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Epic Tolkien Bookclub: Week Two
Epic Tolkien Bookclub: Week Two (The Hobbit)
Chapter III: A Short Rest
Chapter IV: Over Hill and Under Hill
Rules
I very much doubt we'll require much in the way of formal rules, but just for the sake of formality and clarity:
Chapter III: A Short Rest
Chapter IV: Over Hill and Under Hill
Rules
I very much doubt we'll require much in the way of formal rules, but just for the sake of formality and clarity:
- Discussion is welcome and encouraged, as is disagreement. Name-calling and personal attacks will be punished by a blind date with Gollum at the Mordor Fried Warg Emporium. I highly recommend the Mildewed Troll Innards (a deep, earthy dish, with plenty of flavour), and Boiled Nazgul Backside (light and airy, what it lacks in substance it makes up for in its sharp, stabbing taste that will stay with you long after you've left).
- There is no spoiler policy in place. Although we're reading the Hobbit, please feel free to bring in things from other Tolkien works, any of the films, the History of Middle Earth, the Letters of JRR Tolkien, and, if you should like, other literary sources.
- There is no such thing as too much geekery. Or taking the text too seriously.
- If you have any concerns at any point, I'm the closest thing this gong show has to a mod, so feel free to get in touch. I can be reached either by PM through this site, or directly by email at sigridhr.lokidottir@gmail.com.
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Olsen actually defends the "tra-la-la-lally" song, and this is how he does it. We know from the rest of the text that Elves are not bubbleheaded lunatics, even if that is the impression you would draw from their song alone. So how do you take the song? He argues that Tolkien is trying very hard (and possibly not quite succeeding) to get across the joy of Elves.
Pretty much the whole song is statements of the glaringly obvious, along with questions they already know the answers to. It's a kind of joke, teasing Bilbo and the Dwarves as they ride along. Every stanza ends in a laugh, after all.
What Tolkien is trying to get across, Olsen argues, is that Elves find everything in the world equally delightful: the Dwarves' seriousness, Bilbo on his pony, the smoking fire, the running river, the leaves on the trees. This in contrast to the epic tragic history which is only implied in The Hobbit but which we know to exist. Put that way, yes, I can find it a little bit moving. Until I read the actual song again and want to stab something.
(Olsen also contrasts the Elves' song with the Goblin song in the next chapter. They're both songs of utter delight, with stanzas that end in a laugh, except the Elves are taking delight in the world around them and the Goblins are taking delight in the capture, torment, and eventual death of the Dwarves. Another argument for Orcs as corrupted Elves, I think.)
Alternatively, someone back in the early days of the interwebs came up with this explanation, which I like quite a lot.
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Still, the (hilarious - thank you!) linked explanation makes a good point that Bilbo wanted to sit under the stars and listen to the singing, so presumably it improved somewhat.
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I agree, it doesn't come off well, but the more I consider it the better I see the point.
(As far as Gondolin already having been written - I do think Tolkien was trying very hard to keep his epic mythology out of this children's story as much as possible, and he may have overcompensated as an attempt to keep all the kinslaying and betrayal and violence as far from this story as possible.)