[Luthien_ Tinuviel]

Very interesting topic. I've given it some thought myself. It seems that in the movies, at any rate, PJ and Co. were very hesitant to show any signs of social classes among hobbits, or anyone else for that matter. As has been said by (I think) all three of you previous posters, the modern-day movie audience probably couldn't handle it. In the Green Dragon, for instance, when Frodo does buy drinks for the hobbits at his table (Sam, Ted Sandyman, the Gaffer, and was there one other?), they call him Mr. Frodo, but that's the end of it. And that's as far as it goes anywhere, for the most part. There's a lot of "Mr. Frodo-ing", but not much else. I don't particularly view this as a problem, but it's certainly very different from the book.<P>In the book, I would say that they still start out as friends, sort of, but not exactly in a modern sense. It's more like a friendship between members of different classes (now almost obsolete), in which the superior member feels affection towards the lesser one, and occupies a sort of "teacher" role, while the lesser member has a reverence for the more important one, and in some ways occupies a "student" role. The same is usually the case in friendships where there is a significant age gap. Frodo and Sam are thus doubly divided- by class and by age. This, I think, is significant in the book, because throughout their journey they eventually overcome these divisions, and their relationship becomes much more than a simple servant/master one, even though their servant/master relationship was a particularly friendly and unassuming one, in my opinion. They start with a simple and rather divided relationship, and end with a wonderful and complex one. I would say that, at the end of the story, they are best friends, in the purest sense. Neither of them forget their status, but that is much more disregarded than it was (in terms of the way they treat each other, not in Sam's willingness to serve Frodo).<P>It almost seems that, even in the book, Frodo is not really aware of the fact that he is Sam's social better. Merry and Pippin are much more aware of this, and at the start of the journey, they take advantage of the situation. For instance Pippin's ridiculous behaviour in "Three is Company", where he evidently thinks himself on top of the situation, and orders both Sam and Frodo about (which isn't strictly correct in either case, since Sam is <BR><I>Frodo's</I> servant, not Pippin's, though I might be wrong. That part kind of galls me, though).<P>I think you're right, Child, in saying that Sam has even further to grow in the book than in the movies. In the book he goes from being Frodo's servant to being his best friend and heir. In the movies, he goes from being Frodo's "best pal and drinking buddy" (to borrow Finwe's phrase)- to being his best pal and drinking buddy who's seen a lot more with Frodo, and knows him better. <P> <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR> Interestingly, some people who read LotR today have great trouble with the character of Sam for precisely this reason: that he looks and act like a servant, at least initially, and is too reverential towards Frodo. If you check out the threads on the Downs about "least liked" characters, Sam's name surfaces a surprising number of times. At least it is surprising to me! <HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P>It surprises me, too. People can't really seem to accept these kind of relationships anymore. They seem to be convinced that there's something wrong, because Sam and Frodo do not treat one another as equals. I've spoken with people who have difficulty accepting the fact that they are anything but best friends (although calling your best friend "Mr. Frodo" and "sir" is not common practice). I think, though, that their relationship is richer and truer because of what it is in the book.<P> <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR> I think this also has ramifications as to who comes over as the "hero" in RotK---although truthfully there are no heroes in Tolkien in the way that one conventionally thinks about them. <BR> <HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P>I would still say that Sam is the hero of ROTK, even in the movie, but not quite as much as in the book. Tolkien named Sam as the chief hero in <I>Letters</I>, and for good reason- he is a perfect example of the theme of "the ennoblement of the humble", in the book at least.<P>I don't really mind the changes, but they definately are changes, although perhaps not as overt as Faramir and such.<P>(<B>Long</B> post. This really is looking like a Books topic).