I'm posting this afresh as Annael's thread has already moved far down the
board. I've got a few points to make on the Faramir episode in Book IV,
i.e. the second half of The Two Towers. With regard to the "spontanaeity"
of Faramir's striding into the LotR I'd like to show just how carefully
contrived the development of Faramir’s interrogation of Frodo is, so that it
parallels exactly Éomer’s interrogation of Aragorn. Watch, incidentally,
how a contrast between Éomer and Faramir emerges; more important in my view,
however, is the comparison between Aragorn and Frodo which underlies the whole
episode. There is a lot going on in this highly complex passage which
Tolkien has crafted with great care.
I. Interview of Frodo/Aragorn before the assembled troops:
Éomer’s men form a circle around Aragorn and
his party
Faramir’s men form a semi-circle between the
arms of which Faramir sits (as I interpret it, *facing* his men) with Frodo in
front of Faramir (i.e. between Faramir and Faramir’s men)
II. Both Aragorn and Frodo, after realising that they are getting nowhere
with their interrogator, soon play the same "trump" card: Aragorn’s true
identity.
Éomer is completely bowled over by this
Faramir’s men are completely bowled over,
but Faramir himself maintains his equanimity.
III. Both Aragorn’s and Frodo’s negotiations with their interrogator are
nearly derailed when a companion interjects and almost picks a fight with the
interogator.
Gimli, in his rôle as cavalier, vigorously
defends Galadriel, and Éomer almost lets himself be drawn into a fight.
Sam rushes up to defend Frodo against an
insinuation of Faramir’s, but Faramir remains perfectly calm and rebukes Sam so
effectively that Sam sits down quietly with a red face.
IV. In both interrogations the Lady of the Wood is discussed.
Éomer knows only base superstitions about
her, casts aspersions on her, and nearly gets into a fight on account of
this.
Faramir is displays reverence towards her;
in fact, he alleges that Frodo hasn’t quite realised how powerful Galadriel is:
"You passed through the Hidden Land, but it seems that you little understood
its power." In fact, Faramir’s respect for the Elves in general and for
Galadriel in particular will prove the key to getting the information he needs
(out of Sam as it turns out) in order to make a decision in a hard
matter.
V . Both times the "public" interrogation ends, only to be followed by a
"private" interview.
Éomer sends his men away so that he can
speak privately with Aragorn about things which he would rather not discuss in
front of his men (prospects for war, craven counsellors at Théoden’s court,
etc.).
Faramir concludes the public interrogation,
brings Frodo to Henneth Amun, and there discusses "matters that were better not
debated openly," viz. Isildur’s Bane.
VI. Both Éomer and Faramir have direct orders to kill or to take captive
any strangers whom they may find. Neither, however, wants to execute
these orders hastily.
VII. Both Éomer and Faramir will eventually decide to disobey their
orders.
Éomer will do so almost obediently to
Aragorn’s commands: Éomer, by this time, is referring to Aragorn as "lord" and
accepting anything Aragorn says at face value.
Faramir will do so only after ascertaining
from Frodo (with a bit of inadvertent help from Sam) the full truth of Frodo’s
mission.
VIII. Both Éomer and Faramir will then do everything in their power to
aid the persons whom they have interrogated.
Éomer (as already pointed out) is by this
time more or less accepting orders from Aragorn.
Faramir – after he has discovered the full
truth – will also allow Frodo practically to dictate to him. Take, e.g.,
the Gollum-affair: Faramir delays killing Gollum until he has first talked to
Frodo; Faramir then spares Gollum on Frodo’s say-so; Faramir (by the far the
better cross-examiner) also interrogates Gollum on Frodo’s behalf, takes
Frodo’s word for Gollum’s future good conduct, and finally accepts Frodo’s
judgement in the matter of whether or not Gollum should guide him into Mordor
over Cirith Ungol. In the end Faramir gives Frodo provisions for the
future journey.
IX. Both Éomer and Faramir will for their disobedience receive severe
chastisment from their respective overlords, Théoden and Denethor.
To conclude, obviously Tolkien has set up the two
situations in parallel. The LotR, by the way, evinces far more "parallel
scenes" of this kind. To give one additional example: both Aragorn and
Frodo at the respective ends of Books III and IV must pass through a long, dark
tunnel. (Of course, this harrowing event is highly symbolic, but never
mind; and oh, that there be no mistake: no, the harrowing journey through the
underworld of a tunnel is not be interpreted sexually. Protestants
probably won’t get it immediately, Catholics will.)
Finally, the parallel scenes in Books III-VI tend, in my
opinion, to compare Frodo and Aragorn. Aragorn is the book’s most obvious
traditional hero (though he is, of course, far, far more than just the
conventional hero which a superficial reading makes of him), and it serves to
underline Frodo’s (the Everyman Hero’s) own heroic stature when Tolkien
repeatedly sets Frodo down into the same situation as Aragorn so that the
reader sees the Everyman Hero overcoming the same perilous circumstances,
proving himself in the same tricky situations as the Conventional Hero.
That’s why it’s so important that both Aragorn and Frodo, in their own
different ways, win the upper hand in their negotiations with Éomer and Faramir
respectively. A parting remark: Frodo had to deal with a far subtler
character than did Aragorn – and Frodo still managed successfully. The
final chapters of the book show us, I think, how Frodo, the Everyman Hero, in
some respects at least, passes up the Conventional Hero: in acknowledgement
whereof Aragorn, on the field of Cormallen, kneels before Frodo.
N.b.: That there be no mistake, Tom Shippey, in his book Author of the Century,
(Pp. 98-102) covers a lot of the same ground as I have in this note. I
haven’t had the book open in front of me while writing, so I’m not sure just
how much we overlap: I know he goes through the parallels between Éomer’s and
Faramir’s interrogations and it’s highly likely that what I’ve written is
nearly identical to what he wrote. From memory, Shippey’s treatment
focusses almost exclusively on the contrast between Éomer and Faramir and views
the two commanders as representatives of their two peoples, the Rohirrim and
the Gondorians respectively. I think that’s perfectly correct and part of
Tolkien’s intention. From memory, Shippey doesn’t go through the
comparison between Frodo and Aragorn; so that’s my contribution to the
discussion. From my notes in Shippey’s margin (which I have just now
looked at) I, while reading his treatment of this scene, didn’t think Shippey
saw just how complex the scene and its comparisons & contrasts were.
Anyway, as this isn’t an article intended for publication, I haven’t put in
footnotes and exact references and hope this general paragraph suffices to
acknowledge my (large) debt to Shippey’s
treatment.
All that is gold does not glitter,
Not all those who wander are lost;
The old that is strong does not wither,
Deep roots are not reached by the frost.
From the ashes a fire shall be woken,
A light from the shadows shall spring;
Renewed shall be blade that was broken,
The crownless again shall be king.
