Frodo: The Growth of a Hobbit

Throughout many works of literature, characters within the story often experience a growth within themselves. They develop in different ways. Sometimes they grow into darker, angrier character. Others grow into stronger, and benefit from the journey they experience. In The Lord of the Rings, the character, Frodo, goes through a journey both physically across Middle-Earth and also goes through a spiritual and emotional journey from within himself. This essay will discuss Frodo's development as a character from the beginning of his journey in volumes one and two of the trilogy.
Frodo is a derivative from an Old Norse word meaning wise. At the beginning of this book, I don't feel Frodo is quite worthy of that meaning just yet. He's a Hobbit at the brink of his coming of age at 33 (in their culture anyway), under the wing of his uncle, Bilbo. Both are outcasts in their own society. Frodo loves his home in the Shire but is intrigued by what lies beyond that. They seem content in their role in their race and culture.
Frodo's first step toward development is when he first is introduced to the Ring. Gandalf the Grey, a family friend, is aware of the Ring's power and history. He sees for himself how the Ring can affect people when Bilbo acts angry and cold when Gandalf request Bilbo leave the Ring behind. Frodo was aware of the Ring and inherits it when Bilbo leaves the Shire. His naive ness to the Ring's dark and evil history and power is seen here;
"Frodo took the envelope from the mantelpiece, and glanced at it, but
did not open it.
'You'll find his will and all other documents in there, I think,' said the
wizard, 'You are the master of Bag End now. And also, I fancy, you'll
find a golden ring.'
'The ring!' exclaimed Frodo. 'Has he left me that? I wonder why. Still it
may be useful.' (Tolkien 59)
It is when Gandalf returns from doing research on the ring, does Frodo's eyes begin to open up. Not only is he told about the dark power is possesses, but he's also given the job of taking the Ring to a safer place than with a Hobbit in the Shire. As children, we don't deal with responsibility as much or with reality beyond our own world in childhood. Frodo has gone through the same thing in his life. He has led a happy life in the Shire, aware of reality but not yet experiencing it yet. It's like when a child realizes the world is not a Disney movie anymore. Life is not always happy and not everyone will "live happily ever after."
Frodo's next stop on his journey of self-discovery is when he first encounters the Nazgul. Frodo has been warned by Gandalf not to put the Ring on-ever. He feels fear when they come around but he also feels the urge to put on the Ring. The power almost overcame him;
"Once more the desire to put the Ring came over Frodo; but this time
it was stronger than before. So strong that, almost before he realized
what he was doing, his hand was groping in his pocket."
This isn't the end of the Ring tempting Frodo. At Weathertop, Frodo not only comes face to face with the Nazgul, but he also puts the ring on;
"He could not speak. He felt Sam looking at him, as if he knew his
master was in trouble, but he could not turn towards him. He shut his eyes and struggled for a while; but resistance became unbearable, and at last he slowly drew out the chain, and slipped the Ring on the forefinger of his left hand." (Tolkien 241)
This is the one of the main examples of Frodo's leap from child to man. It is here that Frodo sees the Nazgul as fallen kings and not evil dark beings. Only when the Ring is being worn and he is in their element, Frodo sees the Nazgul. I think this part of the book is a real turning point;
"He was able to see beneath their dark wrappings. There were five tall
figures: two standing on the lip of the dell, three advancing. In their
whitefaces burned keen and merciless eye; under their mantles were
long grey robes; upon their grey hairs were helms of silver; in their
haggard hands were swords of steel." (241).
Frodo realizes the power and how it can turn great men into nothing but face-less, soulless beings that walk the Earth feeling worthless without the Ring in their possession. Sure, he had heard the tale of Gollum, who was consumed by the Ring, but now that he has had the experienced Frodo is never the same.

As the journey continues, Frodo arrives in Rivendell and the Fellowship is forged. Gandalf falls into the shadows and is lost- so the remaining members believe. Frodo meets Lady Galadriel and is never the same. He looks into her mirror and grows yet again. He sees his home he has already left behind and misses. The Shire Frodo sees is a dark one overcome with evil. He sees an eye, which could be representative of Sauron who seeks the Ring and all its power. This is when Frodo decides to take responsibility for not only himself and for taking the Ring to a safe place, but for his home and his race. The mirror shows Frodo what is possibly if the Ring is not destroyed not matter what even if it means his own demise. While many people never have to make a decision of this magnitude and without regret, Frodo has no qualms regarding keeping everything he knows and loves safe.
The last major example of Frodo's growth as a character in volume one of
The Lord of the Rings is when Frodo decides to take the Ring alone to be destroyed. Before he had taken responsibility for making sure it was destroyed but he also had the Fellowship with him to help him get to Mount Doom. Frodo's decision is not one made easily. As a Hobbit, he is smaller than most beings and also has never been beyond his home in the Shire. Frodo has pressure from within to do so especially as a member of the Fellowship requests the Ring.
"Why are you so unfriendly?" said Boromir. "I am a true man, neither
thief nor tracker. I need your Ring: that you know now; but I give you
my word that I do not desire to keep it. Will you not at least let me
make trial of my plan? Lend me the Ring!" (Tolkien 470)

Not only has Frodo decided to make the journey on his own, but he would also make the journey without his life-long friend, Sam. Doing what's right and noble is not always easy, especially if thrust into an uncomfortable situation alone.
This is just the beginning of Frodo's journey of self-discovery and growth. Frodo experiences personal highs and personal lows. He fights inner demons that he doesn't yet know exist and stands up to them. While he was not my favorite character in this work of literature, Frodo was a character that I feel grows at each notch of the journey.

Bibliography
1. Tolkien, J.R.R. The Lord of the Rings Part One; The fellowship of the Ring. Ballantine Books: New York 1982

Forces of the River

In J.R.R. Tolkien's fantasy trilogy, The Lord of the Rings, water has the ability to give life and take life. Water gives life by counteracting and functioning with time, concealing, giving passage from one land into another and consumption. By the same means, water is also able to take life away. In the story, it seems to work intentionally for the greater good of the Fellowship, for the creatures and people that serve Sauron continually are killed, temporarily stopped or are trapped because of the water. While water at times initially seems to hurt those in the Fellowship, the consequences of the situation favor those who are fighting against Sauron.
Water actively supports the Fellowship by counteracting and functioning with time and the consequences that follow. Frodo's journey begins with the death of his parents. As a child, he is orphaned when his parents drown in the Brandywine River. Here time can be seen as both an ending and beginning. With the death of his parents a period of time ends for Frodo and a new period of time begins. While the events may seem to be tragic the consequences allow Frodo to be raised with Bilbo beginning a new period of time where one day, without a choice of his own, Frodo will become the Ring Bearer. Later, after the journey of the Fellowship has begun, the party uses a river to travel away from the elves and Galadrial and onto Mordor. Tolkien focuses on the flow of the river and the speed at which it carries the travelers. The water is able to determine the
speed of the flow which in turn determines the amount of time it takes the Fellowship to travel over a great distance. The variables of speed and time determined by the river causes the Fellowship to end this river journey at the point where they are most vulnerable to the enemy. While the attack following the landing may seem a poor consequence to the speed at which they traversed river, it causes the Fellowship to fall apart. It is the separation of the Fellowship which allows for the quest to be successfully completed. The separation allows the majority of the Fellowship to distract the forces of Sauron as the Ring is being destroyed. At the end of the journey, water once again works with time by counteracting it. As the battle against Sauron's army seems to be futile for Fellowship, the river carries Aragorn to the battle in the boats of the enemy. Strangely, his travel on the river is against the current. This seems to represent the river working against the flow of time, for without this unpredictable force he would not have arrived to turn the battle to the favor of the Fellowship.

The river seemingly provides life if it is flowing yet carries death if it is still and unmoving. This can be seen when observing the deliverance of the Fellowship by the water when working in conjunction with time. The consequences of the movement of the river in conjunction with time overall allows for the preservation of life on a world wide scale. On an individual basis, however, the river when unmoving often accompanies the potential for a death to occur. The four hobbits first encounter death near the river when, near the willow tree, they are lulled to sleep. As they are sleeping, the willow tree attempts to kill them. While they are not killed, the actions in this scene serve as an example of foreshadowing. Continuously, throughout the novel, if water appears to be unmoving it accompanies death. The water at the entrance to the mines is still. Within its depths a monster emerges driving the Fellowship into the mines. While the potential for death at the entrance was great, the water served to foreshadow the death of Gandalf. It was the water which housed the creature which drove the Fellowship into the mines, closing the entrance from which they came. The consequences of this action forced the Fellowship one way through the mines with no escape route. Lacking an escape route caused the Fellowship to face a large army which killed Gandalf in their flight out of the mines. The unmoving water as death is exemplified greatly in the bogs. It is in the bogs where the dead are housed beneath the water creating a feeling of timelessness. In unmoving water time has no beginning or end. It houses the dead from long ago and monsters which have existed beyond memory. Tolkien successfully creates a correlation between moving water the movement of time and life versus unmoving water timelessness and death.

Water continuously serves to both give and take life when it functions as a needed item for consumption for the survival of life. In the Ent forest Merry and Pippin consume water given to them by the Ent creatures. Here the water serves as a giver of life, for it causes the two hobbits to grow into usually tall hobbits. Growth traditionally is a sign of life and the continuation of life. However, when water is withheld from creatures which require it to sustain life, death can follow. As Frodo and Sam penetrate Mordor, they find themselves lacking the needed water to survive. The lack thereof becomes a debilitating force to fight against. A clear distinction of water as a life giver and a death taker appears in these scenes with the abundance and lack thereof of water.
The final function of water is to act in concealing and revealing. Galadrial uses water as a mirror. When Frodo comes to her forest, Galadrial uses the water as a mirror to reveal what could possibly happen if the Fellowship should fail in its quest to destroy the ring. However, it conceals the true future from Frodo. Later in the story, water serves to conceal Faramir's hideout behind a waterfall. The water serves to conceal the physical bodies of the people yet it is here that the true intentions of the character, Gollum, are revealed. While concealed behind the waterfall, the reader is able to discern Gollum's intention to steal the ring back by revealing his thoughts by muttering to himself.

Water, in the Lord of the Rings, serves as a complex force aiding the Fellowship in the completion of their quest through its ability to give and take life. Ultimately, it was the river which delivered the ring to the party chosen to destroy it, in turn allowing for those who are considered to be good to prevail and live and for those who are considered to be evil to fail in conquests and perish. It is the movement of the water and the consequences which follow the actions it creates which seems to hint at something existing above all living creatures. While it is never blatantly revealed in the story, the complexity of the consequences of the actions of the water seem to be an allegory for the idea of predestination. All reactions to an action based on the water seem to add up to a culmination of the destruction of the ring which seems to have been destined to happen since it came into the possession of Bilbo. It was the water which allowed for the movement of the ring through time.

The Gandalf Debate

The Lord of the Rings trilogy, by J.R.R. Tolkien opens the readers up to a world of new creatures, strange worlds, and an engaging tale. The books do not, however, always tell you all you need to know about the worlds, or creatures, so it is easy to get things confused. Uruk-hai and orcs might be hard to distinguish from one another upon first reading. One might find themselves wondering if Old Man Willow was an Ent, and why exactly he was not. Of all the creatures of Middle Earth, however, the wizarding-Istari are one of the most unexplained. What are the Istari? Are they moral men, who gained magician powers to become immortal? Are they elves that have evolved to a greater plain? Or are they just a different breed of creature all together? This debate will be discussed in relation to Gandalf, and concluded in the following pages.
The first argument lies in pinpointing what evidence there is that Gandalf is an elf. On first reading of the trilogy, it is easy to pick out events in Gandalf's life that would lead the reader to think he is elven in nature. Upon his arrival in Middle Earth, he met with the elf Círdan, a great shipbuilder. Círdan at the time was preparing to past into the West, and he gives Gandalf one of the three elven rings of power, the one he possesses, Narya. This fact seems to strongly lead a reader to suspect that Gandalf actually is an elf, as it would seem strange that he would acquire an elven ring of power otherwise.
Further proof Gandalf could be an elf lies in his age. He is seen as an old man, with a long beard, and yet it is known he has been around Middle Earth since the Third Age, as he helped initially defeat Sauron, some two thousand years prior to the events in the Lord of the Rings. This longevity would point to his being an immortal elf. Additionally, at the conclusion of the trilogy, Gandalf rides with the elves, and Ringbears, to the Undying Lands. The Undying Lands are the lands of Arda, inhabited by the Maiar, Valar, and Eldar (elves). Those who go to the Undying Lands are only the elves and Ringbears, or those with divine Valar consent. Although it is reasonable to assume that Gandalf acquired consent, it may make more sense to assume he is an elf, and therefore there is no question on his traveling West. Gandalf was friends with the elves as well, and they trusted him greatly. He was even called Mithrandir by them, an elvish word meaning "gray pilgrim" (Foster, 340).
The other possible idea about Gandalf was that he was one of the Maiar, a being neither man nor elf, who served Arda under the direction of the Valar. Gandalf came to Middle Earth during the Third Age, from the West, indicating he originated from the Undying Lands. "Olórin I was in my youth in the West that is forgotten," he told Faramir, giving a name older than the elvish title the elves called him by (The Two Towers, 329). Cross-referencing this name with The Silmarillion, a book about the Gods and origins of the worlds in Middle Earth, Olórin surfaces early on:
Wisest of the Maiar was Olórin. He too dwelt in Lórien, but his ways took him often to the house of Nienna, and of her he learned pity and patience. […] But of Olórin that tale does not speak; for though he loved the Elves, he walked among them unseen, or in form as one of them, and they did not know whence came the fair visions or the promptings of wisdom that he put into their hearts. In later days he was the friend of all the children of the Ilúvatar, and took pity on their sorrows; and those who listened to him awoke from despair and put away the imaginations of darkness (The Silmarillion, 24-25).
This passage seems to show strong evidence that Gandalf was one of the Maiar, and a pupil of Nienna's. Further suggestion that Gandalf was a Maia comes from his fight against the Balrog. While being aided by his Wizard powers, and the ring Narya, Gandalf holds his own against a Balrog the rest of the elves feared greatly. He defeats the Balrog after ten days, but seems to die himself. When he is reborn as Gandalf the White, he has become immortal, as opposed to his mortal form as Gandalf the Gray who was vulnerable to both magical attacks and weapons. It is uncertain if Gandalf's immortality stemmed solely from being raised to the highest order of the Istari, or if it was handed along with being reinstated as a Maia.
It is well noted that Gandalf is one of the Istari, "five (or more) beings sent to Middle Earth by the Valar about Third Age 1000 to unite and counsel the Free Peoples in their struggles against Sauron" (Foster, 274). The passage on Istari in Robert Fosters Tolkien's World From A to Z: The Complete Guide to Middle-Earth directly addresses the possibility of the Istari, and their relation to the Maiar. "The origins of the Istari are veiled. Professor Tolkien said that they were Valar 'of a sort'" (Foster, 274). The Valar are "the fourteen greatest of the Ainur," (Foster, 516) and the Ainur are "angelic spirits, offspring of the thought of Ilúvatar" (Foster, 5). Maiar are considered to be Ainur of a lesser sort than the Valar, which would fit with Tolkien's statement that the Istari were a Valar 'of a sort,' in that they were not Valar, but served them. Both Sauron and the Balrog were once Maiar (Foster, 313). Yhis fact makes Gandalf's fight against the Balrog plausible, because they possessed similar powers.
While there is no direct passage that states that Gandalf and the Maia Olórin were one and the same, the similarities run deep enough to make the comparison ring true. Gandalf was a friend of the elves, and he walked among them as such. He was known well for his compassion and patience, "and was the only Wizard who truly cared about things of seemingly small value like Hobbits and trees" showing both of these traits (Foster, 201). Gandalf also lectures Frodo on pity in a way that seems overly wise and thought provoking, a trait he likely learned in his youth, when studying from Nienna. He travels to the Undying Lands with the Ringbear at the end of the tale to return home, not to diminish in the West. His kinship with the Eldar stems from his youthful time as Olórin, where he befriends the elves, instructed them, and walked with them, not because he is one of them. His powers exceed those of normal elves. On physicality alone, his appearance does not seem to resemble any of the other elves described. The fact he has both the same name as a Maia, and an elvish name would also point to the fact that the elves gave him Mithrandir when he came to them in his Istari form.
It would seem the Istari are a select group of the Maiar, who have less power than they did as full-fledged Maiar, but with the ability to achieve a higher position through Wizardry. With the fall of Saruman, it would seem Gandalf had died, and been reborn as his Maia self again, complete with the powers expected of a Maia. In this way he is able to help turn the final battle back towards the will of man. For a time Gandalf, as Olórin, masqueraded as an elf, and perhaps then he earned his elven name Mithrandir, but the facts stand clearly that he is older and of a greater origin than the Eldar. He is Istari, of the Maiar, and not and elf.

UNTITLED 1

Imagine yourself in a pre-industrial world full of mystery and magic. Imagine a world full of monsters, demons, and danger, as well as a world full of friends, fairies, good wizards, and adventure. In doing so, you have just taken your first step onto a vast world created by author and scholar John Ronald Reuel Tolkien. Tolkien became fascinated by language at an early age during his schooling, in particularly, the languages of Northern Europe, both ancient and modern. This affinity for language did not only lead to his profession, but also his private hobby, the invention of languages. His broad knowledge eventually led to the development of his opinions about Myth and the importance of stories. All these various perspectives: language, the heroic tradition, and Myth, as well as deeply-held beliefs in Catholic Christianity work together in all of his works. The main elements of Tolkien's works are Good versus Evil, characters of Christian and anti-Christian origin, and the power of imagination.

In Tolkien world, evil is the antithesis of creativity, and is dependent on destruction and ruin for its basis. Conversely, goodness is associated with the beauty of creation as well as the preservation of anything that is created. The symbolic nature of these two ideologies is represented in the Elven Rings, which symbolize goodness, and the One Ring, which is wholly evil. A main theme of "The Hobbit", then, is the struggle within our own free will between good
will and evil. "Early in the (Lord of the Rings) narrative, Frodo recalls that his uncle Bilbo especially during his later years, was fond of declaring that… there was only one Road; that it was like a great river: its springs were at every doorstep, and every path was it tributary." (Wood, 208)

Bilbo, the main character of "The Hobbit", often displayed his goodness throughout Tolkien's novel. One example of this goodness is when he decides to let the evil and corrupt Gollum live, out of pity for him, in the dark caves under the mountain. Bilbo could have easily slain the horrid creature mainly because of the ring, which he was wearing at that time, gave him the power of invisibility. Instead, he risked his life to let the Gollum live by quickly jumping past the evil creature, thereby escaping death of either character. Gandalf, in a later narrative, lectures Frodo by praising Bilbo's act of pity upon Gollum. Gandalf's words were, "Pity? It was pity that stayed his hand. Pity, and Mercy; not to strike without need. And he has been well rewarded Frodo." Because Gollum, later in the novel, saves Frodo from becoming possessed by the Ring of power. "Many that live deserve death. And some that die deserve life. Can you give it to them? Then do not be too eager to deal out death in judgement…" (Wood, 208)

Another form of goodness that is displayed throughout "The Hobbit" and "The Lord of the Rings" is Bilbo and Frodo's actions of self-sacrifice. In "The Hobbit" there are two instances in which villains caught the dwarves, Bilbo's fellow adventurers. Instead of fleeing their enemies, Bilbo risked his life to save the dwarves from the clutches of evil. One instance of this is when a clan of unusually large spiders captured Bilbo's companions and planned to eat them. Bilbo then devised a plan to distract the spiders away from their victims and then silently backtracked to his companions. He then cut the dwarves from the sticky spider webs with which they were tied and, together, they fought their way to safety. Also, Frodo, in "The Lord of the Rings" was challenged with the destruction of the all-evil and corrupting One Ring of power. In doing so, Frodo sacrificed his life. "We should also remember that Frodo's self-sacrifice is not only for the defeat of evil; it is also for the good of society, for the whole community of created beings. This suggests, in turn, that in the mind of the fantasist, society is worth saving." (Evans, 481)

As opposed to the good deeds and morals portrayed by Bilbo and his companions, there are many foul and unholy creatures that lurk in the pages of Tolkien's works, which commit horrible acts. One of the most horrid of the acts in "The Hobbit" was the corruption of Gollum. Gollum was not always the slimy, cave dwelling, dangerous monster that he became. He was once a Hobbit, not unlike Bilbo himself, named Smeagol. However, one day he and his brother, Deagol, were by a riverbank. Deagol found the ring of power. Then, Smeagol, who soon became the Gollum, killed his brother to attain the Ring of power for himself. This Ring, "the Ring to rule them all", had the power to corrupt any person who possessed it. Whether it was the Ring's overpowering magic or simply Gollum's lust for the ring, the corruption that overcame Smeagol drove him to commit the ghastly murder of his brother. Another evil in "The Hobbit" is an evil that is much more familiar to any reader, the evil of greed. This trait is most prominent in the character of the gigantic dragon Smaug. Even though Smaug has no use for great amounts of gold and jewels, he covets and guards his stolen fortune to the death. Tolkien had created the dragon to be born with the desire to plunder towns and kill the innocent to gain his utmost desires, treasure of any and all sorts. Tolkien may very well have created this monster in the light of many monsters of our world, the "primary" world. However, these monsters do not fly on wings like that of a great bat and spat fire from their nostrils. These monsters usually wear a suit and tie. Like the fictional Smaug, some greedy human beings feed off others of lesser power or social status to attain their financial goals of excess.

Even though Tolkien claims that "The Hobbit" and "The Lord of the Rings" were not written in the light of Christianity or as an allegory, there is a great presence of religious symbolism throughout his epic. Urang agrees in his statement, "The Lord of the Rings, although it contains no 'God', no 'Christ', and no 'Christians', embodies much of Tolkien's 'real religion' and is a profoundly a Christian work." Tolkien, whether by mistake or purposely, seems to relate the adventures and acts of his characters Bilbo and Gandalf closely to the acts of Christ in the Bible. In the "The Hobbit", Bilbo often acted as Jesus would in the Bible. Confronted with the possession of the evil Ring of power, Bilbo was often tempted to use the Ring in excess and for wrong reasons. However the strong willed hobbit never succumbed to that evil power, much like when Jesus resists the temptation of Satan in the desert in Matthew 3:16. In short, the passage
explains how the Lord, after fasting for forty days and forty nights, resists the temptation to create food and feast. He then is tested by Satan to call upon his angels to save him from deadly leap off of the highest point of a high precipice. Jesus simply turns Satan away again. Also, one of Bilbo's descendants, Frodo, was burdened with the temptation of the Ring. Frodo knew of the power that the Ring held and knew that he could either be a great evil power himself, or that this great evil thing must be destroyed. The end of the "Lord of the Rings" results in the destruction of the Ring and, along with it, the death of Frodo. "Frodo learns- and thus teaches- what for Tolkien is the deepest of all Christian truths: how to surrender one's life, how to lose one's treasure, how to die, and thus how truly to live." (Wood, 208)

Another Christian-like manifestation of Tolkien's creative imagination is the character of Gandalf, the good wizard. "Gandalf, the Christ-like wizard who lays down his life for his friends, knows that he is an unworthy bearer of the Ring - not because he has evil designs that he wants secretly to accomplish, but rather because his desire to do good is so great." (Wood 208) Gandalf is an important pawn and advantage to the hobbit and dwarves in their adventure. He often guides, gives advice, and overall helps the adventurers along in their great journey. Believers of Christianity also believe that Christ is with them, guiding and showing the way to salvation, throughout their day. Although Gandalf, in Tolkien's novels, never cured a blind man or leper with a touch of his hand, he compares to Jesus in the miracles of his magic and spell casting.

Not all the characters that Tolkien depicts in his novels are Christ-like or overall good-natured characters. There are plenty, if not as many, evil doing entities. Saruman is a wizard much like Gandalf. However, they contrast in the respect that Saruman uses his miracles and spell casting powers to do works of evil rather than good. He is utterly undone by the lure of total power. In the New Testament, Judas, believing Jesus to be the long awaited and prophesized king of the Jews, wanted to speed the earthly rule of Jesus. He delivered him to the Romans in thoughts that he would perform his miracles and prove that he is, in fact, the king of the Jews. Like Judas, Saruman is impatient with the slow way that goodness works. He cannot abide the torturous path up Mount Doom; he wants rapid results.

Also, the ring is a symbol of power, evil power. It is the part of nature that continually strives to destroy a person's ability to exercise free will. In essence, the power of the Ring is the exact opposite of freedom. The purpose of the Ring is to destroy, through deceit and corruption, anything good in the world. Another way to show the evil nature of the ring is to say that it represents the omnipresence of evil. Its very existence, because it contains the evil will of its
creator, Sauron, has the power to tempt, corrupt, and, in doing so, destroy. Another way in which the evil nature of the Ring can be depicted is in the way it has seemingly powerful animate abilities as an inanimate object. In order to understand this, one must realize that if the Ring is evil in itself, then it must also have the ability to work evil. It cannot necessarily create evil ideas on its own, but instead it can take advantage of any opportunity that presents itself to the Ring. Specifically, whenever Frodo actually uses the Ring, the Ring has a chance to work its corruption on him. In this way, the Ring is advantageous, and the stronger the presence of evil, the easier it is for the Ring to work on the bearer. For example, in "The Lord of the Rings," the presence of the Witch-king is a tremendous evil; the Ring takes advantage of this, and convinces Frodo to use it in order to escape. Although Frodo is not permanently corrupted at this point, the Ring is slowly eating away at him, and its power over him grows each time he uses it.

When Tolkien created the "The Lord of the Rings" and its prelude, he created an entire imaginary world full wonder and adventure. In reading his books you fall deeper and deeper into its detail and depth, which makes his fictional world very believable. In a way, it eventually mutates your sense of reality and creates what is called "secondary belief." "Knowing that an imaginary world must be realistically equipped down to the last whisker of the last monster, Tolkien put close to 20 years into the creation of middle earth, the three-volume 'Lord of the Rings,' and its predecessor, 'The Hobbit.'" (Time) Even after his four masterpieces were finished and published, he continued to build upon the fictional reality that he created with his next two books "Simarillion" and "Akallabeth," which told the early history of middle-earth. Tolkien's power to command secondary belief in his readers is real. History comes alive in the characters and events because he creates speeches and actions that have the "inner consistency of reality." (Evans, 481)

Reading the "Lord of the Rings", for some people, is a great way to get away, or escape, from reality. In the time of the publishing of "The Hobbit" the United States was at war. "Perplexed by our nation's carnage in Vietnam and by the ultimate threat of a nuclear inferno, a whole generation of young Americans could lose themselves and their troubles in the intricacies of this triple-decker epic." (Wood 208)

By the use of his amazing imagination, as well as mastery of language and knowledge of myth and Christian principles, Tolkien created his characters who were the epitome of good and evil. It would seem the Ring itself had the power of the devil. However, the virtues of the Christ-like Bilbo and Frodo Baggins destroyed the all-consuming evil for the purpose of the common good. It is the Christ ethic that is the force that conquers evil. Tolkien's writings mesmerize the reader, creating a spell bounding "secondary reality" for all that reads it.

Works Cited
Tolkien, John Ronald Reuel. The Hobbit. New York: Ballantine, 1982.
Wood, Ralph C. "Traveling the one road: The Lord of the Rings as a "pre-Christian" classic." The Christian Century Feb. 93: 208(4).
"Eucatastrophe." Time September. 1973: 101
Evans, Robley. "J. R. R. Tolkien" Warner Paperback Library. 1972: 23-4, 41-2, 202
Urang, Gunnar. "J. R. R. Tolkien: Fantasy and the Phenomenology of Hope" Religion and Fantasy in the Writing of C. S. Lewis,
Charles Williams, and J. R. R. Tolkien. United Church Press, 1971

Differences in Gender Portrayal in The Lord of the Rings and Riddle-Master

In two of the major works examined this term, namely The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien and Riddle-Master by Patricia McKillip, the reader is introduced to several female characters in the course of the story. Although the characters share the same gender, this is where the similarities across the two works ends. Where Tolkien writes of women who are either distant and unknowable, or dubiously motivated, McKillip attempts to provide the reader with women who are not defined solely on their support of the male characters. Of the female characters available for comparison and analysis, I have chosen to focus on two groups of women, those that can be seen as warriors and those who are the love interests to a major male character. To that end, I will provide a comparison of Eowyn and Lyra for the first category, and Arwen and Raederle for the second, which will provide the reader with a comparison of how two talented fantasy authors portrayed women in such divergent ways.
In looking first to the female characters who act as warriors in their respective stories, I will begin with an analysis of Eowyn from The Lord of the Rings trilogy. When the reader is first introduced to Eowyn, she is described as a woman who is full of beauty, yet cold. There is some part of her which is unknowable and distant, as if her "true" personality were eclipsed by the grip of winter. Upon her first meeting with Aragorn, Eowyn falls victim to a fierce infatuation with him. I hesitate to use the word "love" to describe her feelings, since her attraction to Aragorn derives from her perception of his strength as a warrior, which she, too, wishes to possess. It is in this act of becoming enamored with Aragorn that Eowyn will ultimately decide to go into combat.
Eowyn has strength of character, clearly fearless and unafraid of the trials of combat. Further, she at first seems indignant at the thought of being forced into a traditional woman's role. She says that she fears "a cage…To stay behind bars, until use and old age accept them, and all chance of doing great deeds is gone beyond recall or desire" (Tolkien 767). From these lines, Eowyn comes across as defiant, unwilling to accept her role in life simply because her sex demands a certain role of her. Yet for all her purported bravery, I find that Eowyn's ultimate motivation for defying her role as woman and entering combat stems from questionable motivations. Specifically, she finally finds herself compelled to sneak off disguised as a man to join the departing army out of her wish to bring an end to her life. Knowing that Aragorn will take the Paths of the Dead, Eowyn sees no hope that he will return to her alive. In her grief, Eowyn decides to throw away her life by deliberately finding death in battle. Although Eowyn plays a pivotal role in the coming battle and is responsible for dealing the death blow to the Witch King Angmar, as a literary character she is denied proper motivation for such an act. Rather than being propelled by the desire to defeat Sauron and bring peace to her kingdom, she sets out instead as a petulant child would, scorned by Aragorn and thus determined to put an end to her life.
In the course of the battle, Eowyn receives a near-fatal wound and is sent to convalesce in the Houses of Healing. It is here that she meets Faramir, who falls in love with her. In the beginning, Eowyn refuses Faramir's attentions, fixating instead on the battle that is raging on without her and her desire to rejoin the battle so she can bring about the death she has so far been denied. She tells Faramir "I am a shieldmaiden and my hand is ungentle" (Tolkien 939) keeping in line with her portrayal as a woman motivated by man's desires for battle and glory. Yet in the course of a few more pages, the character of Eowyn is utterly changed. Faramir outwardly declares his love for Eowyn, demanding in turn that she must decide if she loves him. Tolkien writes that "then the heart of Eowyn changed, or else at last she understood it. And suddenly her winter passed and the sun shone on her," (943) implying that the only reason why Eowyn desired battle glory so much was because she had never been loved by the proper man. In deciding that she loves Faramir as well, Eowyn declares that she "will be a shieldmaiden no longer, nor vie with the great Riders, nor take joy only in the songs of slaying. I will be a healer, and love all things that grow and are not barren" (Tolkien 943), in a complete about-face of the woman the reader has known before. For the remainder of the story, Eowyn fights no more and becomes wife to Faramir, ending her role as an independent female. Although I can understand that falling in love can change one's character forever, the change that comes upon Eowyn denotes a more interesting reason behind it. Tolkien seems to imply that any woman like Eowyn, strong of mind and body, would only seek out a man's role due to her confusion over her proper place and upon falling in love with the right man, she will happily take up the "duties" of a woman and never again think of crossing her gender role.
Unlike Eowyn, Lyra from Riddle-Master does not make this sort of a transformation. When the reader first encounters Lyra, she is shown as strong and confident in her role as head of the Morgol's guard. She does not make any effort to disguise the fact that she is a woman and expects that others will follow her commands as readily as they would those from a male. As the story progresses, Lyra and Raederle, who I will discuss later, find themselves at a point where they decide to set off on their own in search of Morgon. Lyra asks no permission to take this course of action, telling her soldiers "I am leaving tonight for Erlenstar Mountain with Raederle of An. I am doing this without permission from the Morgol; I am deserting the guard" (McKillip 226). These lines illustrate a woman capable of making difficult decisions without anyone's guidance or assistance. Further, her motivation for taking this course of action is not borne out of a death-wish. Rather, Lyra believes that she has failed in her duty to protect Morgon and thus seeks to rectify this act by going in search of him. There is no sense that Lyra hopes to find death along the way, as she is motivated by honor, not lovesickness.
Lyra remains an integral character throughout the rest of the story, eventually joining in the final great battle against the forces that threaten to destroy the land. Throughout all this battle and bloodshed, however, Lyra remains a woman. Eowyn was compelled to disguise her sex and ride into battle as a man. Lyra dons no such disguise and when Morgon sees her later, after a great deal of time has passed, McKillip writes that "she had grown; her body was tall and supple in the short, dark, tunic. Her face in the shadows was half the child's he remembered and half the Morgol's" (440) solidifying for the reader the image of Lyra as a maturing woman. When the story comes to an end, Lyra is not married off to some suitor who comes calling. Rather, we leave her in a place where we are unsure of her future. She is the land-heir of the Morgol, who herself is not married but kept Deth as a consort for an extended period of time. We know that one day, Lyra will certainly come into her destiny as land-heir, but beyond that, we are told nothing. Perhaps she will marry, perhaps she will follow in her mother's footsteps and keep a consort, but not marry. Whatever the eventuality the reader dreams up for Lyra, when we leave her in the story, she has remained truer to her character than Eowyn.
In moving now to the female characters who serve as love interests to a main male character, I will begin with an analysis of Arwen from The Lord of the Rings. Arwen is the elven princess who has captured the heart of Aragorn and it is for him that she decides to give up her immortality. Within the three volumes of The Lord of the Rings, the love of Aragorn and Arwen plays a very small role, so part of my analysis will include the material found within the Appendix that provides a fleshing out of their love story and its eventual end. Even with this extra material, Arwen is remarkably non-existent. In the whole of the work, there are few lines of dialogue attributed to her and in the main course of the trilogy, she appears only towards the very end of the story. Arwen is nothing like Eowyn the shieldmaiden. She is not a warrior and is never shown to have such desires. Her life finds its importance in its relation to Aragorn, as seen when she crafts a standard for him to take into battle. She provides a backbone of support, as Aragorn is motivated by his desire to take Arwen as wife to reclaim the throne of Gondor, but the reader never learns much about the motivations and fears of Arwen.
Clearly, she is not without the capacity for shaping her destiny. She makes the decision to take on a mortal life so she can spend her years with Aragorn. However, this glimpse of fortitude is not seen again in Arwen. By the end of her story, which concludes in the Appendix, Arwen is utterly alone. Upon Aragorn's death, she is unable to make any sort of a life for herself. Rather, "Arwen went forth from the House, and the light of her eyes was quenched, and it seemed to her people that she had become cold and grey as nightfall in winter that comes without a star" (Tolkien 1038). She wanders in the woods until her grief consumes her and she dies alone and unmourned. While at first glance, this seems to speak to her tremendous love for Aragorn, a closer reading left me with a different impression. When she is at Aragorn's deathbed, he does not encourage her to go on with her life and serve the people of Gondor as she has all the years before. Instead, he tells her not to regret her choice. This leaves the reader with the impression that Arwen is in some way expendable, that her value to the story and to her kingdom ends with Aragorn's death. On her own, she has no value to anyone. Further, she is at the whimsy of Aragorn in many ways. His love for her is pure and not necessarily evil, but it nonetheless brings about her doom. He has the chance to pick the day of his death and ascend into history as the great king of his people. Arwen gets no such glory and is left to simply fade from the story to her death. Perhaps a more cynical view of Arwen might hold that her sole value to Aragorn lies in the fact that she is elven and thus revitalizes the line of Numenor with elven blood.
In Raederle from the Riddle-Master trilogy, the reader meets a woman much different than Arwen. At the beginning of the story, Raederle is Morgon's love interest, his destined wife, and at first, the reader is led to think that this will be the extent of her role in the story. Instead, Raederle will come into her own during the course of the story as she assumes the destiny laid out for her. The primary difference between Raederle and Arwen lies in the fact that Raederle refuses to sit idly by and wait for Morgon to save the world and then return to marry her. Rather, she takes an active role in her relationship with him. She does not allow Morgon to place her in the role of subservient woman. Towards the end of the end of the trilogy, McKillip writes of Raederle that "her eyes told him what he already knew: that nothing he could say or do could make her leave them" (555), but this is not an isolated incident. Rather, it continues a pattern set up from the start that Raederle is independent and does not do what Morgon tells her simply because he is a man and her intended husband. This independence also manifests itself earlier on, when Lyra and Raederle join forces to try and find Morgon. Raederle is not the type of woman content to sit on the sidelines crafting a standard for her betrothed. Instead, she takes an active role in helping him, even at great peril to herself.
In the course of the trilogy, Raederle evolves as a character as she comes into her power and her destiny. The evolution is done completely without Morgon, as she is of the Earth Masters blood, and thus completely different in power from him. As she comes into her own, Raederle becomes extraordinarily powerful, certainly more so than any other mortal man or woman and on a par with the powers Morgon develops. As the reader watches Raederle grow in power, she evolves as a person. At first, her powers terrify her, not because she is a woman, though, but rather because she is becoming something that she does not understand. Later, she begins to show increasing comfort and wonder with her abilities. McKillip writes of Raederle "she touched a flame then, let it lay in her hand like a flower…and closed her hand over it, extinguishing it, before the wonder in her broke the binding between them" (287) in describing a scene where Raederle shows Deth her mastery over fire.
The ending of the trilogy does not conclude with Morgon and Raederle married and living happily ever after. Quite the opposite has occurred. In the aftermath of the final battle and victory, the couple have spent a great deal of time apart. When they finally are reunited, the love between them is still intact, yet there is a sense that perhaps they are too changed, too independent, to live in complete togetherness. Raederle does not give up her powers in order to marry Morgon. Rather, she talks of how "I loved the sea. Maybe I'll live in it" (McKillip 570). Morgon responds by saying "I'll live in the wastes…Once every hundred years, you will shine out of the sea and I'll come to you, or I will draw you into the winds with my harping" (McKillip 570). Although the story closes with our two heroes embracing, these melancholy lines show the reader that neither one of them has come through the events unscathed. Raederle cannot simply change as Eowyn does and cast aside all that she was to love Morgon, nor can she be like Arwen in living her life solely for her love. Raederle is not just a woman, but a human being, complex and three-dimensional, capable of evolving throughout the story, yet not acting in ways that the reader cannot fathom or believe.
By comparing these four characters, Eowyn and Lyra then Arwen and Raederle, I have demonstrated how two incredibly gifted fantasy writers dealt with female characters. As much as I love The Lord of the Rings and believe it full of genius, Tolkien's treatment of women has always bothered me. Although it ultimately does not cause me to dislike the work, or to think it less than the revolutionary work of fantasy fiction that it is, it still left me longing for more evolution in the female characters. With the exception of Eowyn, his women are distant and untouchable. Yet even the passionate, independent Eowyn ends up as nothing more than another voiceless wife to a strong male character. It bothers me that he does not give women any value on their own, tying up their value in what men make of them. With the Riddle-Master trilogy, McKillip demonstrates that a female character can be just as strong as a male without detracting at all from the story. In Lyra, we meet a beautiful woman and powerful warrior, and in Raederle, we see a woman who refuses to be nothing more than the pining princess locked away in her bower awaiting her betrothed's return. McKillip blended her female characters seamlessly into the story by treating them as people, not as members of the female sex. I think that in McKillip's writing, we see that a well-rounded, believable character like Raederle only adds to the depth of the story, rather than detract from it. Although both Tolkien and McKillip are great authors, McKillip was far more successful in writing the believable female character.

Works Cited
McKillip, Patricia. Riddle-Master. New York: Penguin, 1999.
Tolkien, J.R.R.. The Return of the King. New York: Houghton Mifflin, 1955.

Major Themes In The Lord Of the Rings

A variety of themes linger within Tolkien's first series of this ring trilogy, The Lord Of the Rings. Each of which, add to the range of interesting aspects shown throughout the trio of books. While possibly coincidental there are three (3) themes in the first book, and three parts (books) to this story. These major themes are the corrupting influence of power, the ultimate struggle between good and evil, determinism versus free will. Within each idea there is a impression of Christianity.
Throughout the book Tolkien has given instances of the corrupting influence of the Ring, which represents power. It seems that everyone who possesses power is ruined by it. For example Saruman, who was once a good wizard, is corrupted by it. And Frodo, who is the hero, finds himself constrained by the Ring. Not only does it weigh on him so much so that he can hardly walk, he is nearly unable to throw it into the volcano.
Gandalf is afraid of the Ring. He has seen first-hand that good people can be ruined by this evil Ring. He refuses to take it when Frodo asks him. Galadriel is the same way; she does not want to be ruined by the power it possesses. There are others who seem resistant to the appeal of the Ring. Sam, for instance, seems so good-hearted and pure that though he feels the Ring, he is able to give it back to Frodo and also recognize that it has exerted some pull on his own actions. And Tom Bombadil, like Sam, seems not to be affected by the Ring. Boromir is an example of a good man who covets the Ring within the action of the novel. He thinks that he can handle the Ring and not be affected by it, but his desperation gives him away. Frodo realizes that he cannot even trust his friends, because the Ring puts forth a force on even the best of men.

The Ring, which is synonymous with power, holds an attraction for many, but none can possess it. The Ring itself cannot be controlled or tamed. The incongruity of the title is evident: there can never be a "lord" of the Ring.

The Lord of the Rings is a classic struggle between good and evil. This universal theme is obvious as Frodo seeks to destroy Evil, and Evil seeks to destroy Frodo. There are many pairs of characters representing good and evil: Saruman and Gandalf, and Sauron and Tom Bombadil. There are also characters whose very selves are split between good and evil: Boromir, Gollum, and Denethor.
In the end of the novel, Evil is not defeated for good, since Morgoth still lives. But Evil has been defeated by Good; which is the most important battle in the novel. The forces of good in Middle-earth are engaged in a continuing struggle against evil. For some, Tolkien indicates evil will prevail, while others say he is optimistic about the eventual victory of good. Those feeling Tolkien thinks evil will win out note that it's left to seemingly powerless individuals like Frodo to face the tremendous force of this evil. These individuals must struggle on with no hope for assistance from someone more powerful, and with little hope for triumph or even survival. Victory, when it is achieved, comes only at great cost to the forces of good. And it seems to win only a breathing space, barely enough time to recover before evil again arises and threatens the freedom of Middle-earth.

There is also strong vein of optimism in Tolkien's works. This is the case due to the fact that the inhabitants of Middle-earth are helped in their quest by a compassionate power. The workings of that power are seldom visible to the individuals in the midst of the action, but a larger viewpoint reveals a grand design. Even evil deeds are turned to good purpose for example, when Merry and Pippin's capture by the orcs serves to bring them to Fangorn in time to rouse the Ents against the evil wizard Saruman. This seems to imply that good is stronger and more ever lasting than evil is or ever can be.

The question of determinism is only hinted at in the last chapter of The Hobbit, when Gandalf suggests to Bilbo that his adventures may have been managed for some higher purpose. But in The Lord of the Rings it is repeatedly emphasized that seemingly random events are part of some grand design. Each of Tolkien's characters there has a big or small part to play in that design. The actions of evil characters are turned to good, against their will. The main weapon of evil and despair is used to turn people from their assigned tasks and so thwart the designs of good. These elements in the works make people seem like puppets manipulated by opposing powers of good and evil.

Tolkien, however, also notes the importance of free will. His characters are free to accept or reject possible courses of action. The forces of good in The Lord of the Rings, such as Gandalf and Galadriel, respect this freedom to choose. They continually tell others that they not only can but must make their own decisions. Not even the prospect of total defeat can justify interfering with the free will of others. The forces of evil, on the other hand, seek to destroy this notion of free will.

It may be argued that, according to Tolkien, free will is only an illusion. Many times characters make important decisions without knowing why they made them. Bilbo, for example, is never sure just how he ended up leaving his comfortable home to join the dwarves on their adventure.
In accordance with the Christian faith, the characters of Tolkien's novel are unselfish. There are many instances of such behavior, of which Sam's stands out. Though he sets out with extremely romantic ideas his quest turns out to be one that is life threatening. At great personal cost Sam accompanies Frodo making sure that the ring-bearer is not lacking in anything. Sam himself goes without food and drink to make sure that Frodo has enough; he even goes without sleep so that Frodo may sleep peacefully and safely. Frodo himself makes a great sacrifice. He gives up his comfortable life in the Shire to go on the quest and make life easier for the Shire folk, most of whom are ignorant of his forfeit and of his deeds.
Aragorn, one of the greatest characters of The Lord of the Rings, does things tranquilly and with much contemplation. He roams Middle-earth gathering information that will aid the Ring bearer in his mission. He does this without revealing his true identity and even posts his men, the rangers around the Shire, to protect its people. He does his duty to his ancestors. He re- forges the Sword (Anduril) and gives the Dead a chance to redeem themselves. He is a good king, who looks to the interests of his people and does not try to grab opportunities deceitfully. Arwen gives up her right to immortality so that she may marry Aragorn. She lets Frodo go to the Blessed Realm instead of herself, and Frodo rightly deserves the honor.

Tolkien has stressed the importance of altruism and responsibility in accordance with good and freewill. The good characters always manage to do their duty even if it is at the cost of one's life. They know that a greater good is served by their individual sacrifice.
Whether good and evil are battling, or seeking each other, this novel includes a variety of different themes all tied into one book, these notions of corrupting influence of power, the ultimate struggle between good and evil, determinism versus free will, and the impression of Christianity are an over powering entity within The Lord of the Rings.

McKillip's Themes of Change

In her Riddlemaster trilogy, Patricia McKillip tells the typical story of a reluctant hero forced to accept his role as savior. Morgon of Hed is from a small, peaceful village and aspires to rule nothing buth his own little peace of land. He has turned away from success as a riddlemaster and reluctantly voyages to ask a beautiful woman to join him in his peaceful
little life. However, as with most reluctant heroes, destiny happens and leads Morgon on an adventure to solve the riddle of his destiny. What makes the Riddlemaster Trilogy different and interesting is McKillip's use of land, sea and wind themes to move her story to its epoch changing conclusion.
As the story opens, we are carefully introduced to the land oriented Morgon, Prince of Hed, and his people. Hed is the only island that McKillip pictures in her map and she seems to be emphasizing the idea that Hed and its inhabitants are isolated and concerned only with their realm. Indeed, the reason Morgon won his first prize was because Hed is so remote, no one bothers to know its riddles. "The Princes of Hed are rooted to Hed" (pg.16) and Morgon is only willing to leave his island again when he realizes that he has won the opportunity to marry the second most beautiful woman in the realm, Raederle. McKillip continues to emphasize the peacefulness and remoteness of Hed throughout her trilogy so that the audience keeps in mind that Morgon is an uncharacteristic hero.
McKillip also uses earthy adjectives to emphasize a theme of unchanging steadfastness that is present on the island and within its people. One of Morgon's farmers, named Harl Stone, is described with earth adjectives: "[he] had a chock of hair grey as a grindstone and a body like a sack of grain" and Morgon's sister is described as a "brown reed of a girl"(pg.3). Morgon is first described as being red-eyed from working alongside his farmers and with a look, "like a fox glancing up from a pile of chicken feathers" (pg.4). McKillip continually works to remind us that he is the reluctant hero, not used to change, and yet every movement he makes across the land stirs events like a whirlwind.
Morgon is in possession of the land-rule, a magical connection to every inch of land and every living being in one's realm. Each realm has its own land-ruler and they are bound to the land by the magic of the High One. As the story progresses and Morgon starts to learn more about his powers, they are powers that are, at first, bound to the land. He masters shape changing and typical of the earth bound character that he is, Morgon changes first into a vesta, a deer like creature, and then a tree. These both symbolize the unvarying nature that Morgan must break free from, if he is to accept his destiny.
The use of earth is also seen in the old masters of the land, who were involved in an epic battle and were forced to retreat into the sea. Their children were placed in stone and here McKillip uses stone to represent the idea that life without change is entrapment. As Morgon ventures into caves to visit the children of the Earth-Masters, he loses sense of time and feels the stones close in around him. The children are described with unchanging images: "faces were as delicate, molded stone", "the still lines of his face shifted again", "her hair curving like a fall of ice down her shoulders", and "a voice out of the memory of an age" (pgs.165-167). They reveal to him that his destiny is to bring the change of an epoch age and that his coming was promised to them, "You will bear stars of fire and ice to the Ending of the Age of the High One" (pg.167).
McKillip starts to invite change into Morgan's life by involving water themes into her story. Morgon takes over the land-rule when his parents die during a storm on the sea. When he describes their death, it is obvious that they did not belong on the sea, away from their island. The next major event in Morgon's life also involves the sea, when he, too, is shipwrecked. He survives however, minus his memory and during this re-learning time, McKillip's adjectives become very water related, symbolizing the change that is invading the story. She describes a cat as having "ice blue eyes", and as he awakes, "a silence spun like a vortex in his head" (pg.35). As he realizes his voice and memory are gone, she describes his feeling, "[l]ike a small wave receding, something he had once know slipped quietly, silently away from him" (pg.36)
The first time we are introduced to the enemy of the story, McKillip infuses them with the sea. "He [an attacker] was shaped out of seaweed and foam and wet pearl, and the sword was of darkness and silver water" (pg.42) and as they attack in the depths of a mine, they are described as "men of the color and movement of the sea" (pg.167). The enemy are doppelgangers that reside in the sea and just as the sea literally changes the lay of the land, so do these shape changers slowly begin to pull apart the steadfastness of the High One's rule. McKillip is telling the story of the change of epochs and her watery adjectives present an image of a trickling that forms a crack in a wall representing the current rule by an omnipotent leader, the High One.
Yet, the most powerful and erosive force in nature is wind, and McKillip excels at using wind and air adjectives to show that change is coming and not even the High One has the ability to stop its progress. When we are first, unknowingly, introduced to the High One, Deth, and he realizes that Morgon is his promised heir, McKillip expresses this realization: "the harpist's face [went] suddenly still as if the wind had snatched in passing its expression and breath" (pg.18). The beginning of the new age is upon him and the High One seems anxious for the change and must watch Morgon suffer as he becomes more powerful.
Morgon's love interest, Raederle, represents the change that Morgon must embrace to complete the cycle. McKillip tells us she is related to crows and shape changers and continues to describe her throughout the book with many wind and fire images. When Morgon thinks of her image he remembers "unexpected expressions" and "long, fine mass of red hair." Her face changes like the wind and her hair is the color of fire. She is his opposite, full of change without his earthly steadfastness. Her magic comes in the form of fire manipulation and she shape changes primarily into birds. McKillip sends her on journeys that seem to have no concrete purpose, and without Morgon, she seems shiftless and unsure of her destiny. Part of her anguish is the fact that she is related to the enemy and tries to deny her power because of this.
As Morgon and Raederle are reunited for the first time McKillip draws together images of both earth and wind to give the audience a glimpse of the power that these forces combined represents:
"Neither of them moved; a solid slab of air seemed wedged like stone between them. He
looked at her out of eyes that had stared endlessly into the black, inner hollows of Erlenstar Mountain, into the rifts and hollows of a wizard's brain. Then she moved forward, through the stone, touched and held something that seemed ageless, like the wind or night, of every shape and no shape, as worn as a pebble runneled with water, tossed for an eon at the bottom of a mountain. He moved slightly, and the knowledge of his own shape returned to her hands. She felt his hand, light as a breath stir her hair. Then, they were apart again, though she did not know which one of them had moved" (pg.315).
At the end of the book, during the final battle in which Morgon inherits the role of the High One, McKillip carefully gathers together images of both earth and wind to describe Morgon's power: "A shout that was not a shout but a wind-voice came out of Morgon", "a low bass note that built and built until the stones around him began to shake", and "stone and illusion of stone shocked apart around him" (pg. 558). He has gathered the power of all the land as well as the power of the wind in order to be victorious over the Earth-Masters. When he has finally defeated them, he entraps them in stone, symbolizing their unchanging status as the defeated.
Morgon and Raederle each represent earth, sea and wind and McKillip ends her story by showing them as united, yet separate, protecting their own realms. Raederle will reside in the sea, symbolizing her ever-changing nature and Morgon will languish in the wastes, embracing both the land and the wind. Theirs is a love meant to last until the next epoch change, coming together momentarily during the ages, sharing and loving, until they are separated again, just like a wave receding from the land with each ebb tide.
McKillip is masterful in her use of these earth, sea and wind images to describe the different characters, lands and events in her story. She does especially well with the wind descriptions, which might be explained by the windy region in which she was raised. The use of these images to represent the steadfastness of Hed and Morgon and the erosive power of change, make the Riddlemaster trilogy a welcome departure from the normal reluctant hero story.

Name Symbology in the Riddlemaster Trilogy

When Juliet mused, "What's in a name?" she obviously hadn't read the Lord of the Rings or Riddlemaster of Hed trilogies. Anachronistic impossibilities aside, names in the majority of literature add up to more than their constituent parts, and prove that there is plenty in a name. In her Riddlemaster of Head trilogy, Patricia McKillip continues Tolkien's meaningful name trend by adding a historical roundness to her characters. McKillip specifically uses Arthurian and Old Norse myth, and the French, Welsh, Gaelic°, Modern English°°, and Old English languages in the naming of her characters.

Deth is one of the most problematic of the names because it is simultaneously enigmatic and obvious. He is not intended to be like the traditional image of the grim reaper: he carries no scythe, nor does he reap souls. The traditional Death also would not -despite what Piers Anthony might have to say about it-die, though Deth does. He does, however, kill Morgon in a sense. By leading him to Ghisteslwchlohm Morgon suffers a death of sorts in Erlenstar Mountain at the hands of the Founder, though that death is obviously more symbolic than literal. It is only when you step away from this most literal of death's meanings that McKillip's naming of the harpist becomes apparent: death is a common symbol for change-in the tarot for example- and wherever Deth goes, change follows. Most of Deth's scenes are related to the wind and the sea, two strong symbols of change. It is Deth's guidance that leads Morgon to Erlenstar, the journey that sets off a series of events that changes the world. The ghosts of An rise, the formerly isolated denizens of Hed begin leaving Hed, Raederle comes into her own power, and Morgon loses land rule, among others. Essentially anything that happens in the last two parts of the trilogy is directly related to the leading of Morgon to Erlenstar. This single event having enormous consequences is a bit of applied chaos theory on McKillip's part. Not only does Deth's name work in a symbolic sense, it is also quite literal as well. In the third part of the trilogy, Deth tells Morgon that the form he assumed when he met Morgon was actually the form of a dead harpist. Thus, Deth was quite literally the walking dead. In addition to the Modern English meanings of death, the Gaelic word deth can also mean 'off him' (a preposition plus a pronoun) while dethein means 'heated iron.' Another of Deth's names is Yrth, a name that foreshadows the revelation of Deth not only being an Earth-Master, but the High One as well. 'Earth,' a near homophone for 'Yrth,' is an image associated with Death, as the earth is the final destination of the body, except in Deth's case in which he just scattered himself to the twelve winds. Another name with an extremely wide variety of interpretations is that of one of the book's protagonists, Morgon.

The usual immediate response to Morgon's name is that it reminds the reader of Morgan Le Fay or Celtic and Arthurian lore. In addition to being portrayed as Arthur's sister or half sister, she was a sea goddess as well; mor means 'sea' in Celtic languages, and she is often depicted as malevolent or as a trickster (Monaghan, 220). Though Morgon doesn't possess either of these qualities, the use of his name simply refers to her magic and immortality. Since Morgon's destiny was decided centuries before he was born, alluding to the name of a historical, magical character is effective. The Arthurian link is continued through Tristan, a name often found in Arthurian legends. Tristan of Arthurian fame was a male, and Morgan was a female. In playing with tradition, McKillip juxtaposes the names and the genders. Morgon's name has many more meanings than the obvious allusion to Arthurian lore, however. A Morgon is also a Dutch and South African unit of land area equal to approximately two acres, thus strengthening Morgon's ties to the land-rule while his true name is technically still Morgon. Another reading of his name that ties him to the rural Hed is that a Morgan is a breed of American trotting horse. This is interesting because Morgon assumes the shape of a horse-like vesta, and in the third book he offers to change into a horse to carry Raederle to Lungold. A rare meaning comes from the Medieval Latin phrase matrimonium ad morganaticam. From this comes the English word "morganatic," which describes the marriage between a person of royal or noble birth and a partner of lower rank. This can apply to Morgon and Raederle in a couple of ways. In the beginning of the first book, the lowly farmer Morgon of Hed is making his way to marry the second most beautiful woman in the three portions of An, who is obviously superior to him. Later in the trilogy, when Morgon is released from land-rule by Ghisteslwchlohm he gains incredible power and finds himself accountable to no one. When he and Raederle discuss marriage after that, his power is greater than hers, and his freedom is superior to her land-bound life.

The root of Raederle's name comes from the Germanic word for 'advice', akin to 'riddle', while her father Mathom's is from maþm, Old English for 'treasure' (Blakeley, 176). The name of the land-ruler of Ymris, Heureu, is homophonic to the French word for happiness, heureux. The title of the land-ruler of Herun is Morgul. A mogul is a leader or magnate; there's no denying her power. Mogul is also an alternative word for a Mongol. A more interesting rereading of Morgul comes from Tolkien. It is a combination of two Tolkien words: mor [black, shadow] and gul [sorcery]. This is an obvious homage to Tolkien, who McKillip says influenced her greatly.

The most difficult name to Analyze belongs to Ghisteslwchlohm, Morgan's nemesis. Ohm, the name by which Ghisteslwchlohm is known in the beginning of the story, is the simplest Hindu mantra. In Hinduism it is regarded as the primal sound of the universe and by repeating it, one connects himself to the primordial vibration of life itself. Reciting "ohm" is supposed to be deeply comforting and peace-inducing, putting one in a state of deep calm and alert relaxation. This peaceful connotation is decidedly ironic given his role in the trilogy, though the words ancient source is consistent with the history of Ghisteslwchlohm. The rest of the name makes little sense. "Ghist" is an oft-used linguistic anecdote that pokes fun at the irrationality of English pronunciation, the rules of which say that "ghist"-or "ghot" in some versions-can be pronounced like "fish." This suggests that while "ghist" and "fish" are the same, the parallel is not obvious and that one is a twisted, hidden version of the other, much like the relationship between Ohm and Ghisteslwchlohm. If McKillip intended the 'w' to be pronounced as a vowel, then the rest of the name is Welsh. Lwc means 'luck' (Lewis, 88) and llwch means 'ash' or 'dust' (Lewis, 92). The former would be an ironic meaning while the latter would be more literal, considering his penchant for destruction and the state in which he left Lungold. Llwm means 'bare' and may be the natural form of "lom" (Lewis, 92). Erlenstar Mountain, the place of Morgon's betrayal, also seems to have a Welsh root in it: Erlyn is Welsh for 'to prosecute' (Lewis, 49). Stars are often used to symbolize the universe; by extension then, Erlenstar means 'persecution of the universe'. This certainly makes sense considering the events that take place there, not only by Ghisteslwchlohm, but also by the Earth-Masters. A more straightforward interpretation of place-name symbology lies in McKillip's Hel.

McKillip made an interesting choice in naming one of the three portions of An Hel. Hel was the name of a Norse goddess-the daughter of Loki and the giantess Angrbotha-whose name came to be part of the etymological journey or the English word 'hell' (Monaghan, 110). Hell is a place for oath-breakers, evil persons, and those that did not die in battle; thus it is the binary opposite of Valhalla. The Old Norse hell is very cold, and images associated with cold are scarcity, chaos, and danger, three qualities attributed to McKillip's Hel. The dead kings that run around Hel are restless and violent, having died without settling their old feuds.

Caithnard, the city in which the college rests, is an interesting creation. Caith is Irish for 'spend' while ard means 'region' or 'place.' Combined they create a market environment, one that is not too far from McKillips' Caithnard. She constantly mentions the pubs and shops. Caerweddin, though, is presumably derived from Welsh. Caer is Welsh for 'castle' while wedyn means 'after'. If wedyn isn't an actual source, then another possibility, albeit less likely, is dinn, which means 'pressure' or 'force'.

Hed, an obvious misspelling of 'head', is at the opposite end of the spectrum from Hel, and is perhaps the name that is associated with the most different meanings. It can mean anything from "a passage or gallery in a coal mine" to "a toilet, especially on a ship." Several meanings, though, have an interestingly relevant relation with the region of Hed. 'Head' can refer to the foam on top of beer; Hed is famous for its beer. It can also be a turning point or crisis. The head is the part of a stringed instrument-such as a harp, which figures prominently into the story-where the strings are wound. The head of something is also its most important part. In Riddlemaster, Hed is brought out of near obscurity to be an extremely important part of the world, much like the Shire in Tolkien's Lord of the Rings trilogy. The word can be used in relationship to cattle and flowers as well, both of which are tied to the farm life of Hed. It is also the term for one who leads or is in charge; leadership is an extremely important matter, not only in Hed, but also in the whole world. Unlike some names' ironic connotations, Hed is a supremely apt name for an important part of McKillip's world.

Patricia McKillip's finely crafted trilogy is enhanced by the variety of sources of her names. By using parts of Welsh, Gaelic, Modern English, Old English, and French, McKillip extends a universal breadth to her tale. The themes she incorporates into her books: self-discovery, nature, blindness/sight, and fealty, are widely discussed topics important to everyone from the lowliest college student to the land-rulers of McKillip's world.

Bibliography

Blakeley, Leslie. Old English.English Universities Press: Norfolk, 1964.
Lewis, Edwin C. Welsh Dictionary. Chicago: NTC Publishing, 1993.
Monoghan, Patricia. The New Book of Goddesses & Heroines. Llewellyn: St. Paul, 2000.

Multiple Crossing's of the Limin in the Riddle- Master of Hed

The Riddle- Master of Hed by Patricia A. Mckillip is a fantastic fantasy novel. It tells the story of Morgon, a little known land heir to a small farming community called Hed. As the book progresses Morgan gradually discovers more about himself and his destiny. Throughout the course of his adventure Morgan will cross many thresholds and learn many new abilities. Many of the abilities which he will learn involve the ability to shape shift. With the ability to shape shift Morgan is able to change into various creatures and objects such as trees and the Vesta (horse/ unicorn like creature). Each time Morgan learns a new shape shifting ability he crosses a boundary into another state of being. Shape shifting is not the only time in which Morgan crosses boundaries within the novel. There is his attending of college at Caithnard, the incident where Morgan gets shipwrecked and loses his voice and memory, his ability to play the Harp with three stars etc. There are so many instances where a boundary is crossed that it is difficult to distinguish what may or may not be considered a liminal crossing. This essay will look at some of these instances of the crossing of the limin.

The idea of the limin was created by Victor Turner. There are different types of liminal passage. One of these is called the Rites De Passage, which is described as; "At the outset there is a separation by which the individuals undergoing the rite are set apart from the larger community. This separation may be social or symbolic, but in most cases it is an actual physical separation. Individuals are now in the limin - they are "betwixt and between," having left their previous social status, but not yet having reached their new status." This type of liminal passage is the one which will be focused on for this essay.

Morgan (the Prince of Hed) is special in that he was born with three stars on his head. These stars set Morgan apart from the rest of the inhabitants of his world. They hold a secret meaning which even he, Morgan has no clue about. In the world of the book there has never been anything of significance which has come out of Hed, until Morgan. Morgan's parents seeing something different in their son decide to send him off to college in Caithnard. Although the time in the book takes place after Morgan has already finished his schooling the reader is told much about his experiences there through flashbacks etc. It is possible to view Morgan's trip to the college in Caithnard as a boundary crossing. He is the first in his family to ever attend college, which separates him from the rest of his family. At Caithnard Morgan learns about riddles, which he in turns uses to defeat Peven and retrieve the crown of Aum. Morgan's experiences at college start him off on a path which he cannot ever turn back from and indeed separate him from everyone around him. It is important to look at his attending of college as a liminal crossing because he does in fact "separate" from the "larger community" and eventually he does come back, however he is not the same as before.
Another instance which can be could be considered a liminal crossing in the novel is when Morgan first learns to shape shift from King Har. It is imperative for Morgan to learn how to shape shift so that he can seek out the ancient wizard Suth, while disguised as a Vesta. In order to gain the ability of shape shifting Morgan spends a lot of time learning from the King of Har (a master shape shifter) the secret ability. While learning the ability to shape shift Morgan experience's a physical separation from his body. This is described in the book "The smoke engulfed him like a wind. He seemed to look down at himself from a distance, as though the man half-blind, too weak to move had nothing to do with him"( Mckillip, 134). Later after Morgan has fully gained the ability to shape shift into the Vesta he is returned to his normal state. In order to learn the ability it was necessary for Morgan to cross into the limin. When Morgan comes back he is no longer just Morgan the star bearer, he is Morgan the shape shifter as well. There are other instances when Morgan learns how to shape shift in the novel as well, such as when he learns how to become a tree. Anytime of shape shifting in the novel involves the crossing into the limin in order to garner new knowledge. It could also be said that each time Morgan shape shifts he is in fact crossing into the limin. This is shown in the book when Morgan describes the difficulty of controlling the instincts of the Vesta "The vest-instincts confused Morgan at first; he struggled against them like deep water"(Mckillip, 136). They are difficult to control because he has crossed into unfamiliar territory.
Morgan's continual trips into the limin make him an overall more well rounded person. With each trip he learns something new. These are just a couple of the instances where a boundary is crossed within the Riddle- Master of Hed . Who knows how many will be crossed by the end of the trilogy.

Riddle-Master: Light and Dark Contrasts

The contrast between light and darkness is show throughout the trilogy, Riddle-Master, by Patricia A. McKillip. The author uses this contrast to symbolize the states of people, the states of the world, and danger in the story. The light and dark contrast becomes noticeable through the first book, The Riddle-Master of Hed. It is in this first book that the journey to the High One begins as Morgon, the prince of Hed, seeks to find the answers to the unknown riddles and to find his destiny by finding what his other name is, which has been foretold of way before he was born. When the story first begins the reader is given a light and calm feeling of the world in the story. All is well in the realm of the High One. As the story starts to unfold Morgon is known to some as the one who won the riddle match with Peven of Aum. The light and dark contrasts start to come into play. Morgon has in a way unlocked something in his world of existence. With this there is a darkness that comes with the lack of knowledge that has been discovered. Morgon gave Peven a riddle that he could not answer. Rood, Morgon s friend and school mate, tells him that he should seek the answer by going to the High One. Instead of going to the High One as was suggested by Rood, Morgon wants to go home against all warnings. At this point the darkness starts to really take its affect in Morgon s world and life:He retrieved his pack from the chaos of Rood s room and bade the Masters farewell. The sky darkened slowly as he and the harpist took the long road back to the city; on the rough horns of the bay the warning fires had been lit; tiny lights form homes and taverns made random stars against the well of darkness (32). In this quote the author, McKillip, hints of chaos that is to follow by stating the condition Rood s room is in. The author could have said that Rood s room was a mess or she could have not mentioned the condition of Rood s room at all, but she did. The darkening sky symbolizes the knowledge that was once there and how it is slowly fading away. All that is left with the darkening of the sky are the tiny lights that can be interpreted as the hope and seed of knowledge that either remains or waits to be discovered. After Morgon has been found on the beach by Astrin, the author shows the state of Morgon and his mind by having him drawn into darkness when his found. He closed his eyes. A silence spun like a vortex in his head, drawing him deeper and deeper into darkness (35). Having Morgon drawn into darkness symbolizes again the lack of knowledge Morgon possess or it could also symbolize the knowledge that has been taken from him at this point in the story. Morgon is left in this part of the story with no voice, no knowledge of who he is, and no knowledge of where he is from. To contrast this, McKillip describes Astrin as a young man with white hair and white eyes. Astrin, it seems, is the only one in his land who knows something is not right with Eriel, his brother s wife. Astrin has some knowledge about the world around him and he is not entirely in the dark like the others in his land. He is also the only one who goes through the ruins of the ancient cities in his land. He too seeks the knowledge of the ones that have passed before them in the time of the wizards. As Morgon continues his journey he is still in contrast with himself. He still wants to go home to Hed, but he knows that only death will follow him. He would rather go home and live where he will be happy as a farmer and be around things he knows than to continue through an unfamiliar pathway (or door) which has not been walk on (or open) for a thousand years. Morgon s dreams and visions become more disturbing to him on his journey:A tide seemed to be draining back from the dark, broken land, drawing the last of the river waters with it, drawing the stream-waters out of Hed, leaving the coasts bare, leaving a wasteland of shell and sand around Hed as it drained back to the black edges of the world. Morgon, feeling the dry, cold earth, the life of Hed draining away with the sea, fading away from him (99).The lost of his beautiful home land is shown vividly through his dream or vision. The darkness shown in his vision is the result of Morgon s home if he does not finish his journey for knowledge. If Morgon were to return home with out finishing his journey he would bring the land of Hed out of its peace. Hed would no longer be this land that no one bothers and leaves alone. Morgon would leave Hed open to war and if he were not killed with in the first battles he would lose his title and his right to rule over Hed. He could not let happen. His people are farmers and beer makers they are not worriers. He does not wish for his land to become a barren wasteland. He does not want to be responsible for the ruin of Hed. The author uses the words black and drained to emphasize the void Hed would be in if Morgon came home with out finishing his journey. The darkness in the story also reflects something dangerous. The unknown powers that are rising within the realm are referred to as dark. These people with this dark unknown power do not go by any rules that are of the know realm. These dark powers have their own rules: And now, some strange, dark power, unsuspected by most lands, unchecked by the High One, was building along the coasts. Not since the wizards lived had there been people of such power; the wizards, themselves skilled, restless and arbitrary, would never have dreamed of trying to kill a land-ruler (110).The danger in this is that this unknown power is unchecked by the High One and the dark power does not respect the laws of the land. There is no light to shine upon this power to bring it understanding and respect, therefore it is dangerous because it is unknown. Morgon is dangerous to them because he is seeking his unknown destiny which may possess a powerful knowledge. Through the first book of the Riddle-Master the contrast of light and dark coincides with knowledge. As shown throughout this essay, McKillip shows the reader that the darkness is like a void in the world where nothing grows and where nothing is seen. Only by light can knowledge be shown. Morgon, the prince of Hed, continues his journey to find knowledge through the void of darkness that chases him through the night.Works CitedMcKillip, Patricia A... The Riddle-Master: The Riddle-Master of Hed. New York: Ace Books, 1999.

The Women of the Riddle-Master: A Response to Tolkien

Like elsewhere in literature, male writers have dominated the fantasy literary cannon. Although many great novels have been written, there is a definite lack of strong female characters and female perspectives in many works. Examining J.RR. Tolkien's trilogy, The Lord of the Rings with Patricia A. McKillip's Riddle-Master trilogy, one finds many differences in the way women are treated and the roles they are assigned. Tolkien's trilogy focuses solely on the male characters and women are present only to support their actions, whereas McKillip's trilogy is much more balanced with strong female characters taking an active role in the story.
Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings trilogy is considered the best-selling and widest read work of the 20th century. It crosses almost all cultural barriers because it deals with mans' fight against evil. Yet, looking closer at the trilogy, one finds it was literally man's fight as opposed to humankind's fight. Tolkien's work greatly lacks strong female characters and perspective. Tolkien's realm is one ruled by man, and women take a second, almost subservient, role.
Arwen, the daughter of the great Elven-lord Elrond, is the first to be introduced in the story. She is powerful and of a lineage greater than Aragorn's, yet Tolkien denies her an active role in the story. She is talked about more than she is actually seen. Tolkien seems to use her as a model of how women should behave in the trilogy. She is beautiful and known as "the Evenstar of her people" (Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring 221) yet she is denied a voice. She is there solely to support her father, and later Aragorn. Tolkien finally gives her a larger role towards the end of the story, but again her purpose is supporting the main characters by being a dutiful wife to Aragorn and presenting gifts to the members of the fellowship. Despite the power inherent in her heritage, Tolkien turns Arwen into a weak character by relegating her to the background and denying her the use of that power.
Galadriel, the Elven Queen of Lothlórien, unlike Arwen, is allowed to use some of her power, yet Tolkien sets her so above everyone in the realm she becomes more like a goddess than a female character readers can relate to. Galadriel is the keeper of one of the Three Rings forged with the One Ring. She has eternal life because she is an Elf, which again puts her closer to a goddess than a human. In addition, she possesses some magic and controls the Mirror in Lothlórien. Galadriel also shares many of the same characteristics Tolkien attributes to Arwen. Galadriel is extremely beautiful. Gimli comments upon first seeing her, "the Lady Galadriel is above all the jewels that lie beneath the earth" (Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring 347). Tolkien makes her a gift giver, like Arwen, instead of letting Galadriel take a more active role in assisting the Fellowship. She also shares the rule of the realm with the King of Lothlórien, Celeborn, which again diminishes all the power she possess in her own right. Like with Arwen, Tolkien denies Galadriel a major role in the novel because she is a woman.
In many ways Éowyn fights against the role Tolkien assigns to women. Éowyn is a strong, capable "shieldmaiden" (Tolkien, The Return of the King 767). She is beautiful like Arwen and Galadriel, yet she fights against being left behind to mind domestic matters: "'Shall I always be left behind when the Riders depart, to mind the house while they win renown'" (Tolkien, The Return of the King 767). She demands equality with the men while the other women seem content with the background role they play. Ultimately, Tolkien does give her a significant role in the Gondor battle scene. It is she who kills the king of the Nazgul. Yet, Tolkien undermines this great deed by disguising her character as the male warrior Dernhelm. It is as if Tolkien could not bring himself to attribute such a great deed to a woman without masquerading her as a man. Despite this one courageous act, Éowyn's overall character does follow the traditional role Tolkien ascribes to women: obedience. She continually obeys the orders of the men around her including Théoden, Aragorn, and Faramir. In the end, Tolkien marries her to Faramir. Thus, she loses her own identity to become an obedient wife, a role much more comforting to Tolkien than a heroic shieldmaiden and slayer of the Nazgul.
Patricial A. McKillip's trilogy, the Riddle-Master, on the other hand, was inspired in part by The Lord of the Rings. In her introduction to the trilogy, McKillip writes: "I can find small jewels of inspiration mined from Tolkien's novels: the riddling, the underground waters and caves, the sense of destiny, prophecy inherent in the myth of the return of the king" (Riddle-Master v-vi). Yet, one main difference between the two works is the role women play in McKillip's Riddle-Master. McKillip's trilogy seems to be a response to Tolkien's work. She gives women prominent roles in an effort to show to Tolkien, and the world, that women can become great heroes in their own right.
One of the main female characters in McKillip's trilogy is Raederle, the daughter of the ruler of An and Morgon's lover. Like Tolkien's female characters, Raederle is extremely beautiful and her beauty is known throughout the whole realm. Unlike Tolkien's characters, Raederle is a strong character who is not content to be left behind or blindly obey the men in her life, like Éowyn. In many ways, through Raederle, McKillip allows readers to see what type of character Éowyn could have been. Raederle constantly goes against the wishes of her father and Morgon. She also refuses to marry Morgon even through she loves him passionately. This act reinforces Raederle's individuality and acknowledges that in marriage a woman loses much of her self-identity. In addition, McKillip gives Raederle powerful and unique magic. This makes Raederle as powerful as Morgon before he inherits the High One's powers, thus making her an equal to the main character for a time. Tolkien would have never considered such an act.
Unlike Tolkien's male dominated realm, the balance of power in McKillip's realm is more evenly distributed between men and women. McKillip also does not require land rules to be passed from father to son exclusively. Land rules are assigned by birth order not ever taking into account the sex of the person who will inherit it. During the time of the story, one of the main territories in the realm, Herun, is ruled by a female Morgol, El Elrhiarhodan. She is wise and powerful as well as single. Like Tolkien's female characters, El is beautiful. Unlike Tolkien's female characters, she is also independent and does not bend to the will of a man. McKillip also endows El with many magical powers, including the unique ability to see events that are happening throughout her realm.
Another unique aspect of Herun is that the guard or army is composed exclusively of women. Tolkien would have never considered employing only women in, say, the mark of Rohan. The guard is lead by the El's daughter, Lyra, who, like her mother, is strong, independent, and a warrior. Lyra's loyalty to those she protects and her position is no less than a man's in the same position. After she fails to protects Morgon, she asks, "to be relieved of [her] place in the guard" (Riddle-Master 103), but El refuses the request. Thus, McKillip demonstrates that honor is not exclusive to male warriors. Little is said of Lyra's beauty, but McKillip may have chosen to do this to de-emphasize this feature and focus on the strong characteristics of Lyra's personality.
Another distinguishing feature of McKillip's trilogy is the fact that the women dominate the action during the second book, Heir of Sea and Fire. This book mainly chronicles Raederle, Lyra, and Tristan's, Morgon's younger sister, journey to find Morgon in Erlenstar Mountain. Throughout the journey, the women are constantly counseled and questioned by the male characters they encounter; yet they hold true to their course because they are devoted to finding Morgon. This book is a major contrast to Tolkien's trilogy where the women are always obedient to the men.
Throughout the Riddle-Master trilogy, McKillip contrasts the role Tolkien assigns to women in his Lord of the Rings trilogy. McKillip's female characters are well rounded and equal to men in almost every way, whereas Tolkien's female characters are meant to look beautiful and obey their lords without question. Through the Riddle-Master trilogy, McKillip demonstrates that women are capable of having strong, independent, heroic roles in contemporary fantasy literature.

Works Cited
McKillip, Patricia A. Riddle-Master. New York: Ace Books, 1999.
Tolkien, J.R.R. The Fellowship of the Ring: Being the First Part of The Lord of the Rings. New
York: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1954.
- - -, The Return of the King: Being the Third Part of The Lord of the Rings. New
York: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1954.

Holy Water

Water has played a role in the history of most cultures. Whether that role is dominant or passive is of little concern. The area of concern, or interest, is in water's intrigue. Water seems to carry with it the same properties of God, and also some of the properties of Satan. It can give life, or it can take life away. Water can restore health, or it can be a detriment to health. Water can reveal true identities or it can cloak presence. Water can be a source of support, or it can be the element that destroys. Water also carries the essence of being seemingly eternal.
Within the Lord of the Rings trilogy, Tolkien uses a multitude of characteristics for water. Water, within Lord of the Rings, takes on the characteristics of being friendly, neutral, and even harmful.
Water is first mentioned in Tolkien's trilogy as being the source of death for Frodo's parents. This traumatic use of water casts Frodo out to be placed in his own light. He is the means of his own support. He creates who he is going to be. By the hand of water, he has been placed in an undesirable, but intriguing position. It could be said that water works in mysterious ways, just as the Lord works in mysterious ways.
Another characteristic of water is the association it carries with it as being a border, or barrier. This has been a view of many cultures around the world, being that major rivers, lakes, or oceans have separated other cultures from each other. The Hobbits in the Shire view anyone on the other side of the Brandywine as "outsiders". They are closed off from any of the other cultures and races, and the main source of their knowledge about the "outside" comes from books, fables, or Bilbo Baggins.
The Brandywine plays a pivotal role in aiding Frodo and his friends as they try to escape the Nazgul. Again, the water acts as a barrier to the Nazgul, because they will not try to cross it. This can be viewed easily as an act of God. For example, in the Bible when the Israelites were being pursued by the Egyptian military, and pillars of fire were sent down as a barrier to keep the Egyptian forces from reaching the Israelites. Thus, the water was used as a barrier to the Nazgul, and it aided the Hobbits in their escape.
Another significant characteristic of water is its connotation of death. One of the scenarios is of the hobbits drinking the water next to the willow tree. The water causes them to fall asleep. By falling asleep they are presented before the mercy of any who come upon them. Death could come as swiftly as their sleep. A more prolific example of water signifying death comes when they try to enter the mines of Moria. Still or slow moving water carries with it the connotation of death. Within the still body of water next to the Moria mine entrance, a large "octopus-like" beast is disturbed and tries to harm Frodo and his companions. Also, when Golem is leading Frodo and Sam across the marshes, the marshes are viewed as being deadly. Frodo is warned not to look into the water of the marsh, but he fails and as a result he comes within moments of crossing over from life to death. And later, as Frodo and Sam venture into Mordor, the water that they come across is undrinkable and will cause death if drunk. Many times throughout the Bible Lucipher casts himself in the same light as or tries to make himself appear as God. He is not living, rather he has been cast out for eternal death. And, as water slows down and is stilled, it signifies death. The still or slow moving water looks and feels exactly like the pure, clean moving water, but it is not. On one hand you have life and in the other hand you find certain death.
Water can also be viewed as life, or the renewing of strength. As Merry and Pippin venture with the Ents within the Ent forest, they drink the water that flows through the forest. As a result of drinking the water, Merry and Pippin are rejuvenated, and actually grow physically. Comparing this to a Biblical reference, after the Israelites had fled the Egyptian forces, they had gone a few days without water. After whining incessantly, Moses struck a rock with his staff, and pure water flowed out of it, and the Israelites were allowed to drink and satiate themselves. Also, in Isaiah chapter forty verse thirty one the scripture reads, "For those who wait upon the Lord He shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not grow weary, they shall walk and not faint."
Another aspect of water within the Lord of the Rings trilogy is the concept of water acting as a revealing source or alternately, a source that conceals. Faromir has built his fortress behind a waterfall. The water fall acts as a cloak for the fortress and those within the fortress. As Golem fishes through the water, his true self is revealed. Also, Frodo looks into a basin of water as he is in the Elf kingdom. The water acts as a revealer. Comparing this characteristic of water Biblically, as Gideon was selecting the soldiers that he would take with him. He approached a lake and God instructed him to view which ones drank from their knees, and which ones drank with their tongues. This revealed to Gideon who he was to take with him into Midian.
Water is also used as a destructive force in the Lord of the Rings. As the Nazgul are chasing Arwen and Frodo, Arwen crosses a rushing river and waits on the other side for the Nazgul. At first, the Nazgul do not want to cross the water, but they soon begin to venture into the river. As they do so, Arwen summons some water force and the Nazgul are crushed underneath the torrent power of the river. Also, in Isengard, the Ents flood the valley and Isengard is destroyed. In the Bible, the Egyptian military pursued Moses and the Israelites through the parted Red Sea. As Moses and the rest of the Israelites finished crossing the sea, the separated walls of water came crashing down upon the Egyptian forces, and all of them were destroyed.
Throughout the entire trilogy, water is expressed in different lights and with different characteristics. Most of these characteristics can be attributed or viewed in the same light as the characteristics and attributes of God and Satan. Water plays pivotal roles through out the entire Tolkien trilogy, and in proper comparison, God and Satan play pivotal roles throughout the Biblical scriptures.
Considering Tolkien's relationship with C.S. Lewis, and his emphasis in Biblical studies later on in his life, it would not surprise me if the connotations that he meant for water to have within his trilogy were meant to be associated with a more Biblical emphasis. As stated, there are more than enough comparisons and related characteristics of God and Satan to be compared to water, and vice versa.

UNTITLED TWO

The trilogy The Lord of the Rings was published in 1954 and has been a classic for all those interested in fantastic literature. To the delight and dismay of many Tolkien followers, they made the exciting adventures of Frodo and his company into a motion picture, with the first book released in 2001, and the second in 2002. Some marveled at the accuracy of the movies related to the books, however, a closer read finds discrepancies between the two. Some of scenes that were in the book but not the movie were entertaining, however, it can be recognized that for the sake of the movies' length, they would be deleted. On the other hand, some of the books passages played an integral part in the understanding of later scenes.
The first major passage in the first book that was completely eradicated from the first movie was the scene of the elves in the forest. Just when Frodo, Merry, and Pippin are about to get found out by a Black Rider, the High Elves traveling through Woody End happened to start singing, scaring away the rider, and assuredly saving the hobbits' lives. When Pippin tells the Elves about their encounter with the Rider, the Elves take the hobbits under their wing, lodging and feeding them. This scene is not in the first movie at all, and I believe it wasn't present because it was not a crucial part of the story that is needed for understanding the novel. Had it been present, however, I believe it would have been a scene that may have been enchanting, but at the same time wouldn't have been an important moment in the film. Thus we move on to the next change.
The second time there is a scene that is in the first book no where to be found in the first movie was the hobbits' chance meeting with Tom Bombadil and his wife Goldberry. In the novel, Tom Bombadil saves the hobbits lives twice. The first time, he talked the willow tree out of crushing the hobbits when they fall under some magical spell in the Old Forest next to the Withywindle River. After saving them, Tom takes the hobbits to his home where they greet and are feed for several days by Tom's wife Goldberry. When the hobbits leave the house of Tom Bombadil, he warns them to stay away from the barrows and teaches them a song to sing if they find themselves in trouble. This was a fine example of foreshadowing because as the fog overwhelms the halfling travelers, they find themselves caught by a barrow-wight. Frodo comes out of the spell of the barrow-wight just in time to sing Tom's song and once again save them from disaster. After reading these chapters (6,7, and 8) I was disheartened that they weren't in the movie. It is true that these scenes really didn't offer any new information that is perilous to understanding the basic idea of the story, but I though the creators of the movie could have done amazing work copying Tolkien's fantastic imagery from word to screen.
It is understandable why the movie producers decided to edit the scenes outlined above. Although they engaged the reader they didn't provide information or foreshadowing of what was to come in the rest of the trilogy. The third missing scene, however, did offer knowledge that was useful to understanding later scenes in the movie. It was the story of the company's visit to Lorien and their meeting with Galandriel. When the company goes to Lorien (also Lothlorien), Lord Celeborn and Galandriel, the Lady of Lorien (Pg. 344) first judge their guests. After it is decided that they are worthy of protection, the company stays a while to discuss further how they plan on carrying out Frodo's mission. In parting the land, Galandriel offers them many gifts, but the most notable was the grey Elvin cloaks.

"'Are these magic cloaks?' asked Pippin, looking at them with wonder. 'Yet they are garments, not armour, and they will not turn shaft or blade. And you will find them a great aid in keeping out of the sight of unfriendly eyes, whether you walk among the stones or the trees.' (…answered the leader of the Elves.)(Pg. 361")
With this knowledge, someone who saw the film would know how Frodo hides himself and Sam underneath his magical Elvin cloak and becomes disguised as the rocks when almost being found out by Orcs in front of the gates of Mordor. If you didn't read the novel first, however, it came off as odd. If the producers of the first movie had put the Lorien scene in the movie, it would have explained the phenomena better, and in turn would also have been an interesting scene in the movie.
The fourth instance of discrepancy did not hold such importance as the third of which we just discussed. It was Eowyn's part in the war of Helm's Deep. In the book she stays at the residency of the king and takes on his role until his return.
"'I said not Eomer,' answered Hama. 'And he is not the last. There is Eowyn, daughter of Eomund, his sister. She is fearless and high-hearted. All love her. Let her be as lord to the Eorlingas, while we are gone. (Pg. 512 ')
In the second movie, however, she goes and takes care of the woman and children in Helm's Deep while the company and their new Rohan companions fight the war with the Orcs.
Another difference dealing with Eowyn is the relationship between her Aragorn. In the movie, the relationship is distorted to encourage almost a "love story" role between the characters Eowyn and Aragorn, which is absent in the second book. It is true that in the novel, Tolkien does describe Eowyn as an attractive young lady: "Very fair was her face, and her long hair was like a river of gold. Slender and tall she was…but strong she seemed and stern as steel, a daughter of kings (Pg. 504.") Tolkien also mentions that Aragorn and Eowyn do have a "moment" where they really notice each other, and when at dinner, Eowyn serves wine to Aragorn, Tolkien wrote that, "…but as he(Aragorn) took the cup, his hand met hers, and he knew that she trembled at the touch (Pg. 511.") These worlds do indicate that Eowyn has a "crush" of sorts on Aragorn, but as spoken of in the first book, and also displayed in the first movie, Aragorn's heart belongs to Arwen Evenstar of the Rivendell Elvin people. And because in the book Eowyn stays to rule the land while her king is away at battle, there isn't much more development of her relationship with Aragorn.
The final noticeable and important part of the second book that is not discussed in the movie is Sam's realization that Gollum has a multiple personality. In the movie, the scenes that Gollum has sort of let the audience realize on their own that the ring has divided Gollum's mind. In the book Tolkien first indicates the division through a scene where Sam wakes up because Gollum is talking to himself. Sam listens until he notices that Gollum looks like he might strangle Frodo, and to divert disaster pretends to wake up, thus stopping Gollum. The actual proof of the split is on page 624, when Sam names the personalities: "Sam's guess was that the Sméagol and Gollum halves (or what in his own mind he called Slinker and Stinker)…" There is also the final conversation between Sam and Frodo about Stinker and Slinker where they discuss Gollum's true intentions with the ring:

"'Yes, Slinker and Stinker, as I've said before,' said Sam. 'But the nearer they get to the Enemy's land the more like Stinker Slinker will get. Mark my words: if ever we get to the pass, he won't let us really take the precious thing over the border without making some kind of trouble.' 'We haven't got there yet,' said Frodo. 'No, but we better keep our eyes skinned till we do.'(Pg. 698")
All of these parts solidify Gollum's sickness, and in the movie, it is temporarily confusing until you figure it out on your own.
Overall, the movie editors had many hard decisions about what scenes would be filmed and what scenes could be over looked. The two scenes that honestly should have been kept out of all that were just discussed was the trip to Lothlorien, which would explain the magical cloaks, and also the discussion between Sam and Frodo about Gollum, which I expect will be in the third and final movie.

The Earthmasters: Victims of their own Discord

The Riddle-Master Trilogy was an amazing story set in a fictional land where men and gods walked together. There was mystery, romance, an unfulfilled destiny with an unlikely hero, and the elusive and dark Earthmasters, creatures that were once men, but became victims of their own devices. The Earthmasters were a quandary in the novel. Who were these Earthmasters, so remote and without feeling, yet they would risk all for complete power? Was it simple greed that would turn them into monsters, or were they motivated by something more? It could be that they were interested in more than power, that they were interested in their freedom. As the trilogy progressed small glimpses were given of a mysterious group of people who were the nameless enemies to the people in the High One's domain. They were a ruthless sort, destroying anyone and anything that stood in the way of their plans. No kingdom was out of their reach, no person of power could withstand their grasp, but their motives were unattainable for the people in the High One's realm.
In The Riddle-Master of Hed the Earthmaster's were the unknown enemy that were a plague on the people of Ymris. They were the enemy that would take on the shape of dead men and women. They had attempted to kill Morgan when he and Deth tried to sail to Anuin. They had no emotions towards killing Morgan. They felt they had to because of the three stars on his head, but they did not like or dislike him. For the Earthmasters, he was merely one more object that might enable them to find the High One. They were also the cause of great strife in the Ymris kingdom. They had caused a rift between the King Heureu and his brother the land-heir, Astrin. In a conversation between Astrin, Deth, and Morgan it is explained that Astrin knew that Heureu's wife, Eriel was killed on the Wind Plain and that the imposter that Heureu was married to was one of the nameless enemies. The fight between the brothers was because Heureu did not believe what Astrin had said about his wife. "That night I told Heureu what I had seen. We ended up shouting at each other, and I swore as long as he was married to that woman I would never return to Caerweddin."(McKillip, Pg. 58). The argument had happened five years before Morgan had met Astrin, and it showed that the Earthmasters had been planning for their resurface for quite some time. Again, they had no feelings of anamosity towards the rulers of Ymris, they only wanted their kingdoms back, one of which happened to be in the spot where Ymris was located. It was on the border of the Wind Plains, which was the major city of the Earthmasters, a focal point where much of their power was centered.
When Morgan reached Ymris for the first time there was an attempt to take his life by the shapechange/earthmaster, Eriel. During that attempt more information was given about her kind, and where she comes. He had tried to find out who she was and she replied with, "Go back as far as your mind will take you, to the earliest riddle that was asked, and I am older that that." And then right before she tried to kill him she told him, "Beware the unanswered riddle" (McKillip, Pg. 60-61). The power of the harp was also shown when Morgan defended himself, and it was clear that Morgan was able to hold his own against the nameless enemy.
As the Starbearer journey progressed to the High One's realm, he is able to pick up more powers and learn more about the nameless enemy. In the Morgol's kingdom there is another attempt on his life by nameless enemy, which were now being called shape shifters. They did not use brute force to kill him, but revealed another power they had by casting a spell on him with a harp. The shape shifter had power in his voice, and with it he tried to suck the life out of Morgan. But Morgan proved to resourceful to kill; he was able to break out of the spell and kill the shape shifter. Before he was killed, the shape shifter revealed another piece of the puzzle to Morgan by turning himself into a magical sword set with three stars. He also showed his true shape to Morgan and gave him a real sense of the power that he contained. "The body was fluid, blurred, the colors of foam, the colors of the sea; he moved without noise…as he came…Morgan sensed an enormous, undefined power, restless and unfathomed like the sea, impersonal as the light behind the eyes fixed on his face" (McKillip, Pg. 101). When Morgan killed the shape shifter it was as though the shape shifter let it happen, as if he wanted it to happen. With the killing of the shape shifter Morgan was set on a course that would lead him straight into their arms.
The Earthmasters do not appear in the story again until Morgan reaches the Caves of the Lost Ones in Isig Mountain. These were not the same kind that he had met in his journeys; these were the children of the Earthmasters. They were able to give him the sword that was shown to him by, Corrig, the Earthmaster that he killed. They also gave him more knowledge about themselves and the destiny he did not want. They were made of stone, dead for centuries waiting for the Starbearer to come and give them what was promised them. He would bring the children peace. Morgan also learned that the people from the sea, the enemy with no name, were Earthmasters that had destroyed that Earth during the Great War, and were now trying to do it again. He was told that he had to free the winds and, "…bear stars of fire and ice to the Ending of the Age of the High One…" (Mckillip, Pg. 167). Morgan learned of the Earthmasters, and how they had not been completely destroyed, and that he would have to do so. The Earthmasters that came from the sea found him in the caves and once again try to kill him but did not succeed. He now had a faint idea of why they were and that knowledge made him more dangerous then ever.
In the Heir of Sea and Fire the Earthmasters start a full out war with Ymris. They no longer had small skirmishes here and there, and were starting to show their true numbers, which were vast. They knew that the time was drawing near for them to find the High One, and finally be free of the bindings he had put upon them.
Meanwhile, Raederle, the princess sworn to Morgan for him winning the crown learned that the magic within her came from the shape shifters, and that her ancestors were the enemies that she was fighting. She went looking for Morgan because she knew that their destinies were intertwined and whatever riddles they had they would answer together. In her quest searching for Morgan she learned more about her own powers and about herself. She was able to go to the King's Mouth Plain with Astrin and find a stone that was from the Earthmaster's city. This stone held power, and it showed to her a memory of the past. "She saw someone stand, as she stood, holding the jewel. He was in the middle of a plain in some land , in some age, and as the stone winked in his palm all movement around him, beyond the rim of her mind began to flow towards its center" (Mckillip, Pg. 257). As she saw the memory, so did some other presence in her mind. The stranger in her mind wanted to know the identity of the man holding the stone desperately. Raederle was able to feel the awesome power of the shape shifters and get a sense of their age. She was starting to believe that these shape shifters were not a new enemy, but one that was as old as time itself. When she reached the realm of Isig, she met with one of the oldest Earthmasters, the woman who had taken the place of Eriel Ymris. The Earthmaster gave more information about herself and her kind, but never her true name. Raederle learned from her that they were kinswomen, and that the shape-changers were not interested in killing Raederle or Morgan for that matter. They were only interested in the answering of a riddle. "It's a riddle old as the crevices of old tree roots, as the silence molding in the groins of inner Isig, as the stone faces of the dead children. It is essential, as wind or fire. Time means nothing to me, only the long moment between the asking of that riddle and its answer" (McKillip, Pg. 278). They needed to know the identity of the High One, for if they found out who he was they would be able to kill him and get their powers back. Raederle also learned that shape changers took their power from the Earth, and that if she tapped into her other side she would be able to do it too. But she did not and the Earthmasters were not able to take control of her.
Little by little the intentions of the Earthmasters were given. They were searching for the High One and knew that they could get to him by getting the Starbearer. Morgan was their link to the High One, and while the High One was unattainable Morgan was not.
As the ending of the age drew near, all forces met on the Wind Plain in the Harpist in the Wind, where a last stand was made for the men against the powerful Earthmasters. Deth revealed himself as the High One and let Morgan know his true purpose has the Starbearer, to become the next High One. The High One explained to Morgan the nature of the Earthmasters he imprisoned and why he had to prepare Morgan to battle them. "We lived so peacefully once, in these great cities, we took knowledge from all things…we did not realize, until it was too late that the power inherent in every stone, every movement of water, holds both existence and destruction. I was able to bind the power of the Earthmasters…I swept them into the sea…" (McKillip, Pg. 550). With the knowledge of the High One Morgan was able to see the Earthmasters for what they truly were, desperate creatures that had destroyed themselves for power.
The Earthmasters were powerful creatures, but most of their power laid in their mystery, and namelessness. When the kingdoms of the High One knew the enemy they were to fight they were dismayed but not beaten. Knowledge was the Earthmaster's power and with their nature known the Earthmasters were not able to defeat the new High One. They were again imprisoned where they were no longer able to wreak havoc on the lives of men. So while the Earthmasters were powerful, they did not use their power wisely. Instead of maintaining the Earth they sought to use and destroy it for power. Because of this, the Earth mastered them

Works Cited
McKillip, Patricia. Riddle-Master: The Complete Trilogy. 1999, Berkley Publishing Group.

The Beginnings of a Destiny

In Patricia McKillip's, "The Riddle-Master of Hed," Destiny seems to be the major underlying aspect. In a world where wizards and ancient Earth-Masters seem to have long ago disappeared, the destiny they set forth is now just beginning. A thousand years earlier the ancient people set forth the destiny of the Star Bearer, a task that is unknown and given to an individual that no one would ever expect. The destiny of the Star Bearer was giving to Morgan, the prince of Hed, in a series of events Morgan desperately tried to avoid. He was very content in ruling one of the only remaining peaceful lands named Hed, which is widely known for there farming and ability to brew good beer. While he did all he could to deny the fact that his life has a greater meaning than just ruling over Hed, the three stars on his forehead said differently.
Ever since Morgan was born his family knew something was very different about him. The land of Hed was considered to be inhabited by peaceful people known for their stubbornness, but mostly for there farming ability. They did not live such a glamorous life as in the other lands, and education and riddles were not a major priority. While greatly respected by the other lands for their constant strive for peace, nothing great was ever known to come from Hed. When Morgan was younger he asked many questions that his father could not answer. This was very unusual for a child of his age and his father felt that Morgan needed better answers than he could offer. He decided to send him to the city of Caithnard to study at the College of Riddle-Masters. In a land were Riddles were used to better understand history and the facts of life, Riddling was thought to free your mind and give you the ability to make sound choices. Morgan prospered greatly at the College of Riddle Masters and became the fastest ever to achieve the gold robe, and would have achieved the black robe for masters if his parents hadn't suddenly perished in a boating accident. It was at that time the land-rule of Hed was passed to him and he had to return home to take his role in Hed. While he accepted his land rule with great pride, many people such as his friend Rood, felt that he was trapped in Hed, full of thoughts of eggs and pigs, beer and weather. Before Morgan took his place in Hed, he secretly traveled to the land of An too challenge Peven in a riddle-match where death would have been his fate if he were to lose. Before he was condemned to Hed, he needed to know if he was a great riddle-master or a very great fool. Fortunately, he proved himself to be victorious and won the crown, unknowingly winning the right to marry the King of An's daughter, the second most beautiful women in the world. He never told anyone of the challenge and left the rest of the world wondering and searching for the man that defeated the great Peven in a riddling-match. This was the first of many challenges showing that Morgan wasn't just a measly farmer.
It wasn't long before the High Ones harpist, Deth, searched for the man who had defeated Peven and won the right to marry Raederle, Roods sister and the King of An's daughter. It was purely coincidental, or perhaps fate, that Deth happened to stop in Hed and had a conversation with Morgan. It was there that Deth informed Morgan that he had won the right to marry Raederle. Morgan had met her once when she came to visit her brother Rood down in Caithnard. Morgan had instantly fell in love. He knew she would never wish to move to Hed and live among such poor folk as farmers. However he did feel it was his obligation to travel to An and speak to her face to face. It was on this Journey to An that Morgans destiny would begin to take shape and he would find once and for all his true name, the Star Searcher.
While his brother and sister objected greatly to Morgan leaving Hed, he felt the urge to travel and hopped on the very next trading ship to Caithnard to speak to Rood about his sister. After arriving in Caithnard, Morgan tracked down his old friend Rood, and told him about his riddle-match with Peven. Rood and the rest of the Riddle Masters were utterly shocked that Morgan was the great riddler who defeated Peven and couldn't believe someone out of Hed had accomplished such a feat. It was there the unanswered riddle, "why Morgan has the three stars on his face," was brought to the attention to Morgan. Rood stressed that Morgan can't hide behind the unanswered riddle any longer and should find out once and for all the truth behind the mystery. He begged him to take a quest to Erlenstar Mountain to ask the High One for answers. Morgan argued that it wasn't important too him anymore and that ruling over Hed was. He stated, "I'm not going out hunting a destiny like a strayed cow." The masters, knowing the stubborn tendency from the people of Hed, new that he couldn't rest until he solved that riddle of the three stars. Even if he wanted too, his path was already chosen thousands of years ago and had a funny way of doing what it wished.
While Morgan had no intention of traveling to Erlenstar Mountain, he still planned on going to the city of An in order to speak with Raederle. However fate once again took its toll. While traveling to An on a trader ship, the crew mysteriously disappeared in a storm and Morgan was thrown overboard. He was washed ashore and contained a head injury where he temporarily forgot who he was. Luckily, he was cared for by Astrin, who was brother to the King of Ymris. After he recovered, the King of Ymris sent for Morgan thinking Astrin was holding Morgan hostage. He immediately invited him back to his home, where he had recently purchased a harp with three stars engraved on it. He found it very mysterious because it seemed to have a magic spell forbidding anyone to play it. It did however play to the touch of Morgan's gentle hands. It became obvious that this harp was built specifically for Morgan the Prince of Hed. This added to the uncertainty of the stars engraved on Morgan's forehead. Why would a harp with three stars engraved in it, lie idle for hundreds of years waiting to be played by the prince of Hed? Did he have a bigger purpose in life after all? It was then he decided he would travel to Erlenstar Mountain and ask the High One what he is destined for. That night, he found that it wouldn't be an easy feat when a shape-shifter took the form of the Kings wife and attempted to kill him. Some power was desperately trying too keep him from Erlenstar and he had no idea why.
On his quest to ErlenStar mountain, he became caught in an unbearable blizzard. Out of nowhere a vesta, a deer like creature saved him. The vesta turned out to be Har, the King of Osterland, who contained the power to mutate to animals. Har, who was as curious as Morgan regarding the stars on his forehead, decided to teach him the art of mutating. Har could see that Morgan wasn't a typical human and contained magic powers he didn't realized he contained. He was proven correct when Morgan easily developed mutating powers, powers few people contained. It was becoming overwhelming convincing that Morgan was more than just a measly farmer. Little by little Morgan was gaining the tools necessary too achieve greatness.
Now that Morgan had the ability to mutate, traveling became much faster and easier. His next stop was too the kingdom of Isiq ruled by Danan. Being courteous and hospitable Danan welcomed Morgan too his home. He also met with Deth who had been waiting for Morgan to arrive there for the last two months. Deth was amazed in Morgan's newfound abilities that he had learned from Har. That night while eating with Danan's family, Morgan learned of an ancient sword that was crafted long ago in which three stars were engraved in the handle. Everyone agreed that the sword which was buried somewhere with-in the mountains of Isiq, must be destined for Morgan. That night while dreaming of the sword, he somehow sleepwalked deep into the mountains of Isiq, and awoke outside the secret chamber where the sword was located. All of a sudden, the chamber opened and he was greeted by the Earth-masters grandchildren, who happened to be made of stone. They awarded him the sword, and spoke of an unfinished ancient war, which had been dormant for many years. They said to him, "You will bear stars of fire and ice to the Ending of the Age of the High One." The children were cut short, when all of a sudden Morgan was attacked by two shape-shifters. He then dramatically killed the two shape-shifters with the ancient sword. The King of Isiq, seeing the great potential of Morgan, showed him how too transform himself into a tree. He said that it would come in handy if he ever needed get away from anything. Anytime that he needed a rest, or perhaps to get away from enemies, becoming a tree would be very handy.
In this short amount of time, Morgan had come a considerable way. It had become very clear to him that he has a greater purpose in life and that his destiny has been shaped for thousands of years. He contains two great tools that bear his mark, the sword and the harp, which were fashioned for him long before he was born. He also has developed wizard like traits such as mutations and the ability to speak without words. With his destiny finally taking shape you are left with the question of the Princes role in this vast scheme of life. Why was he picked, and what task did these people set forth for him?

Christian influences on The Lord of the Rings

J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings is a great epic story of fantasy literature. His works are enjoyed by people of all ages, ethnicities, and backgrounds. One reason for his wide support is the fact that he incorporates his own personal experiences and beliefs into his works. Growing up, Tolkien was greatly influenced by his Roman Catholic religion. Catholic ideology is not specifically present in his works, but there is clearly an influence of Christianity. Christian elements are shown within the setting or background of the story and are incorporated into many of the characters described.
Basic Christian ideology such as the struggle between good and bad, the initial creation of earth, and the first race heavily influence Tolkien's writings. The struggle between good and evil is both a basic and dominating characteristic of the Christian faith. This fundamental aspect of Christianity is portrayed in the main theme of the story, which can be described as the struggle between the forces of good and evil. Additionally, by reviewing some of the background information of Tolkien's mythology in The Lord of the Rings, we see that the creation of this world is indeed very similar to the creation of the world as described in the Bible. Tolkien described the creation of Middle-Earth, as being made by "The One" also called Eru, or Iluvatar. This is a direct representation of the Christian God himself and his creation of the earth. Also, Eru creates the first race known as the Valar. These Valars can be associated with angels in Christianity, since angels were the first race created by God. In the story, an influence of Christianity can be seen when Melkor, one of the greater Valars, betrays Eru and becomes the epitome of evil. The incident of the betrayal of the God, Eru, by the evil Valar can be juxtaposed to the Christian belief that the heretic, Satan, also betrayed the almighty God. Similar to the notion in the Bible of how the influences of the devil eventually corrupt man, The Lord of the Rings portrays this influence of evil with all the races living within Middle-earth being negatively affected by the evil Sauron. Additionally, Sauron can be described as representative of Satan. Just like Satan, Sauron can see everywhere, corrupt any living thing, and is consumed by pure evil. There exists a Christian concept that evil is the corruption and distortion of something that is previously good in nature. Evil cannot make its own beings from nothing. This is the case in The Lord of the Rings as can be seen in the following passage when Frodo states:

"No, they eat and drink, Sam. The Shadow that bred them can only mock, it cannot make: not real new things of its own. I don't think it gave life to the orcs, it only ruined them and twisted them; and if they are to live at all, they have to live like other living creatures. Foul waters and foul meats they'll take, if they can get no better, but not poison" (Tolkien).

One can see from this, the different types of beings that were eventually distorted into evil monsters. In The Lord of the Rings, the beings that are eventually twisted are the great ents into ogres. Furthermore, another example can be seen in the wise elves as they are corrupted into becoming evil orcs. The element of evil is also represented when the nine-kings of men are eventually turned into slaves of evil, the Nazgul or the black riders. Just as the Christian God represents the existence of hope in any disastrous situation, the role of Eru can be seen as a creating a small bastion of hope. We can see his role as "God" displayed in the following passage:

"…there was something else at work, beyond any design of the Ring-maker. I can put it no plainer than by saying that Bilbo was meant to find the Ring, and not by its maker. In which case you also were meant to have it. And that may be an encouraging thought" (Tolkien).

This passage indirectly portrays hope. With all the success the evil side has endured, the fact that the ring itself, fell into the little hands of good shows how hope exists in even the worst situations. This purely Christian belief, in which God plays a mysterious role of the hope of good over evil, can be seen in the novel.
The characters and their development throughout the novel are also heavily influenced by Christian ideology. The three main characters Frodo, Gandalf, and Aragorn can be juxtaposed to the three main sections that make up secular life under Christianity, which is the priest, prophet, and king. Frodo is similar to a priest in that he carries a burden for his people, just as a priest would do to try to bring his people closer to God. Gandalf can be considered a prophet on the basis that he is the one who preaches to the people the correct path to follow. Also, in order to be a prophet one must be contacted either directly or indirectly by God. We can see that when Gandalf transformed from Gandalf the Grey into Gandalf the White, he was indeed touched by a celestial being. As for Aragorn, he claims the role of the King by leading his people through thick and thin in order to conquer evil. He also can be considered a heavenly character because he walked though the Paths of the Dead and brought peace to their souls, which was a path that not any normal man could accomplish.
Another Christian ideal is the element of hope remaining even in the grimmest of situations. In the following passage we can see a saying about Sam Gamgee during their journey into Mordor:

"The land seemed full of creaking and cracking and sly noises, but there was no sound of voice or of foot. Far above the Ephel Duath in the West the night-sky was still dim and pale. There, peeping among the cloud-wrack above a dark tor high up in the mountains, Sam saw a white star twinkle for a while. The beauty of it smote his heart, as he looked up out of the forsaken land, and hope returned to him. For like a shaft, clear and cold, the thought pierced him that in the end the Shadow was only a small and passing thing: there was a light and high beauty for ever beyond its reach. His song in the Tower had been defiance rather than hope; for then he was thinking of himself. Now, for a moment, his own fate, and even his master's, ceased to trouble him. He crawled back into the brambles and laid himself by Frodo's side, and putting away all fear he cast himself into a deep untroubled sleep" (Tolkien).

Here we can see that even in very troubling times Sam remains optimistic on his journey in order to keep him at bay so that he may be of help to his master..
The Lord of the Rings is a great story that inspired many people all over the world ever since it was published in 1954. During the whole epic trilogy of The Lord of the Rings, Tolkien does not explicitly mention any information concerning religion within the story, but we can clearly see how his involvement as a Roman Catholic Christian clearly influenced his writing as a fantasy literature author. There is a definite representation of Christian beliefs within the entire story as a whole, as well as with many of the characters as races or as individuals.

Sam the Wise and Brave

"I'm learning a lot about Sam Gamgee on this journey…He'll end up by becoming a wizard - or a warrior!" Frodo's statement on page 203 of The Lord of the Rings trilogy foreshadows the development of Sam's character throughout. As Frodo's loyal servant, Sam matures from a naïve gardener with little formal education to a trusted friend and guardian with both physical and spiritual strength. Though Sam's reply is that "I don't want to be neither," he becomes able to fight admirably when necessary. He also grows spiritually, and reveals a wiser individual as he matures. But how wise is Sam? According to J.R.R.Tolkien in Appendix F of the trilogy, Sam's given name, Samwise, is a translation of the Hobbit name Banazur, meaning Halfwise, or simple. But is Samwise Gamgee simple and only partially wise, and is that how Tolkien intended him to be characterized? Could Tolkien have a purpose for Sam not immediately evident in the story?
Before leaving the Shire, Sam leads a simple life. This, however, does not make him simple-minded. Although he is not a scholar, he has learned his letters and songs from Bilbo Baggins. His speech, expressive of his rural background, will sometimes express a worldly truth in a charming way. On page 688 Sam offers encouragement in his statement that, "…where there's life there's hope, as my Gaffer used to say, and need of vittles…" This statement is indicative of the unique perspective he brings to the fellowship. A humble servant, this unassuming young Hobbit will grow into an individual who will sometimes see more clearly into a situation than his companions. Sam will maintain his loyalties to family and friends throughout the journey, but will become educated in ways that will make him more complex.
Much of Sam's growth involves wisdom. The primary definition of wisdom in Webster's Encyclopedic Unabridged Dictionary is "having the power of discerning and judging properly as to what is true or right." Wisdom can also refer to scholarly knowledge, insight, and intuition; an archaic definition refers to the knowledge of magic. Sam's unique wisdom is not that of scholarly knowledge. His wisdom is a folk wisdom that deals with intuition, the consequences of choice, and the wisdom of the heart.
Though we know that Sam does not become a wizard in the end of the story, there is significance in Frodo's statement and its relationship to Sam's wisdom. Gandolf the wizard is an Elf, and a member of the Council of the Wise. His intuition and knowledge of what is right is even more important than his magical powers. At the beginning of the trilogy, Sam has a child-like fascination with Elves and their magic. As he learns more about them, we begin to see that as Sam learns to appreciate their differences, he also shares some of their characteristics. On page 85, Sam startles Frodo with his impression of the Elves, saying that they are "old and young, so gay and sad, as it were." As his understanding of the Elves grows, so does his own intuition. Sam loves the Elvish songs that capture the essence of history. Both he and the Elves share a love of nature and a relationship with it. He has a natural way with animals; he is kind to the horse Bill, and Bill has affection for him. He has a connection with trees and sees their destruction in Galadriel's mirror. Appropriately, Galadriel's gift to Sam is a box of magical sand that will ultimately replenish the trees of the Shire. In this way, Sam distributes the Elven magic, allowing the magical rebirth of the Shire. Ultimately, Sam will go to the Grey Havens. Although he goes because he has been a Ring bearer, it is conceivable that he may also go because of his Elf-like, or wizard-like, wisdom.
Sam uses his intuitive wisdom to make choices along the journey. He is the first one to observe that Boromir is acting strangely. Understanding his master, he guesses that Frodo has left on a boat and follows him. He is appropriately suspicious of Gollum when Frodo is more trusting than he should be. Faced with danger in Mordor, it is Sam who instinctually knows when to use the phial of Galadriel. Although "The one small garden of a free gardener was all his need and due"(p. 881), Sam knows that he must make conscious choices to do the right thing. He understands that these choices will have consequences that will affect the safety of his master as well as that of Middle Earth. Understanding his "need and due," he is able to make the choice on page 881 to "forbear the Ring," rather than to "claim it." It is Sam's knowledge of what is right that leads him to accept the roles of Frodo's servant and guardian, and, consequently, warrior.
Sam's willingness to trust his intuition is based on his acknowledgement that he needs to rely on the wisdom of his heart. From the beginning of the trilogy, Sam believes in the possibilities of Elves, Ents and dragons. This belief in possibility opens him up to the potential of deeply enriching interactions with other beings. When he meets the Elves, he loves their apples, but it is their singing that touches his heart. Sam also learns to believe in himself. On page 666, Faramir tells Sam, who believes he has made an error of judgment, that his "heart is shrewd as well as faithful, and saw clearer than your eyes." Sam acknowledges his heart-felt wisdom on page 723 when he discovers that Shelob has not killed Frodo, and says to himself, "You fool, he isn't dead, and your heart knew it. Don't trust your head, Samwise, it is not the best part of you." He also blames himself for leaving Frodo, saying that he knew in his heart that he should never leave his master. The wisdom of his heart is the strength behind his intense loyalty to and love for his master. It is this strength that makes "Sam the Stouthearted," as Frodo calls him, a virtuous protector.
Sam progresses from servant to guardian as his loyalty and love for Frodo grows. In the Shire, Sam's craft is gardening; he lives a peaceful life working for Frodo. In the preface, Tolkien states that the hobbits no longer remember ancient times of war. They had never fought among themselves, and had only defended the Shire against the outside world. He says on page 5 of the Prologue, "They forgot or ignored what little they had ever known of the Guardians, and of the labours of those that made possible the long peace of the Shire." This description is remarkably like Plato's description of his ideal state in The Republic. In this state, some craftsmen, the lower tier of free men, are selected according to aptitude to receive higher education and training to become the Guardians. These Guardians of the state are the warriors, or protectors, of the state. It would seem that, by his description and capitalization of he word "Guardian," Tolkien may be borrowing from Plato. As Frodo's guardian, Sam finds that at times he must use warrior skills to protect his master. The strength obtained from loyalty and love enables the gardener from the Shire to wield a sword and fight with it.
Based on this perspective, Sam is not "Halfwise," but is uniquely wise in ways that are the most meaningful. It is puzzling, therefore, that Tolkien would select this translation for Sam's name. It is possible to hypothesize reasons for this, allowing for creative license. The first possibility is that since Sam is a Halfling, "Halfwise," might simply be a take off on this, following a pattern. The second is that "half" implies an imminent maturation process. The third is that since "the Wise" are Elves, and Sam can't be an Elf, he is halfway there and wiser than the average Hobbit. The fourth deals with the archaic meaning of "wise," which refers to knowledge of magic. Sam has used objects of Elven magic, and sees the magic in nature. In this respect, he may actually be half wise. The fifth possibility is that Tolkien is using irony, and that Sam is wholly wise because he knows what is right, true, and meaningful. The sixth possibility involves a character in Norse mythology. Alvis, whose name means "All-wise," was a dwarf who was promised Thor's daughter, Thud, in marriage. Thor did not want him to marry his daughter, so he challenged him to a test of knowledge to show that his wisdom made up for his small stature. Thor kept Alvis awake all night. When morning came, Alvis turned to stone as all dwarves did when touched by the sun's rays. So Alvis was not all wise, since he lacked the common sense to save his life. Conversely, Samwise is not half wise, because he had the common sense to listen to the wisdom of his heart. This becomes a key factor in saving Middle Earth. Finally, if Sam is half wise, maybe this half is the wisdom of the wizard, and the other half is the strength of the warrior. Looking back to Frodo's statement on page 203, we see that Sam is not a wizard or a warrior, but a combination of the attributes of both. It is this combination of virtues that allows the rescue of Middle Earth.
Of all the characters in the trilogy, Sam is the most developed and the most "human." He expresses his emotions freely. He is unafraid to show his intense love for and loyalty to Frodo. He falls in love and marries. Sam also demonstrates normal human reactions to disappointment. He loves good beer, and expresses disappointment when the travelers don't have time to stop for a drink while on the run. When cold in the snow, he says that he likes to "be in bed when it's falling." He cries when he has to leave Bill behind, and does the same when he has to leave his cooking gear. When he goes back to the Shire, he responds on page 979 to what he finds with, "If I hear 'not allowed' much oftener," "I'm going to get angry." But most importantly, he reveals his frustrations with himself as he struggles on the journey. He has high expectations for himself and expresses his anger at himself if he does not meet them. We hope for his successes and rejoice in them. Perhaps this is why Tolkien has characterized Sam the way he has. In the dark struggles of Middle Earth, here is a character that perseveres and succeeds. His loyalty, love, and the wisdom of his heart give him the strength to carry on. He is an example that the Men and Women of our Age can relate to.

The Benefits of Bad

Throughout J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings, there are many instances in which seemingly negative and even disastrous events end up producing positive results. This stems largely from Tolkien's strong Roman Catholic beliefs in fallen man and the limitless grace of God. All humans are flawed and will necessarily fail, but through the merciful will of God, good is able to come from evil. Milton illustrates this same idea through Satan in Paradise Lost. Though Satan has fallen and embodies the ultimate evil, God allows him a place in hell because He knows that all of Satan's evil doings will eventually facilitate good. There are numerous examples throughout Tolkien's trilogy as well as its prelude, The Hobbit, but only a few of the more evident will be examined here.
On a relatively large and somewhat general scale, the trilogy is set in motion by Bilbo's accidental discovery of the ring in The Hobbit. Bilbo's misfortunes (beginning with Gandalf and the Dwarves dragging him away from the Shire on an adventure) with Trolls and Goblins in the Misty Mountains lead to him to Gollum and the ring. These circumstances that originally appear to Bilbo and the reader as perilous have the immediate beneficial effect of allowing him to escape (by putting the ring on and slipping past Gollum) as well as a grander effect in that his discovery sets in place the foundation for Frodo's eventual possession of the ring and the subsequent quest that ends in its destruction.
One of the early events in The Fellowship of the Ring in which good comes from bad is the Hobbits' getting lost in the Old Forest. If the party had never strayed off path, been intoxicated by the river, fallen asleep, and been engulfed by Old Man Willow, they never would have encountered Tom Bombadil. Had the Hobbits never befriended Tom Bombadil they would have had no rescuer from the Barrow Downs and the quest would have ended before it really even began. The ring would have been lost once more or fallen into the hands of evil. Instead, the Hobbits sing Bombadil's song and are promptly rescued by him. Another positive result of the capturing of the Hobbits in the Barrow-Downs is their acquirement of the swords of the Men of Westernesse from the treasure horde. Merry later uses his to aid Eowyn in fighting and slaying the Black Captain, the Lord of the Nazgul, and Pippin puts his to use against a Troll during the battle at the Black Gates, just before the ring is destroyed in Orodruin.
One of the most important and most evident of these good-from-bad situations is the company's failure to overcome Caradhras and their subsequent journey through the mines of Moria. Though it is debatable (and was debated between Gandalf and Aragorn) which passage is safer, the company despairs when they are unable to surmount Caradhras and are forced to journey further south and enter into the mines of Moria where it is whispered rests a great evil. The evil, of course, turns out to be a Balrog, a being of darkness with equal strength to that of Gandalf. Their parallel strengths owe to the fact that both are probably of the Maiar, the lesser of the Ainur, under the Valar. Gandalf was sent to Middle-Earth as one of the Istari while the Balrogs are beings who rebelled against the light with Melkor.
When Gandalf falls with the Balrog from the Bridge of Khazad-Dum into the abyss, the rest of the party fears his death and mourns. Once outside the mines they weep openly and if not for Aragorn, might have given up and the quest would have failed. In Lothlorien, Legolas refuses to translate the Elvish songs that lament Gandalf's death because it is too painful. Even the Lady of the Wood, Galadriel, and the Lord Celeborn are stricken with despair upon hearing of the wizard's passing. Throughout the company's ride down the Anduin and the events on Amon Hen, they long for Gandalf and his guidance. Aragorn especially misses the wise wizard because he is now the leader of the company and carries the burden of making the difficult decisions. When the fellowship is broken and Aragorn decides to pursue the Orcs to the west, he does so without little hope and Legolas and Gimli follow him with the same foreboding sense. Aragorn says, "with or without hope we will follow the trail of our enemies."
For all of the despair that it causes, Gandalf's fall into the abyss eventually turns out to be a good thing. He returns as Gandalf the White (as opposed to Gandalf the Grey), more powerful than previously and first in the order of the Istari above even Saruman. Gandalf's new powers allow him to restore Theoden, imprison Saruman, and play a prominent role in the defeat of Sauron and the armies of Mordor. What was a terrible loss from the fellowship's perspective led in the long run to Gandalf's superiority to Saruman and his heightened ability to battle the Black Riders and the Morgul forces. Without his fall from the Bridge of Khazad-Dum, Gandalf would have remained the Grey and would have been hard pressed to perform as monumentally as he did after his transformation.
Aside from Aragorn's decision at the breaking of the fellowship, another important event occurs that again results in good from a situation that seemed destined for bad. Boromir's betrayal of the fellowship and his attempt to take the ring from Frodo serve as final catalysts to send Frodo on his way to Mordor. Up to the time of his encounter with Boromir, Frodo was undecided as to whether he would venture into Mordor or first go to Minas Tirith. However, upon seeing through its corruption of Boromir the true power of the ring, Frodo knows there is no other choice than to take it to the place of its forging, Mount Doom. Not only does Boromir's betrayal cause Frodo's decision to travel to Mordor, but it also causes him to want to go alone. Initially, a trek into Mordor might not seem like a positive thing, but it of course results in the ring's destruction and the end of Sauron's dominion.
After the capture and escape of Merry and Pippin, the two Hobbits run into Fangorn Forest and meet Treebeard the Ent. Had they not been captured and carried such a distance by the Orcs they never would have encountered the Ents, which would have resulted in the lack of a force sufficient to topple Orthanc. Only through his meeting the young Hobbits does Treebeard learn of the extent of Saruman's evil, call an Entmoot, and with the other Ents, decide to wage war upon Isengard. Without the Ents Saruman might have remained in power and the Orcs at helm's deep could have fled back to Isengard to regroup and rebuild their battered army. The capture of Merry and Pippin, though initially seen as a dire setback, produced many positive results.
One round-about result of the Hobbits' capture and their dealings with Saruman and the Ents is the finding of the palantir after Wormtongue naively casts it out one of Orthanc's windows. Pippin touches it and therefore becomes consumed with it to the point that he takes it from Gandalf as the tired wizard sleeps. He looks into it and though the immediate results of his doing so seem bad, there are also several good results that are born out of his foolishness. Pippin's looking into the palantir convinces Sauron that the Hobbit (from his perspective, possibly the one with the ring) is still in captivity in Isengard and is being forced by Saruman to look into the Seeing-stone. This accidental deception of the Lord of the Rings buys Gandalf and the rest of the party some time. Also, Gandalf mentions that by looking into the palantir, Pippin unknowingly prevented Gandalf from doing so. The wizard says, "Maybe I have been saved by this hobbit from a grave blunder. I had considered whether or not to probe this stone myself to find its uses. Had I done so, I should have been revealed to him myself."
There are many more of these occurrences of good being born from bad. Gollum is a wonderful example. At the end of the trilogy, his evil lust for the ring results in his biting off Frodo's finger and long awaited recovery of his "precious," only to fall back into the Fire of Doom and complete the quest that Frodo could not, saving Middle-Earth from Sauron. It can be argued that the entire saga, from Isildur's attainment of the ring to its destruction in Orodruin is an example of this recurrent theme. Through their adventures with the ring, the Hobbits discover unhobbit-like qualities within themselves and end up playing paramount roles in the history of Middle-Earth. The Hobbits are worthy of being remembered in songs and tales only because of the ring.

Tolkien's Influence on the Riddle-Master Trilogy

Previous works of literature have a tendency to influence later writers. Since man first began telling stories he has used ideas from previous works to help shape his own stories. Such is the case with Patricia McKillip's Riddle-Master. In this trilogy McKillip uses the works of J.R.R. Tolkien to get ideas for her story. Throughout the trilogy Tolkien's influence can be seen. McKillip herself even says in her introduction that Tolkien inspired many of her own ideas.
The first sign of Tolkien in the Riddle-Master trilogy is seen at the very beginning of the book when Morgon tells his family how he won a crown from Peven in a riddle game. If Morgon had not answered Peven's riddle than Morgon would have died, but sine Peven could not answer Morgon's riddle, Morgon won Peven's crown. This scenario is similar to what Bilbo Baggins had to do in J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit. Gollum would have killed Bilbo and ate him if he could not come up with an answer to Gollum's riddle. When Gollum was not able to answer Bilbo's riddle it was agreed that Gollum would show Bilbo the way out of the goblin's cave.
Touches of Tolkien are found in the Riddle-Master Trilogy in terms of the use of water. As in Tolkien water is used as boundaries between lands, and as a way to get from one place to another. However, water can have a dark side in terms of what can be hidden beneath its surface. In Tolkien's Lord of the Rings, Frodo, Sam, and Gollum on their way to Mount Doom must pass through the Dead Marshes. The name is quite appropriate since floating are through it are the bodies of dead men. McKillip uses Tolkien's Dead Marshes idea in the Riddle-Master. Lyra, Tristan, Raederle, and the crew on the boat travel up the Winter River and see dead animal carcasses floating in the river. Although the Winter River is nowhere near as bad as the Dead Marshes that Frodo, Sam, and Gollum traveled through for people unaccustomed to seeing such things it was a very unpleasant experience.
Other similarities between Tolkien's works and the Riddle-Master exist between the heroes and the villains. In the Riddle-Master Master Ohm is someone that people trust but it turns out that he is working against the people the realm just as Sauramon was trusted but was actually working for Sauron. Both Master Ohm and Sauramon gained the trust of people by seeming to be wise men working for the good of everybody, but both were secretly working against them in hopes of controlling their lands.
Although the High One is not a villain he seems like it to the people in his realm. As Morgon is going through all his troubles and suffering for being the Star-Bearer the High One does nothing to help him and the people of the realm being to wonder why the High One does nothing to help Morgon or themselves when war with the Shape-Changers begins. The High One is like Sauron in the fact that no one sees either of these characters. Event though the High One does travel through the land as Deth and then Yrth, it is the fact that no one knows that he is the High One that is similar to Sauron. As far as the people of the realms are concerned each man is hiding in their strongholds, Erlenstar Mountain for the High One and Mordor for Sauron.
Not only are the villains similar but so are the heroes. Both Aragorn and Morgon are kings who are reluctant to fulfill their destinies. Aragorn is wary of his destiny. He knows what his ancestors have done and on some level is afraid that he might do the same thing. He has spent his life as a Ranger and is reluctant to forgo that life for the life of a king. Eventually he embraces his destiny just as Morgon does, but it takes drastic actions to get them to that point of acceptance. Morgon learns that he is the Star-Bearer and resists his destiny for various reasons. Number one is he does not want to be the Star-Bearer. Number two is he does not know what the Star-Bearer is supposed to do, and he does not understand how someone could have known he was coming centuries ago.
Not only is Morgon reluctant to fulfill his destiny but he does not want to go to Erlenstar Mountain to find the answers to his riddles. This is similar to Frodo who does not want to be the Ring-Bearer. At the beginning of Lord of the Rings Frodo is reluctant to carry out the quest he has been given and until the fellowship breaks up he is unsure if he wants the responsibility or if he even wants to carry out his quest. Morgon is the same way. He denies begin the Star-Bearer and tries many times to turn away from finding answers at Erlenstar Mountain but each time fate intervenes and pushes him in that direction until the decision is taken out of his hands.
Besides both being reluctant to accept their destines Aragorn and Morgon are alike in another way. Both men enlist the help of a dead army. Aragorn gets the help of a dead army to help fight the Orcs. The dead army helps because they swore to fulfill an oath and helping fight the Orcs will fulfill their oath. Morgon gets the dead kings of An to help him protect Hed. Morgon cannot protect Hed himself since he must try to find the High One and he does not want to leave Hed without protection so he gets the dead army form An to protect Hed for him. They dead kings would rather finish their own wars but after Morgon gets them to understand him they comply and gladly go the Hed to protect that land front he Shape-Changers.
Patricia McKillip's Riddle-Master Trilogy is like the works of J.R.R. Tolkien in another way. In both stories, people are mining under mountains. In Tolkien's works, the dwarves mine for treasures in such places as the Lonely Mountain and Moria. In the Riddle-Master, the miners look for diamonds under Isig Mountain.
The examples above are just some of the ways the Tolkien's works have influenced the work of McKillip, and there is no doubt that future generation of writers will take some of McKillip's ideas and use them in their works of literature. Getting ideas from previous writers to help shape your story has been going on since stories were first told and will continue to go on until there is no one left to tell stories.

The Power of Imagery

The imagery and details in which a character is presented often foreshadow both their personality and role in a story. Landscapes in which a character travels are also presented through the use of dark or light colors in order to show it as a place of rest or one of worry. When one character is labeled as good, they are often represented and presented through lighter colors. If a character is evil, than the imagery often becomes darker and more morbid. In book one and two, Gandalf and Saruman are two characters who's views and opinions clash as the journey of power and the obsession of the ring grows greater in the minds of many. In the J.R.R. Tolkien's trilogy, The Lord of the Rings, the power of imagery and color are combined to define the roles of many character's, for good or evil, including those of Gandalf and Saruman.
As Gandalf is introduced in the novel, he is seen as an outsider to the residents of Bag End. He is a stranger and is given looks of dismay by the townspeople. They believe him to be dangerous, as he knows and uses the powers of magic. At "the end of…September a cart came in broad daylight. An old man was driving it all alone. He wore a tall pointed blue hat, along grey cloak, and a silver scarf. He had a long white beard and bushy eyebrows that stuck out beyond the brim of his hat" (Book 1, 25). His appearance and mysterious presence often makes those around him afraid until they come to know his good nature. He is often addressed as Gandalf the Grey because of the color his robes. This color also represents him as a man on a thin line between the forces around him. His grey coloring represents an attitude that is often affected by both good and evil, yet he consistently chooses the side of good. The Shire is also introduced as a place of great beauty and peace. Here, Gandalf finds a refuge from the troubles of the outside world. There is a comfort found in the Shire that cannot be found elsewhere. Inside, "Bag End, Bilbo and Gandalf were sitting at the open window of a small room looking …to the garden. The late afternoon was bright and peaceful. The flowers glowed red and golden: snap-dragons and sunflowers…peeping in at the round windows" (26). The imagery that describes the Shire is able to create a place that is paradisiacal and utopian to the reader. It is a place of relaxation and comfort for those that make their home there. The paradise of the Shire is soon shattered though with the "disappearance" of Bilbo. Soon, Frodo finds himself longing to see his uncle once again, even if it means leaving the Shire that he is so fond of. He "found himself wondering at times, especially in the autumn, about the wild lands, and strange visions of mountains that he had never seen came into his dreams" (46). The imagery in this passage foreshadows the events that will soon change young Frodo's life forever. The lands and mountains that he will soon come to face will truly be both "wild" and "strange."
The ring's presence will become stronger as time passes and will forever leave a mark upon Frodo. Wherever he turns, the power of the ring is with him, attracting the attention of many. His every thought is turned to the ring and "every night, as the Moon waned again, it shone brighter and brighter. Frodo could see it from his window, deep in the heavens, burning like a watchful eye that glared above the trees on the brink of the valley" (307). In this passage the ring is represented to Frodo in the form of a burning eye, always watching and glowing closer. The ring brings burdens and responsibilities that often seem too great for young Frodo. The power of the ring is ever-present and it often takes all of Frodo's strength to keep it from harmful hands. With the help of many, Frodo will take a journey that will consume and take many years and the strength from his own life.
After the danger of the ring is revealed, Gandalf seeks advice and turns to Saruman, who he thinks he can trust. It is soon revealed, however, that Saruman has descended into the depths of evil. Saruman mocks and taunts Gandalf for being "foolish" and unwise to the power of the ring. Though his robes look white, they fool the eye and Gandalf soon realizes the true evil that stands before him. Saruman exclaims, "I am Saruman the Wise, Saruman Ring-maker, Saruman of Many Colours!" Gandalf then "saw that his robes, which had seemed white, were not so, but were woven of all colours, and if they moved they shimmered and changed hue so that the eye was bewildered" (290). Saruman's trickery and lies are revealed and are easily seen by the naked eye. He cannot hide his truly dark and cold nature from Gandalf. Gandalf simply replies, 'I liked white better." Saruman scoffs, "White! It serves as a beginning. White cloth may be dyed. The white page can be overwritten; and the white light can be broken" (290). Tolkien uses Saruman's white robes to represent the opposite of good. His robes eventually change and become dirtier and darker, along with his heart. Evil has overcome Saruman's every thought and even his appearance. He surrounds himself with evil and it eventually consumes him, body and soul. Saruman's replies to Gandalf show his twisted and dark nature. Just like his robes, his own mind is poisoned and "dyed" through Sauron. Once a powerful ruler of good, he no longer possesses this knowledge, but turns all of his power towards evil actions. Seeing him for the evil that he had become, Gandalf replies, "In which case it is no longer white. And he that breaks a thing to find out what it is has left the path of wisdom" (290). This passage shows that Gandalf has seen Saruman for the fraud that he is as his robes can never be clean and pure again. Saruman's robes easily turn darker, but it is almost impossible for the robes to become completely clean and white ever again. Gandalf knows that he has left the path of knowledge and wisdom for all time. Once he turns his back on good, he cannot come back.
As time passes, Gandalf goes through a period of great tribulation and suffering after falling into the depths of earth with the monster Shadow. They "all gazed at him. His hair was white as snow in the sunshine; and gleaming white was his robe; the eyes under his deep brows were white, piercing as the rays of the sun; power was in his hand…Yes, I am white now…Saruman as he should have been" (Book 2, 102). The true power of good is manifest through Gandalf. The white of his robes represent the pure power that he possesses for good. He passes from the middle color of grey into a spectacular and purer white. Both his knowledge and power have grown stronger than before and he will use these gifts to combat the evil that has grown since his long absence. When Gandalf comes to confront Saruman's evil he cries, "Behold, I am not Gandalf the Grey, whom you betrayed. I am Gandalf the White, who has returned from death. You have no colour now, and I cast you from the order and from the Council!" (208). This passage shows how Gandalf uses the power of his color to cast Saruman from the council and conquer the dark force of Saruman and his evil.
Just as many of the characters have transformed, the surrounding landscapes have also changed and become overrun by dark forces. Villages are burned, trees are cut and burned, Orcs run freely to destroy as they please, many innocent people are murdered, the skies turn dark and ominous, and fear has spread throughout lands everywhere. The trail left by the Orcs…"needed little skill to find. No other folk make such a trampling. It seems their delight to slash and beat down growing things that are not even in their way…they go with a good speed…and they do not tire" (11). As the dangerous and blood-thirsty Orcs roam the land, they spread Sauron's evil influence as well. They kill and devour anything left in their paths and do not care about the damage they leave behind. They are one of the ultimate representations and creations of evil. AS Frodo looks around him, "everywhere he looked he saw the signs of war. The Misty Mountains were crawling like anthills: orcs were issuing out of a thousand holes. Under the boughs of Mirkwood there was deadly strife of Elves and fell beasts. The land of the Boernings was aflame; a cloud was over Moria; smoke rose on the borders of Lorien" (450). The imagery in this passage shows the state of sorrow and pain that Frodo both feels and sees all around him. The shows that he will make will ultimately decide if the earth will continue to be plagued with these wars or if peace and beauty will return again.
Through the uses of imagery and color, the characters and landscapes often manifest whether they are good or overcome by evil. In the journey to conquer evil and destroy the evil of the ring, both characters and landscapes are often influenced and overrun by darkness. The once pleasant and cheerful lands are burned and strewn with dead bodies. The forces of evil also reveal the true nature of Saruman and his dark robes. As the power of the ring grows ever stronger, the imagery of the book changes, along with the attitudes of the characters and the landscapes of the novel.