The Path of Wisdom

"Yet oft in lies truth is hidden" (259).
J. R. R. Tolkien's The Fellowship of the Ring (1954)

Points for Reflection

J. R. R. Tolkien's The Fellowship of the Ring, Bk 2, chps. 1-4

1. What similar conclusion do Gandalf and Elrond draw when it comes to studying closely that which you hope to defeat?
2. What examples of inter-species collaboration, rare in the present, remain from the past?
3. Frodo notes that Bilbo’s verses about Eärendil “seemed to me to fit” (231) as he drifted in half-sleep. Does Bilbo’s poetry (227-30) share any thematic features with Frodo’s recent experience?
4. Elrond declares “nothing is evil in the beginning,” (incl. Sauron), but calls the One Ring “altogether evil” (261).  Is the notion of an inherently evil object akin to anything in the real world?
5. Pop morality encourages trust in what the heart tells us.  Does Tolkien agree?
6. Why doesn’t the Company head west with the ring?
7. Why is it initially difficult to stay awake in Rivendell?
8. Putting aside understandable pride in his own versification, for what other reasons does Bilbo voice poetry aloud?
9. Does the novel contain any intimations of romance?
10. Why did Gandalf hold so closely to what he gradually learned until the Council of Elrond at which he divulges everything?
11. Why do the good guys not entrust the ring into the hands of strong and mighty warriors?
12. Does Elrond shame anyone into joining the Company that sets out from Rivendell?
13. Does recollecting the past tend to inspire nostalgia, or provide somber counterpoint for the present? [Jillian D]
14. Are the most valuable substances encountered by our heroes the products of innovation in the past or in the present, and do they tend to hail from one particular species?
15. Why is Narsil renamed?
16. Is there any possibility for eliminating the One Ring that the Council of Elrond does not adequately consider?
17. In what order do those present at the Council of Elrond share their part of the tale, and why?
18. How did Sauron disguise the One Ring?
19. What features of Isildur’s experience with the ring recur in more recent encounters with it?
20. What does the One Ring’s inscription tell us about its nature?
21. Why not use the Elves’ three rings against Sauron?
22. Why doesn’t the fellowship of the ring include a powerful elf lord?
23. Who is the leader of the fellowship?
24. Does Aragorn’s self-confidence rise to the level of his estimable lineage?
25. What qualities distinguish Arwen from her peers?
26. Which of the arts does Bilbo contribute to most in Rivendell?
27. Has Bilbo’s new life in Rivendell eliminated the ring’s old pull on him?
28. Is Boromir a rational, intelligent member of the company?
29. What exceptional qualities make Elrond an able leader?
30. Does Frodo become the member of a company whose fellows are all more capable than himself? Does Frodo possess any distinguishing features that set him apart from the others, or is his prominent position merely a matter of chance, of fate?
31. Does Gandalf think Frodo’s altered appearance a problem?
32. Is Frodo’s decision at the end of Elrond’s council a manifestation of his heart’s desire?
33. Is Frodo’s decision at the end of Elrond’s council a manifestation of his heart’s desire?
34. Does Gandalf regularly confess his errors, or spin mistakes as the result of circumstance?
35. Why does Gandalf refrain from using magic more frequently?
36. Is Gimli’s self-confidence well-placed?
37. Why does Glóin respond to Legolas’s presence with hostility?
38. How is it that Gollum is currently on the loose?
39. Do Elrond’s words about the long-dead Isildur enshrine the latter’s memory?
40. Are Glorfindel’s primary contributions measured in might or wisdom?
41. What notable attributes does Legolas add to the company, besides his skill with a bow?
42. Gandalf rebuts Pippin’s claim to intelligence (265).  Is this just?
43. Is Radagast the Brown the fool Sarauman calls him (257)?
44. What valuables does Sam bring on their travels, and what does he neglect to include?
45. What happened to Sauron the same year that Bilbo found the ring?
46. What color is Saruman’s robe, and why does this matter? [Johnny E]
47. What does Saruman believe motivates Sauron’s actions?
48. What strategies has Sauron employed to encourage compliance from dwarves and men?
49. Is fear of Sauron wise?
50. Was Sauron, like the One Ring, originally and thoroughly evil?
51. What idea does Sauron, despite his intelligence and wisdom, not consider?
52. Is there any indication that Sauron knows the Company is heading east instead of west?
53. Does Gandalf consider Moria as dangerous as Mordor?
54. Why doesn’t the council of Elrond attempt to give Bombadil the Ring for safekeeping?
55. Does Elrond believe Elves and Men could collaborate again as of old?
56. Are the nine dark riders equal in power?
57. What species does Saruman believe will soon dominate Middle-earth?
58. Why did Sauron relocate from Dol Guldur in Mirkwood to Barad-dûr in Mordor?
59. Who created Isengard?
60. Why is Minas Morgul (previously Minas Ithil) no longer under Gondor’s control?
61. Why do Glóin and other dwarves now speak of Moria with both longing and dread? [Liam S]
62. Why does Gandalf recommend heading into Moria, despite never wanting to reenter it?
63. Does the mechanism of the Moria door recall a time of unification among humanoid species, or division?
64. Is Rivendell (“The Last Homely House” in The Hobbit a stronghold that can resist all attack?
65. What emotions does Rivendell engender in its visitors?
66. Does it sound as though the Rohirrim of Rohan can be trusted not to have fallen under the sway of Sauron?
67. What types of birds tend to be more trustworthy in Tolkien’s legendarium?
68. Are any four-legged animals innately good or evil?

original illustration
J. R. R. Tolkien

Dr. Paul Marchbanks
pmarchba@calpoly.edu