In class on Tuesday, we talked a lot about the combination of hope and despair that are definitely amplified at the end of book five. Its interesting to see how this is also carried over into book six even though the narrative switches back to Sam and Frodo.
Every time I have read The Tower or Cirith Ungol, I an always overwhelmed by how much happens in this chapter, and how much it affects the rest of the story. Looking at it from the perspective of hope and despair, this is an especially heavy chapter.
This is the first time we really see Sam feeling the pull of the ring, and contemplate the suffering it would cause him to become its bearer in place of Frodo. This is of course a dangerous choice to have to make, especially seeing the change in Frodo. But, it turns out that "in that hour of trial it was the love of his master that helped most to hold him firm; but also deep down in him lived still unconquered his plain hobbit-sense: he knew in the core of his heart that he was not large enough to bear such a burden"(901). So love as well as the simplicity and thoughtfulness of a hobbit prevail over the influence of the ring for Sam. This is definitely a welcome glimmer of hope.
Even so, though we also find some hope in the fact that Sam does find Frodo alive at the end of the chapter, there is also some despair that the reader cannot ignore. Frodo is found stripped naked and in a pile of rags, and although he is happy to see Sam, when he finds out that Sam has the ring:"quickly and strangely his tone changed. 'Give it to me!' he cried, standing up, holding out a trembling hand. 'Give it to me at once! You can't have it!'"(911). To have Frodo seen here in rags, speaking in a strange voice and demanding the ring as if Sam was a thief is not a far cry from what we have seen of Gollum. This is a shocking change to see, and confirms the readers fears for Frodo.
Once again, Tolkien includes some feeling of hope, but not enough to make the reader feel like this is going to be a story with a happy ending, because there is enough despair to keep us aware of the impeding doom ahead. By seeing Sam and Frodo in a similar light to the rest of the characters we left off with in book five, Tolkien is able to properly communicate the extent of Sauron's growing evil influence over Middle Earth.
This is a great analysis. I agree with you about the depth and importance of the Cirith Ungol chapter. So much is at play, and I think that is the moment where Sam shines the most, and we truly see the influence the ring has on its bearers. Hobbits may be resilient, but they are not immune.
ReplyDeleteThis chapter definitely teases the ending where Frodo leaves Middle-earth because of the pain he experienced taking the ring to Mordor.
This scene always made me feel that Tolkien was very good at giving us as readers (and the characters) enough hope to not give up on the current situation, but enough despair at the same time that we aren't shocked when everything doesn't end up happily! Sam and his reactions to the Ring/actions in this section can definitely be a ray of hope, but at the same time everything is so dark (Frodo mirroring Gollum/Bilbo over the Ring) that we aren't expecting everything to go back to normal/happy at the end.
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