LotR -- Book 2 - Chapter 05 - The Bridge of Khazad-dûm

[Mark]

Very interesting points you have their guys. This chapter, to me personally, was one of my best chapters. I got me thinking in a different perspective.

I really think the incident of the Balrog and Gandalf has blinded us from the rest of the meaningful things in this chapter that should be noted.

Gandalf: “Let me see! No, they are too cut and stained; I cannot read them. We might do better in the sunlight. Wait! Here is something: A large bold hand using the Elvish script.”

“That would be Ori’s hand,” said Gimli, looking over the wizard’s arm. “He could write well and speedily, and often used the Elvish characters.”

Oy! Since when does a dwarf want to learn Elvish? :P

The hobbit Sam is in love with the race and is not skilled in the art of their language. I would suppose that Sam wanted to learn, but education reasons held him down, lets not stay still on this point though.

I first thought that Ori used the Elvish characters as a means of attack on the elves, then I though: Why?

It must have been a rare gift, to know Elvish, I guess. Gimli knew it was Ori right away. Perhaps that Ori was the only one to know Elvish among the other dwarves. Perhaps.

Dwarves are beginning to surprise me as much as men were surprised with Hobbits :P

Moving on!

Here is one of my favourite quotes

Anduril came down upon his helm. There was a flash like flame and the helm burst asunder. The orc fell with a cloven head.

This really brought me into the realizing of Aragorns power. We have this orc, leader of them all, the one and only. Meh, I’d better just quote the book, again.

A huge orc-chieftain, almost man-high, clad in black mail from head to foot, leaped into the chamber. His broad face was swart, his eyes were like coals, and his tongue was red; he wielded a great spear.

That is the correct definition of the orc, I’m afraid. He brought Boromir down, and stabbed Frodo into a wall. Must have been pretty powerful.

But, this orc, this leader, was brought down with one hit. One simple smack over the head had done it.

At first, I never thought that “the blade that was broken” really held that much power. I was proved wrong. A flash like flame, ripping through metal as if it was butter, bursting the helm asunder, digging through the thick skin of the orc leader, very powerful blade.

Then again, a powerful blade must have a person strong enough to handle it. Again, Aragorns power shines on me like the sun on a bright day.

Hail Anduril! Flame of the West!

One more point I would like to point out, and I really apologize for my long post.

They went on again. Before long Gimli spoke. He had keen eyes in the dark.

Again, the dwarf surprises me. Although it is obvious that they must have had good sight, for they stayed underground for many a days, mining. It was the first time though, that it was written in stone for my naked eyes to see.

Although I should have expected the elf to see better than the dwarf, my dreams were once again shattered.

That is all I have to say, and again, I apologize for talking too much.

[Encaitare]

Oy! Since when does a dwarf want to learn Elvish? ... It must have been a rare gift, to know Elvish, I guess. Gimli knew it was Ori right away. Perhaps that Ori was the only one to know Elvish among the other dwarves.

Well, it would be unusual for a Dwarf to know how to speak an Elvish tongue. This is supported by Gimli's quick realization that it was Ori who wrote the passage. But here, Ori is only using the Tengwar, the Elvish alphabet. This is also unusual, but not as much so. (Hey, I can write it, why not a dwarf? )

Don't apologize for a long post! I thought it was quite good.

[Boromir88]

I think another thing interesting, or strikingly odd about dwarves is they have good endurance. This is something I was quite mad at PJ about, just because you got a short chunky dwarf doesn't mean he can't run. It just sickens me to see Gimli huffing and puffing and lagging behind the prancing elf saying "dwarves are natural sprinters." Come on PJ!

(Hey, I can write it, why not a dwarf? )

Very intersting Encaitare, I don't get into that stuff, but my niece (who by my work I turned into a reader of LOTR) can translate fairly well .

[Nenya]

(Ha, it feels very strange being here again, after a reaaally long break. In a nice way, of course.)

Fordim Hedgethistle, I was very intirigued by your reflections on the themes of doom and judgement. I had never seen it quite like that, but now that you brought it up so eloquently, it seems very natural.
One could also argue further that from the moment on when Gandalf falls - when they have no leader anymore, and must truly begin to make choices - the real test begins for the two men of the Fellowship, and judgement will eventually be passed upon both of them too: the other will face his doom, the other be judged worthy of his heritage.

On to a compleately other matter:
The thing that struck me the most when I re-read the chapter for this discussion, was defininetly Tolkien's masterful use of none other than our beloved action-film clichès! Especially the first part of the chapter, with it's desperate defence battle before we get to the real climax on the bridge, is pure Indiana Jones. Indiana Jones with immensly more depth, complexity and poetry, but still the basic gimmicks and tricks to suprise, scare and rouse the rader/viewer are all there.
There is the little guy (here in more than one sense... ) who shows suprising strength and courage - Frodo's heroic attac - , the sudden turn of events when they thought they were in the clear - the orc-chieftain stabbing Frodo - and finally the hero who saves the day in a situation where all others fail - Aragorn conquering over the said orc.

All these things show that Tolkien's isn't an expert only in writing fictitious history and creating detailed legends. He can also etertain the reader with good action-writing, which is finally made clear to the reader in The Bridge of Khazad-dûm. The chapter is important in many ways, and the change in the storytelling of the whole book is certaily one of them.

[tar-ancalime]

Book Two is he allegro movement in which the important themes are glimpsed from time to time, but the motive of the movement is to thrill us with the possibilties of extension beyond the rather confining parameters of the opening. The Gandalf theme, for example, so heroic and wise, is placed into an awkward harmony with the Balrog, and both fall into oblivion, which allows the hints of melancholy and darkness, held at bay in the first movement, to be brought to the fore.

What you're describing is very much like the development section of a sonata-allegro form, in which the existing themes are segmented, extended, transposed, and recombined in what is often the most complex part of the work--it stands between the exposition, in which the themes and the principal tonal conflict are introduced, and the recapitulation, in which the tonal conflict is resolved (material which earlier appeared in a contrasting key returns in the home key). The development stands between these two sections and its purpose is to introduce new possibilities into the existing material, usually complicating the aural landscape and creating new conflicts that must be resolved before the principal conflict can be addressed in the recapitulation.

(*tar-ancalime takes off Pompous Lecture Hat.*)

I think your analogy is apt, at least this far into the story. Book One introduces many of the themes and the principal conflict; Book Two begins the journey to resolve that conflict, which must be complicated on the way by obstacles foreseen and unforeseen. Perhaps, though, the analogy is so apt because this is the basic pattern for most of the stories we tell in our culture, whether musical or literary. Are the novel and the symphony always so compatible? But I can feel myself straying farther and farther from the topic at hand, so I'll restrain myself for now.

To return to the specific chapter at hand, the whole journey in Moria is foreshadowed by another underground "adventure"--the Barrow-Downs. An idea first presented in Book One (exposition) returns in Book Two (development) with new repercussions, in a different "key."