thoughts on his own war experience.
Even the Oliphaunt doesn't excite Sam to the extent one would expect. His introspective musings have distracted him from his earlier longing to see that giant creature. "So there are Oliphaunts, and I have seen one... But no one at home will ever believe me. Well, if that's over I'll have a bit of a sleep."
Sam does things in pairs in the next two chapters. Twice Faramir tries to have a quiet talk with Frodo, only to have Sam tag along. Like Elrond at the council, Faramir seems neither surprised nor upset by his presence. Twice also Sam stands up to Faramir. The first time he is greeted with the amusement of the Men. The second time is after he has been lulled into a trust of Faramir and has let his tongue run away with him. He challenges Faramir not to take advantage of a foolish servent. Faramir's response is interesting. "Your heart is shrewd as well as well as faithful and saw clearer than your eyes." He feels Sam was fated to let the secret out, and it will be for the good of his master. I'm not sure whether I agree with this analysis. This was the first real respite the pair had had since the time in Lothlorien, and the feeling of security, as well as the satisfying of physical needs, has brought out the natural gregariousness of Sam. Of course, I spoke before of the feeling that there is something watching over the two hobbits and blessing their journey, so I suppose this "force" could be influencing their actions. Sam says Faramir has an air of Gandalf, of wizards--no wonder he trusts him. Sam never saw the other side of wizardry. He never met Saruman.
When Gollum is threatened by the Men, Sam's attitude is a little ambiguous. He hopes the capture of G will come out all right, but says, "nothing will ever be all right where that piece of misery is." He sighs at the fact that once again they are a threesome.
* * *
From: jerseyshore Sent: 3/16/2003 4:47 PM
As the trio leave the company of Faramir and his men, Sam is uneasy about traveling with Gollum again. He's short-tempered when Gollum insists that they travel by night and sleep by day. He dreams of home-- a natural enough topic given the circumstances. But the garden at home is overgrown and thorny--is this just Sam's concern about neglecting his duties or is it some kind of foresight into the situation they will encounter when they really do return?
Sam continues to be a stalwart staff for Frodo to lean on. It is his voice that calls Frodo back from his despair at the sight of the dark army. His famous little speech about the stories even causes Frodo to laugh and brighten up momentarily. He promises over and over to protect his friend and keep him safe. When he overreacts to Gollum's soft touch of the sleeping Frodo, it is only because he takes very seriously his task of protection. He's gracious enough to apologize to Gollum for calling him a sneak, even though he continues to distrust his motives
* * *
From: jerseyshore Sent: 3/18/2003 6:12 PM
We finish up the Two Towers with a couple of chapters in which Sam plays a major role. As they enter the tunnel of Shelob, Sam and Frodo hold hands for comfort as well as to keep together. When their guide disappears, Frodo calls for Smeagol, but Sam calls him Gollum. It certainly isn't Smeagol who is in control now! It's Sam who suggests that Frodo use Galadriel's light to turn back the monster. Afterward he predicts that the Elves will make a song to commemorate Frodo's victory against the spider. But the victory is short-lived and the cobwebs Sam scorns as a barrier prove impassable to his sword. Again they must rely on Elven magic to help them. Sam curses Gollum for leading them into this trap. And as they leave the tunnel Gollum reappears to hold Sam back while Shelob attacks Frodo. In his "red fury" ( and red is the color of the glow from the tower window), Sam momentarily forgets Frodo's danger and chases after Gollum. Is Sam influenced by the evil force so close to them that he forgets his first obligation--to protect Frodo?
When Sam does turn to go after Frodo, he sees him helpless before the monster. He does not stop to think, but goes right to the attack. Again the Phial of Galadriel is brought out--for the third time in a few chapters. And Sam finds himself speaking in an Elven language he doesn't know. How strong the Elvish influence and protective power is even in this evil place!
But after vanquishing Shelob, Sam turns to find no evidence of life in his companion. This is the scene he saw in the mirror in Lothlorien. He despairs. He hesitates. He considers seeking revenge on Gollum, but realizes that would not be a worthwhile goal. The only course that seems worthy is to complete the errand. He wonders if he has been chosen for this purpose, as were Bilbo and Frodo before him. When he picks up the ring, he first feels its great weight, but then seems to receive the strength to bear the burden. Still he feels doubt. "What he was doing was altogether against the grain of his nature." Sam is not a leader at this point. He has been a faithful companion, a "sidekick", not the hero. Now suddenly he thinks it's all up to him, and he's not pleased with the responsibility. But he accepts it because there is no one else.
The effect of the ring when Sam puts it on to escape the Orcs is to make him slow, weary, and vision-impaired. He feels as if he is moving through a grey haze. Still his hearing is sharpened and he is able to follow the Orcs as they discover Frodo, pronounce him alive and carry him off. He is furious with himself for jumping to the conclusion that Frodo was dead. He blames himself for listening to his head and not his heart. It was Sam's heart that brought him this far, but his head will help him rescue Frodo.
I wonder what would have happened if Sam had not taken the ring and sword and left Frodo. If they had both been discovered by the Orcs, the ring would have fallen into their hands. With an unconscious Frodo on his hands Sam could neither have run nor hid. Only by leaving with the ring was Sam able to keep the hope of completing the mission alive. Something was guiding his choices.
Jerseyshore would like to track Sam's development through TTT. She is responsible to post however, anyone may comment or add to it.
* * *
From: jerseyshore Sent: 12/5/2002 7:06 PM
We've finally returned to the adventures of Frodo and Sam after a long break. Sam is still reluctantly accompanying Frodo on this journey and wishing for the simplicity of life back in the Shire. "a bit of plain bread, and a mug--aye, half a mug--of beer would go down proper."
Sam, ever protective of Frodo, volunteers to go first down the cliff. But his haste and lack of planning are too much for Frodo who hauls him back up and takes the lead himself. Sam's whole attitude is "if we have to do this, let's get on with it." He has lost any taste he once had for the travel and just wants to have the whole thing over with.
When Sam remembers the rope, it seems an especially fortuitous event. It comes at a moment of despair. The unearthly shriek of the Black Riders has caused Frodo to loose his grip on the cliff and strands him on the face of the precipace. The rope, with its silvery sheen, not only enables Sam to rescue Frodo, but provides the means of descending in the morning. And it comes when called to be available for future need. The stars and moon make an unusual appearance, adding to the feeling that something is watching over the pair and trying to give them hope.
Sam's feelings toward Gollum seem to go through several changes as he comes to know the creature. He sees him at first as a "nasty crawling spider," and is both angered and disgusted by him. Sam's suggestion is to tie up Gollum and leave him there, but Frodo says that would be condemning him to death, and they couldn't do that. Sam fears the creature will throttle them in their sleep, and is amazed that Frodo seems to have an understanding of Gollum and even discloses their destination to him.
Sam seems very aware of the two sides of Gollum. Surprisingly, he suspects and distrusts Smeagol more than Gollum. I think it might be because Smeagol seems to show a little more intelligence and stability than Gollum, making him more dangerous.
When Gollum sings his song of the water, it is the first time Sam hears music he doesn't like. Every song he has heard along the journey has prompted his praise, but not this one!
Sam begins to have momentary flashes of pity for Gollum. "Poor wretch..Now I wonder where he's got to." "The nasty creature; the poor wretch." But the feeling never lasts long. When Sam remarks on the lack of birds, he is disgusted by Gollum's smacking of his lips. He shudders to think that they are becoming more like their guide as Smeagol leads them through the marsh. His distrust of Smeagol grows as they leave the marsh and get their first glimpse of Noman-lands. When he wakes to see Smeagol bending over the sleeping Frodo, he realizes how strong the lure of the ring was for the creature. He knows now that Gollum is a danger to Frodo whether with them or on his own.
I found it strange that Sam becomes more talkative than he had been in a long time as they look on the gates of Mordor. Is he hoping that Frodo will now see the hopelessness of the quest and turn back? Obviously this is not going to happen. "He had stuck to his master all the way; that was what he had chiefly come for, and he would still stick to him." He hopes now to see the last of Gollum (or Slinker and Stinker as he calls him now). He sees Frodo as too soft-hearted, and hopes he will be wise enough to avoid putting any trust in Gollum and his hints of another way into Mordor. Sam is surprised to hear Frodo threaten Gollum. He has a new look and tone--one of which Sam approves.
Sam cannot see how Gollum's alternate route makes any sense. After all, Gollum admits that passage is also guarded, and his distrust of any plan that comes from Gollum makes him extremely wary.
The Oliphaunt poem strikes a strange note in the midst of all this anguish about how to get into Mordor. For just a moment we see the old enthusiastic, natural Sam. He makes Frodo laugh and enables him to make the fateful decision that will guide their footsteps to the land of Mordor.
* * *
From: jerseyshore Sent: 12/21/2002 7:10 PM
Food, food, food--that's all this chapter is about! Sam longs for a "good homely meal." As they march through Ithilien, Sam seems to regain more of his old spirits at the sight and smell of nature. He begins to plan for the future, and asks Gollum to help find some food. They trade remarks on cooking (or lack of it in Gollum's case). After the "feast," Sam seems more tolerant of Gollum--he still distrusts him, but seems almost light-hearted about their disagreement. With his body and spirit a little more satisfied, Sam regains his awareness of the world around them. He hears the whistle of Faramir's men, and his "keen hobbit eyes" spot them around the grove. Amazingly he expresses some worry for the missing Gollum: "He stands a fair chance of being spitted for an Orc...But I fancy he'll look after himself." Later his "keen hobbit ears" think they hear Gollum following them as they walk with Faramir.
I found the section describing the fight between the Southrons and Faramir's men through the eyes of Sam rather interesting. "It was Sam's first view of a battle of Men against Men, and he did not like it much... He wondered what the man's name was and where he came from; and if he was really evil of heart, or what lies and threats had led him on the long march from his home; and if he would not really rather have stayed there in peace." I hear the author's voice very strongly here, and feel that these are Tolkien's thoughts on his own war experience.
Even the Oliphaunt doesn't excite Sam to the extent one would expect. His introspective musings have distracted him from his earlier longing to see that giant creature. "So there are Oliphaunts, and I have seen one... But no one at home will ever believe me. Well, if that's over I'll have a bit of a sleep."
Sam does things in pairs in the next two chapters. Twice Faramir tries to have a quiet talk with Frodo, only to have Sam tag along. Like Elrond at the council, Faramir seems neither surprised nor upset by his presence. Twice also Sam stands up to Faramir. The first time he is greeted with the amusement of the Men. The second time is after he has been lulled into a trust of Faramir and has let his tongue run away with him. He challenges Faramir not to take advantage of a foolish servent. Faramir's response is interesting. "Your heart is shrewd as well as well as faithful and saw clearer than your eyes." He feels Sam was fated to let the secret out, and it will be for the good of his master. I'm not sure whether I agree with this analysis. This was the first real respite the pair had had since the time in Lothlorien, and the feeling of security, as well as the satisfying of physical needs, has brought out the natural gregariousness of Sam. Of course, I spoke before of the feeling that there is something watching over the two hobbits and blessing their journey, so I suppose this "force" could be influencing their actions. Sam says Faramir has an air of Gandalf, of wizards--no wonder he trusts him. Sam never saw the other side of wizardry. He never met Saruman.
When Gollum is threatened by the Men, Sam's attitude is a little ambiguous. He hopes the capture of G will come out all right, but says, "nothing will ever be all right where that piece of misery is." He sighs at the fact that once again they are a threesome.
* * *
From: jerseyshore Sent: 3/16/2003 4:47 PM
As the trio leave the company of Faramir and his men, Sam is uneasy about traveling with Gollum again. He's short-tempered when Gollum insists that they travel by night and sleep by day. He dreams of home-- a natural enough topic given the circumstances. But the garden at home is overgrown and thorny--is this just Sam's concern about neglecting his duties or is it some kind of foresight into the situation they will encounter when they really do return?
Sam continues to be a stalwart staff for Frodo to lean on. It is his voice that calls Frodo back from his despair at the sight of the dark army. His famous little speech about the stories even causes Frodo to laugh and brighten up momentarily. He promises over and over to protect his friend and keep him safe. When he overreacts to Gollum's soft touch of the sleeping Frodo, it is only because he takes very seriously his task of protection. He's gracious enough to apologize to Gollum for calling him a sneak, even though he continues to distrust his motives
* * *
From: jerseyshore Sent: 3/18/2003 6:12 PM
We finish up the Two Towers with a couple of chapters in which Sam plays a major role. As they enter the tunnel of Shelob, Sam and Frodo hold hands for comfort as well as to keep together. When their guide disappears, Frodo calls for Smeagol, but Sam calls him Gollum. It certainly isn't Smeagol who is in control now! It's Sam who suggests that Frodo use Galadriel's light to turn back the monster. Afterward he predicts that the Elves will make a song to commemorate Frodo's victory against the spider. But the victory is short-lived and the cobwebs Sam scorns as a barrier prove impassable to his sword. Again they must rely on Elven magic to help them. Sam curses Gollum for leading them into this trap. And as they leave the tunnel Gollum reappears to hold Sam back while Shelob attacks Frodo. In his "red fury" ( and red is the color of the glow from the tower window), Sam momentarily forgets Frodo's danger and chases after Gollum. Is Sam influenced by the evil force so close to them that he forgets his first obligation--to protect Frodo?
When Sam does turn to go after Frodo, he sees him helpless before the monster. He does not stop to think, but goes right to the attack. Again the Phial of Galadriel is brought out--for the third time in a few chapters. And Sam finds himself speaking in an Elven language he doesn't know. How strong the Elvish influence and protective power is even in this evil place!
But after vanquishing Shelob, Sam turns to find no evidence of life in his companion. This is the scene he saw in the mirror in Lothlorien. He despairs. He hesitates. He considers seeking revenge on Gollum, but realizes that would not be a worthwhile goal. The only course that seems worthy is to complete the errand. He wonders if he has been chosen for this purpose, as were Bilbo and Frodo before him. When he picks up the ring, he first feels its great weight, but then seems to receive the strength to bear the burden. Still he feels doubt. "What he was doing was altogether against the grain of his nature." Sam is not a leader at this point. He has been a faithful companion, a "sidekick", not the hero. Now suddenly he thinks it's all up to him, and he's not pleased with the responsibility. But he accepts it because there is no one else.
The effect of the ring when Sam puts it on to escape the Orcs is to make him slow, weary, and vision-impaired. He feels as if he is moving through a grey haze. Still his hearing is sharpened and he is able to follow the Orcs as they discover Frodo, pronounce him alive and carry him off. He is furious with himself for jumping to the conclusion that Frodo was dead. He blames himself for listening to his head and not his heart. It was Sam's heart that brought him this far, but his head will help him rescue Frodo.
I wonder what would have happened if Sam had not taken the ring and sword and left Frodo. If they had both been discovered by the Orcs, the ring would have fallen into their hands. With an unconscious Frodo on his hands Sam could neither have run nor hid. Only by leaving with the ring was Sam able to keep the hope of completing the mission alive. Something was guiding his choices.