Quote:
Originally Posted by Legate of Amon Lanc
Interesting topic, LG. Though personally I think, as we Czechs say, that the dog is buried elsewhere, there may be something to what you are saying here. Elrond indeed seems to hint something, to me it rather looks like that he knows Frodo is going to take the task, but (hypocritically?) tries to push the thought backwards and tries to look, or maybe even convince himself to think, that anybody can be chosen yet. I just imagined the funny situation that often happens among schoolchildren or so: a request is raised and every high Elf Lord just sits and looks to the ground and thinks "Let's be silent and pretend that I am not here, Frodo will eventually take it". 
Anyway, I believe with a little good will at least the second quote you provided can be relativised: Bilbo could write the sequel even if the quest did not concern Frodo personally, because the tale would still concern Bilbo's Ring (which is actually why the old hobbit stood up in the first place, so the idea that Gandalf's response should be understood in this way is very plausible here). |
Heh we have the same saying in Denmark. . .
I am not convinced by your arguments, they just don't fit with the view I have of the different characters. Why would Elrond try to convince him self that another choise could be made if that was not indeed the case?
Is it not more plausible that Elrond is saying these things to give Frodo a chance to take this task, he seems to be ensuring Frodo that he is just as able to take this task as anybody else. If not directly encouraging Frodo to take the task. . . . For me it seems likely that a hobbit amongst great Dwarven, Elven and Human worriors would feel small and insignificant and thus be discouraged from taking the ring.
Yeah Bilbo could definitly write a sequal no matter who embarked on the jurney to Mount Doom, but it does seem more likely that he would do so if it included Frodo.