I think its deeper. What we have is, in many ways, separate 'worlds'. There always seems to be some kind of 'crossing point', where travellers cross into another 'world/time/reality'. In the Old Forest, there is the journey down into the Withywindle valley, the drowsiness that ensues. Then along comes Tom, & they're in his 'world'. Even time seems to move differently there. The Hobbits lose all sense of time. Same thing happens in Lorien. In fact, Tolkien originally planned for no time to pass in the outside world while the company were in Lorien. Even in Moria there's a loss of the sense of time. Tolkien even manages to convey this sense of 'no-time' with Frodo & Sam's trek through Mordor.
Its like, when the enter the Old Forest they enter the 'world/time/reality' of british folktale. Goldberry is the daughter of the 'river-woman'. In folklore these figures are quite common. River hags, like 'Jenny Greenteeth', were figures of terror for travellers, who they would grab & drag under water. In fact, this is what Goldberry does in her first encounter with Tom (in 'Bombadil goes boating'). Tom overcomes her & marries her ('Tom he is the master' - master of wild, uncontrolled nature, which he overcomes & domesticates - though never totally - Goldberry returns regularly to the river). This is something Lewis & Currie go into in 'The Uncharted Realms of Tolkien'.
With Lorien the company enter the 'world/time/reality of ancient Celtic myth. Frodo even says entering the wood feels like stepping into the Elder Days.
Its almost more a case of 'Gated Worlds' than of 'Gated Communities'. What we find in the Celtic legends is this effect of time moving differently in Elfland, & outside it. Travellers cross into elfland, seem to be there only a few hours, but when they emerge, years have passed, or they seem to be in there for years, but when they come back into the 'real' world, its only a few hours later.
In both 'The Lost Road' & 'The Notion Club Papers' Tolkien explores the idea of entering other worlds/times/realities, which happens through dream/vision. We seem to be talking about crossing boundaries of a metaphysical nature rather than a physical one.
Its maybe significant that while the other three hobbits, on their return to the Shire, speak of it all being like a dream that they're waking from, Frodo says that for him, its more like falling asleep again. He has maybe crossed over into the metaphysical realm, 'Faerie', as Tolkien would have called it, & now cannot live anywhere else. Not all boundaries can be crossed both ways.
[ April 05, 2003: Message edited by: davem ]
[ April 05, 2003: Message edited by: davem ]
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