I still the think the Fellowship could have lasted longer if some decisions were made differently, but then it would be an entirely different story, like what we discussed in class on Tuesday. It is apparent to me now that the forming of the Fellowship is not the purpose of LOTR, but instead it is merely a vessel that Tolkien uses to begin the journey of each member. It gave each individual a sense of a collective objective, despite the great differences in tribulations that each member will see in the upcoming books. Elrond could have easily sent out Gandalf, Frodo, and Aragorn to destroy the Ring, but instead he sent nine (the antithesis of the ringwraiths???). Each of these nine would fulfill their own purpose throughout the upcoming journey.
Also, I think it is incredibly ironic that we broke our class Fellowship on Thursday. It seemed fitting given the turmoil going on right now.
I definitely agree. I always found it somewhat disappointing that the fellowship broke up so early on. It almost feels like they don't really get to know each other all that well. Obviously Frodo and Sam are already close and grow even closer. Aragorn, Gimli, and Legolas spend quite a lot of time together. But all nine companions really don't spend all that long as one group. Honestly, you don't even get to know some of them as a reader all that well. Gimli and Legolas' personalities seem rather vague and you only get to know Merry and Pippin towards the end. I always thought this a strange choice on Tolkien's part. My best guess is that splitting them up allowed more time to focus on each character individually. Focusing on one person in a group of nine for an extended period of time feels like you aren't giving enough time to the group dynamic in general. Splitting them up allowed Tolkien to focus on the characters in a smaller group and show their personalities more thoroughly.
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