Hobbit "social" mores, aye, we wonders... - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

***Mister Underhill*** · 12-19-2001, 01:36 AM

You are quite something, Maril! A serious inquiry into homoerotic (or not) subtext of Frodo and Sam's relationship? Remarkable!

I've already posted some thoughts on the possible mythical underpinnings (intentional or not on Tolkien's part) of this key relationship here, so in lieu of a longer reply, and on a more surface level, I'll simply opine that some context of Tolkien's time and experiences must be taken into account when judging the character of Sam and Frodo's relationship. Tolkien had seen combat in WWI (hmm... I'm something less than an expert on the prof's life -- someone may come right along and correct me on that). Much has been written about the fabled bond that arises between men who have been in combat together, and maybe something of that nature can be applied here, considering the adversity that Sam and Frodo endure together.

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12-19-2001, 01:36 AM	#2
*Mister Underhill* Dread Horseman Join Date: Sep 2000 Location: Behind you! Posts: 2,744	You are quite something, Maril! A serious inquiry into homoerotic (or not) subtext of Frodo and Sam's relationship? Remarkable! I've already posted some thoughts on the possible mythical underpinnings (intentional or not on Tolkien's part) of this key relationship here, so in lieu of a longer reply, and on a more surface level, I'll simply opine that some context of Tolkien's time and experiences must be taken into account when judging the character of Sam and Frodo's relationship. Tolkien had seen combat in WWI (hmm... I'm something less than an expert on the prof's life -- someone may come right along and correct me on that). Much has been written about the fabled bond that arises between men who have been in combat together, and maybe something of that nature can be applied here, considering the adversity that Sam and Frodo endure together.