what services does he need? I don't see him as the "Master of his own
land" at all; that sounds too much like the "burden" Goldberry denies.
Bombadil is his own master, and not anyone else's.
And in the poems about Bombadil the trees and animals and spirits of the Old
Forest, as well as the hobbits he visits, certainly don't treat him as their
master. Of course he is perfectly capable of defending himself against
any attack, but that is very different from demanding service. He also
has friends, but his friends are not servants.
In his letters Tolkien expressly distinguishes Bombadil from Treebeard.
Bombadil observes; Treebeard "weeds." Treebeard is a far more active
caretaker than Bombadil. For the most part Bombadil lets the
Barrow-wights, sentient trees, and hobbits do their own thing without
interference. The hobbits catch him on a good day and he helps them out,
but if there is a power behind that coincidence, it is not Tom, but a Higher
Power.
“I dislike Allegory - the conscious and intentional allegory - yet any attempt to explain the purport of myth or fairytale must use allegorical language. (And, of course, the more 'life' a story has the more readily will it be susceptible of allegorical interpretations: while the better a deliberate allegory is made the more nearly will it be acceptable just as a story.)” (From Tolkien Letter # 131.)
Tips for posting in the Reading Room.
