![]() ![]() Tolkien's account of the creature at this stage is practically the same as in the final published version. Īn early version of the Fellowship's encounter with the Watcher is found in The Return of the Shadow. The "Watcher in the Water", or just "the Watcher", is the only name Tolkien gave to this creature. See also: The History of The Lord of the Rings They have taken the Bridge and second hall. In the last pages of the book, the scribe, revealed to be Ori, relates: "We cannot get out. Later, the Fellowship find the Book of Mazarbul, a record of Balin's failed expedition of Dwarves to reclaim Moria. There are older and fouler things than orcs in the deep places of the world." He privately notes that the creature reached for Frodo, the Ring-bearer, first out of all the members of the company. As Gandalf commented, "Something has crept or been driven out of the dark water under the mountains. The Company rescue Frodo and retreat into Moria, and the Watcher seals the Doors of the West Gate shut. When the party approaches the Gate, the Watcher seizes Frodo Baggins with a long, pale-green, luminous, fingered tentacle, succeeded by twenty more. It is said to have appeared after the damming of the local river Sirannon, and its presence was first recorded by Balin's dwarf company 30 or so years before the beginning of The Fellowship of the Ring. They first try the mountain pass, but the weather proves too severe, and the Fellowship turn back and approach Moria's West Gate, beside which the Watcher lived in a lake. During their journey, they face two evil choices to cross the Misty Mountains: over the mountain of Caradhras through the Redhorn Gate pass, or through Moria, a dark labyrinth of tunnels and pits. In The Lord of the Rings, the Fellowship of the Ring are on a quest to Mount Doom to destroy the One Ring made by the Dark Lord Sauron. Its presence in combination with the barrier lake and the formidable Doors of Durin have been likened to the multiple obstacles often found in Norse mythology. The origins of the creature are not described in Tolkien's works, but critics have compared it to the legendary kraken and to Odysseus's passage between the devouring Scylla and the whirlpool Charybdis. Lurking in a lake beneath the western walls of the dwarf-realm Moria, it is said to have appeared after the damming of the river Sirannon, and its presence was first recorded by Balin's dwarf company 30 or so years before the beginning of The Fellowship of the Ring. Tolkien's Middle-earth it appears in The Fellowship of the Ring, the first volume of The Lord of the Rings. The worst part of it all? Gollum knew it.The Watcher in the Water is a fictional creature in J. The Ring chose him as a "holding cell" as it waited for its master and then abandoned him when the time came. On the contrary, he had no choice in the decision. Gollum isn't the driving force in possessing the Ring. The wizard's explanation reveals a critical part of the Gollum/Ring relationship. He hated the dark, and he hated light more: he hated everything, and the Ring most of all." When Frodo challenges this notion, Gandalf clarifies that, "He hated it and loved it, as he hated and loved himself. Gandalf comes to the same conclusion in "The Fellowship of the Ring." When the wizard explains Gollum's situation to Frodo, he says, "He was altogether wretched. And that isn't just us playing armchair psychologist. The self-loathing creature both loves and hates the Ring. ![]() But it turns out that those words are only half correct. It doesn't matter if you're talking about the books or the movies, though, no character gets in Gollum's way more than Samwise Gamgee.Īll things considered, it seems like one could say with confidence that Gollum loves the Ring. But Sam turns out to be too feisty, and he sends Gollum packing - right before he takes on Shelob, too. At the same time, Gollum jumps Sam and tries to strangle him. Instead, Frodo runs ahead and is ambushed by Shelob. Remember, in the book Sam hasn't been sent away at this point. It isn't until Gollum betrays Frodo to the clutches of Shelob that they finally come to blows. ![]() But they tend to keep things civil most of the time. For instance, he clearly dislikes Gollum and makes up names for the bipolar creature, calling him "Slinker" and "Stinker." There are even a few moments where Gollum and Sam butt heads. Much of Sam's distrust of Gollum takes place through internal dialogue. In the books, this relationship is similar, but it plays out a little less obviously. Things even get so bad that, right before Gollum betrays his master, he goes out of his way to get Sam out of the picture. He doesn't want the creature around, and he's really tough on the villain. In the movies, this antipathy is shown in a fairly straightforward manner.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |