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Post by Sparrow on Aug 31, 2004 19:35:48 GMT -6
After several days in the forest, the dwarves send Bilbo up a tree to see whether he can see the end of the forest. All Bilbo sees are butterflies and more trees. Bilbo not only despairs, but brings back a hopeless report. This reminds me of the story of the ten Isrealite scouts who brought back similar reports of the promised land which led to forty more years of wandering in the desert (Numbers 13-14). What similarities and differences do you see between this story and the Biblical one? Do you think Tolkien intended any similarity?
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Post by Stormrider on Sept 3, 2012 13:51:51 GMT -6
I think it is just another plot technique on Tolkien's part. Unbeknownst to Bilbo and the Dwarves, they were almost out of the forest and if they had stayed on the path, they would have left the forest soon enough. Tolkien couldn't have them know that! It was a writing strategy to fool the characters into thinking they were still deep in the woods, foodless, hungry, and getting deperate! Otherwise, why would they have ignored Gandalf and Beorn's warning not to stray from the path?
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Post by Andorinha on Sept 6, 2012 4:58:11 GMT -6
Hmm, never really saw any similarities here with the Biblical narrative. Don't really think Tolkien was pushing this either, too much of an allegory thing? The dwarves (and Bilbo) certainly don't have 40 years more to wander, in fact, as Tolkien soon makes clear (as narrator) if they could have known it, they were actually coming near the end of their forest trek.
As Stormrider suggests, it is a good device for showing how desperately sick/ tired/ famished they were becoming, so that their leaving the safety of the path becomes more understandable.
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