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Re: LOTR

From:The Gray Wizard <dbell@...>
Date:Saturday, November 10, 2001, 14:48
> From: Matthew Pearson > > --- The Grey Wizard wrote: > I always found the Tom Bombadil episode the least satisfying in the book. > Not only would it "be hard to translate the Bombadil episode to > film without > making it look silly", but I found even Tolkien's rendition rather silly > <ducking>. The whole "Hey dol! Merry dol!" thing came across as a bit too > disneyesque for me. > --- end of quote --- > > I understand your trepidation, but I wouldn't call him a > Disneyesque character. "Disneyesque" makes me think of Snow White > singing to the bluebirds and all that. The interesting thing > about Bombadil for me is that he looks like a Disney character on > the outside, but on the inside he goes quite deep.
Well, I don't think I feel any particular trepidation, but it is precisely the "singing to the bluebirds and all that" that makes Tom seem disneyesque to me.
> --- beginning of quote --- > Nor am I sure that I agree about Tom's "importance to Tolkien's conception > of the Ring." > --- end of quote --- > > Well, that was awkwardly phrased. What I meant is that the > Bombadil episode--specifically the fact that Bombadil can see > people who are made invisible by the Ring, is not himself made > invisible when he puts it on, and neither covets nor indeed > expresses much interest in the Ring--plays a small but crucial > part in Tolkien's equation of the Ring with the concept of Power. > The greater one's power, the more he desires the Ring, and the > more influence it wields over him. The Bombadil incident > illustrates that only someone who is completely at peace with > himself can withstand the lure of the Ring entirely. Bombadil has > found the Centre. It's significant that when Frodo asks Goldberry > who Tom Bombadil is, she replies simply: "He is."
Yes, I would agree that this is the role Tom is "intended" to play, but fails to achieve. Tom, IMHO, comes across as an overgrown hobbit without the stature of a Bilbo or a Frodo. He is too light a character to carry the weight of this theme, particularly as he is the only character to do so. I find him all too reminiscent of Uncle Remus and keep expecting him to belt out a chorus of "Zippity Doo Dah". Stay curious, David David E. Bell The Gray Wizard i guronar demith ir gonar amis www.graywizard.net Wisdom begins in wonder. elivas en ishron ordelmar cotronian istran yani godran udhelfas