arienettelyn's Diaryland Diary ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- my lord of the rings essay oh yeah baby...the final edit. In the novel The Lord of the Rings, J.R.R. Tolkien creates a magical fantasy world called Middle Earth. Here, species such as elves, hobbits, dwarves, wizards, and orcs coexist with men. Though the series of novels is meant mostly just to tell a story, there are a few main ideas that keep surfacing throughout the tale. The importance of friendship is a major theme in both Tolkien�s novel and Peter Jackson�s film version of The Lord of the Rings. Much of the companionship and loyalty is shown through the relationships that the hobbits of the fellowship have with each other. Hobbits are a tiny, peace-loving species who try their best to avoid conflict that does not directly involve them. Frodo Baggins, after coming upon an evil ring, must leave on a long, treacherous quest to destroy it. His gardener, Samwise Gamgee, hears of the quest while eavesdropping and asks to accompany Frodo on the journey. Sam promises Gandalf, a wise wizard and friend to the hobbits, that he will stay with Frodo and protect him. Throughout the journey, Sam takes this oath very seriously. He constantly worries about Frodo�s well being before his own, and never leaves his side. When Frodo is stabbed with a poisoned sword and unconscious for many days, Sam sits with him the entire time. At the council in Rivendell, Sam sneaks in uninvited. He finds out that Frodo will be taking the ring farther, and decides that he will continue on as well, and join the fellowship of the ring. The greatest demonstration of Sam�s loyalty to Frodo, however, comes at Parth Galen, when Frodo decides that he must continue on by himself, for he cannot bear to lead his companions on the rest of the trek. When he realizes that Frodo has left in a small boat, Sam jumps into the water after him, even though he cannot swim, and he nearly drowns. Merry Brandybuck and Pippin Took, the two other hobbits in the fellowship, also demonstrate the necessity of friendship on the difficult quest. They are both extremely loyal to their cousin Frodo and to each other. Before Frodo even departs on his quest, which he has been keeping a secret, Merry and Pippin notice the change in their friend�s behavior and, through spying and eavesdropping, discover the nature of his upcoming journey. The pair decides to accompany Frodo and Sam, despite Frodo�s objections. Pippin insists that he will need more than one companion on his dangerous adventure, and Merry agrees. �You can trust us to stick to you through thick and thin - to the bitter end. And you can trust us to keep any secret of yours - closer than you keep it yourself. But you cannot trust us to let you face trouble alone, and go off without a word. We are your friends, Frodo� (Fellowship 138). Merry and Pippin also insist on joining the fellowship when it is formed in Rivendell. Pippin exclaims that if he is prohibited from accompanying his friends, he would have to be locked in a prison or sent home in a sack, or else he would follow the fellowship. Gandalf convinces Elrond, the elf lord, to allow the hobbits to join, because sometimes friendship is greater than wisdom. The film version of The Fellowship of the Ring does not paint such a positive picture of Merry and Pippin. They are portrayed as silly, young boys who join Frodo and Sam on their journey accidentally while stealing vegetables from someone�s farm. Their movie characters seem to care little about the journey�s purpose at first. They are looking only for adventure. Director Peter Jackson perhaps thought that comic relief was necessary because the rest of the film was so serious, and unfortunately the characters of Merry and Pippin suffer. However, both the film The Two Towers and the novel show the hobbits� true test of endurance. After the Uruk-Hai army captures them, Merry and Pippin are mistreated and come close to death, but manage to escape. If the hobbits were alone, they would most likely not have the desire to escape, because they would just be escaping to be completely by themselves in a strange land. Because of each other�s company and a shared optimism, Merry and Pippin outsmart the Uruk-Hai and continue on their journey. The hobbits are not the only creatures in the story that benefit from their friendships. Legolas, an elf, and Gimli, a dwarf, are both appointed by Lord Elrond to be part of the fellowship. History shows that elves do not get along with dwarves, so the pair holds grudges against each other. However, soon they realize that their differences are unimportant, and become friends. Though the film does show some sign of camaraderie between Legolas and Gimli, it does not accurately portray the friendship that they developed. The only example of their growing relationship is shown when Legolas demonstrates his loyalty to Gimli as one of the riders of Rohan threatens to chop off Gimli�s head. Legolas claims that he will kill the rider before his sword is removed from its sheath. In the novel, the pair develops a very strong friendship and rarely part from each other throughout the quest, even riding the same horses. Gimli and Legolas vow that they will return to visit the beautiful forests and caves together once their quest is complete. They keep this promise, and after the evil force has been conquered, they depart from the fellowship together. Without the camaraderie and brotherhood of the fellowship, the quest to save Middle Earth seems much more hopeless. Comforted by each other�s company, the group manages to carry on despite the various tragedies and setbacks that occur. Every member of the fellowship benefits from each other�s company, and is able to realize their full potential with the help of their companions. The different species represented in the fellowship are able to put aside their differences to unite and attempt to overcome the dark force that is threatening them all. 10:11 p.m. - 2003-03-10 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
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