[davem]

Sharon,

I think Tolkien is saying there is hope, at the end, beyond the circles of the world - even if all we have here is 'hope without guarantees'. But the Sea Bell does echo(!) & Tolkien only offers hope & speculation about Frodo's ultimate fate. Does he eventually learn to accept his 'littleness'? As 'The Sea Bell' its a haunting poem. As 'Frodo's Dreme' its devastating. Its entirely possible that Frodo never does achive happiness in the world. Perhaps happiness is one of the things that Frodo mentions some people having to give up so that others may keep them. Who says happiness is something any of us will end up with - I'm not sure its the same thing as 'Joy', but thats getting too far into semantics. He learns wisdom, but wisdom can be about suffering as much as about joy. In the end, we aren't given enough information about what's going on in Frodo's head & heart to be able to truly know.

The problem with the idea that Frodo does not give in at the end, & 'desert his post' (accepting all the while that all the rest of us would have fled long before), & basing that on the argument that he was not physically strong enough, or that his will was not strong enough is that it implies that if he had been a little stronger in body or will he would have succeeded. Its the Nietzschian view - God is dead, & the Superman will save us. Lets strengthen our bodies & our wills, & we will conquer. But Tolkien says we are fallen beings & we will always fail. Its like Peter denying Christ at the end, through fear, & a desperate desire to escape bad experiences. Survival instinct cuts in, perhaps. But its still desertion, because of a lack of trust.

I'm reminded of one of Charles Williams Arthurian poems, where Taliesin, the King's poet, while Arthur is leading the main battle to gain Kingship, goes to Camelot with a small force to depose Cradlemas, the dictator. There is a combat & Taliesin deals Cradlemas a mortal blow & stands watching him die. There's a line, that Taliesin felt 'Righted by earth, but from Heaven displighted', & that 'Cain & he had one immingled brain'. Taliesin has done the 'right' thing - killed a dictator, a monster, helped liberate the people & make way for the peace & justice of Arthur's rule. But at the same time he's taken a life, broken God's law. But what was the alternative? To stand by, be 'Righted by Heaven, but from earth displighted'? Reject his human responsibility & go live in an Ivory Tower & write poetry? Basically, Taliesin is a fallen being in a fallen world & will fail in one way or another, & can only be saved by 'Grace'.

Frodo 'fails' at the end because failure is our destiny, we will give in at the end because we're not strong enough to stand alone. So The Authority has to intervene to lift us up, even if we fell in betraying 'Him', because His only alternative would be to leave us on the ground. Its not to condemn Frodo to say he deserted at the end - as I said elsewhere, I tend to idealise Frodo - its merely to acknowledge his humanity.

<font size=1 color=339966>[ 4:12 AM January 22, 2004: Message edited by: davem ]

<font size=1 color=339966>[ 9:36 AM January 22, 2004: Message edited by: davem ]