"The Two Towers" Read-through: Week 1 Recap
Our journey begins!
Good tidings, fellowship. We’ve reached the recap point for our first week, but as has been mentioned before, it’s not too late to start your read-through journey with us! We only read two chapters per week—a very modest pace—partly for late arrivals to hop in. So, if you’re delayed, that’s fine. Maybe you’ve arrived precisely when you mean to. Reference the schedule here:
A New Read-through Journey: The Two Towers
Greetings! Back in May we wrapped up our read-through of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Fellowship of the Ring, and what a journey it was! I’m deeply appreciative of the engagement and feedback; it was our second read-through here on Ringfolk (the first being
Let’s dive in.
Chapter 1: The Departure of Boromir
So much can be said about this chapter.
First, let me address the elephant in the room (at least, the elephant in my room). We all notice right off the bat that the book and Peter Jackson’s film are split very differently. The first book ends before Boromir dies; the second book starts with his passing (mostly off-page). The first film ends with him passing; the second film begins with Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli hunting the orcs. Both are great! Yes, I said it. I don’t need to go too in-depth in the fact that the books were written as one book at first, but publishers had a better marketing (and paper-availability-issue) idea and had to split into three books. The film needed the redemption arc of Boromir to come before a year’s break between films. Both ways make sense.
Back to our book.
The fellowship had all gone in various directions to search for Frodo. Aragorn, up on a hill to get a better view of the terrain, hears something.
“…suddenly with a deep-throated call a great horn blew, and the blasts of it smote the hills and echoed in the hollows, rising in a mighty shout above the roaring of the falls. ‘The horn of Boromir!’ he cried. ‘He is in need!’ He sprang down the steps and away, leaping down the path.”1
Boromir is in trouble. The enemy, who’s been tracking them for longer than they realize, have launched an assault.
“A mile, maybe, from Parth Galen in a little glade not far from the lake he found Boromir. He was sitting with his back to a great tree, as if he was resting. But Aragorn saw that he was pierced with many black-feathered arrows; his sword was still in his hand, but it was broken near the hilt; his horn cloven in two was at his side. Many Orcs lay slain, piled all about him and at his feet.”2
Again, the wounds all happen off-page. This is where, admittedly, I much prefer the film’s depiction of Boromir fighting orcs (Uruk-hai) in defense of Merry and Pippen, all to be taken down by multiple arrows, nonetheless fighting to his last breath. It’s a beautiful death—one of the best death scenes EVER in cinema. Not to say the book is lacking necessarily, but just different.
Aragorn, who comforts the mortally wounded Boromir, exchanges words of promise and comfort.
“‘You have conquered. Few have gained such a victory. Be at peace! Minas Tirith shall not fall!’ Boromir smiled. ‘Which way did they go? Was Frodo there?’ said Aragorn. But Boromir did not speak again.”
Now, this is where the book is far superior to the film: the funeral for Boromir.
‘Let us lay him in a boat with his weapons, and the weapons of his vanquished foes,’ said Aragorn. ‘We will send him to the Falls of Rauros and give him to Anduin. The River of Gondor will take care that no evil creature dishonors his bones.’ Quickly they searched the bodies of the Orcs, gathering their swords and cloven helms and shields into a heap…
Taking his axe the Dwarf now cut several branches. These they lashed together with bowstrings, and spread their cloaks upon the frame. Upon this rough bier they carried the body of their companion to the shore, together with such trophies of his last battle as they chose to send forth with him. It was only a short way, yet they found it no easy task, for Boromir was a man both tall and strong.3
They set the boat down the river, the deceased hero fading out of sight. It’s a true heroic send-off for a true redemptive hero. And, in true Tolkien fashion (again, something the film missed), our remaining man, elf and dwarf sing praises in remembrance and grief of their fallen comrade.
Thus, they have a decision to make: where shall they go? Who should they defend? Merry and Pippen have been taken by the enemy. Frodo and Sam have gone their own way. Aragorn makes the final call.
“My heart speaks clearly at last: the fate of the Bearer is in my hands no longer. The Company has played its part. Yet we that remain cannot forsake our companions while we have strength left. Come! We will go now. Leave all that can be spared behind! We will press on by day and dark!”4
It’s decided. Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli will track down the orcs that took Merry and Pippen. To the rescue they go.
And now, I turn it over to
, who took Chapter 2!Chapter 2: The Riders of Rohan
Special thanks to
for allowing we at the honour and privilege to write for him… do please give him a subscribe, he’s brilliant. Now on with the summarization of this chapter.Riders Worth Reading for; Riders of Rohan
The chapter starts with Aragorn leading what remains of his portion of the Fellowship (which consists only of Legolas and Gimli) into the lands of Rohan. It is with a great deal of caution he enters as he has no great wish to upset the order of things there, as he warns his companions of Saruman’s influence and power in Rohan.
That said, Legolas finds the remnants of a battle guides his friends to it, whereupon the three of them examine the small scene with a great deal of worry.
“‘I think that the enemy brought his own enemy with him,’ answered Aragorn. ‘These are Northern Orcs from far away. Among the slain are none of the great Orcs with the strange badges. There was a quarrel, I guess: it is no uncommon thing with these foul folk. Maybe there was some dispute about the road.’” 5
The quarrel in question is one that ironically will reshape the events of the War of the One Ring.
The heroes travel along for awhile until at last the White Mountains appear in the distance heralding the first view, at a distance, of the road to Gondor. This is when we get one of the most moving lines by Aragorn. The line hints at a very human element, as it reveals that Aragorn underneath it all is kind of homesick for Gondor, which though the man is of the line of Arnor he still clings to Gondor with equal fervor.
It is something of the Scotsman’s longing for Ireland, or the Franc’s longing for the Roman Empire on top of the French kingdoms and empires of the past. It is something that sings to the most hiraeth (homesick) haunted souls on this planet. For those not in the know, hiraeth is a Welsh term that means homesick for a particular place such as mountains, valleys and what not of your homeland. It could be the house of your father there.
This is the sentiment that haunts this scene with Aragorn.
“‘Gondor! Gondor!’ cried Aragorn. ‘Would that I looked on you again in happier hour! Not yet does my road lie southward to your bright streams.” He then sings a very touching song, one that could move even the hardest of hearts (and that inspires more than a little nostalgia and envy for Tolkien’s prodigious poetical talents). “Gondor! Gondor, between the Mountains and the Sea! West Wind blew there; the light upon the Silver Tree Fell like bright rain in gardens of the Kings of old. O proud walls! White towers! O winge´d crown and throne of gold! O Gondor, Gondor! Shall Men behold the Silver Tree, Or West Wind blow again between the Mountains and the Sea?” 6
It is one of the many trademarks in Tolkien’s stories that he often attached a song to a certain scene in particular to Aragorn who is also noteworthy for having sung the Lay of Leithian (a part of it at least) and for those familiar with the movies, he sings that touching song during his wedding.
The group faces the choice now to either rest and hesitate or to carry on, at which time we get an exchange where Gimli and Legolas hearken back to Gandalf with the term ‘my heart burns me to’ or ‘my heart bids me’ which was a kind of turn of phrase the great Maiar would use at times when he reached a kind of crossroads.
It is something that was picked up by Aragorn recently after the clash in Moria, so that we’ve a verbal nod to the influence of Gandalf (this shows character development which Tolkien was particularly good at).
They decide to carry on, until they need sleep and a good measure of the chapter follows the three of them as they track the enemy along the road with Aragorn proving himself quite the scout as he scavenges the roads and what tracks there are for clues to where the Orcs have taken Merry and Pippin.
In time they find racing along horizon none other than Riders of Rohan! It is in this hour, of greatest need that of course who should arrive upon the heroes of the story but Eomer the nephew of Théoden, bravest of the Warriors of the Rohirrim. Eomer is one of my favorite characters, and for those not wholly familiar with him is the brother of Eowyn, yes that Eowyn who goes on to slay the Witch-King of Angmar.
The exchange when they run into the prince is nothing short than some of the finest dialogue ever written in all of the history of the genre.
“‘We do not speak of dwarves or children,’ said Gimli. ‘Our friends were hobbits.’ ‘Hobbits?’ said Eomer. ´ ‘And what may they be? It is a strange name.’ ‘A strange name for a strange folk,’ said Gimli. ‘But these were very dear to us. It seems that you have heard in Rohan of the words that troubled Minas Tirith. They spoke of the Halfling. These hobbits are Halflings.’ ‘Halflings!’ laughed the Rider that stood beside Eomer. ´ ‘Halflings! But they are only a little people in old songs and children’s tales out of the North.” 7
It is riveting and wonderful and is a good way of giving readers a great first impression of a new hero they can get attached to. I must admit that I cannot understand how it is that not more people became attached to Eomer, as he’s cool, badass and no less the equal in terms of depth, wonder and splendor to a lot of Tolkien’s other great characters.
Plus, you get this great exchange between him and Aragorn regarding wonder, and living in difficult times such as those.
“Do we walk in legends or on the green earth in the daylight?’ ‘A man may do both,’ said Aragorn. ‘For not we but those who come after will make the legends of our time. The green earth, say you? That is a mighty matter of legend, though you tread it under the light of day!’” 8
What should we do in such times? How should we react to legends arising in our times? Aragorn’s response is that a Man should walk in legends as he would the green earth, which is to say that he shouldn’t be daunted by the weight of his duties. he should simply do what is best as you tread no matter what under the light of day!
“‘I set out from Imladris, as it is named in the rhyme, many weeks ago,’ answered Aragorn. ‘With me went Boromir of Minas Tirith. My errand was to go to that city with the son of Denethor, to aid his folk in their war against Sauron. But the Company that I journeyed with had other business. Of that I cannot speak now. Gandalf the Grey was our leader.’ ‘Gandalf!’ Eomer ´ exclaimed. ‘Gandalf Greyhame is known in the Mark; but his name, I warn you, is no longer a password to the king’s favor. He has been a guest in the land many times in the memory of men, coming as he will, after a season, or after many years. He is ever the herald of strange events: a bringer of evil, some now say. ‘Indeed since his last coming in the summer all things have gone amiss. At that time our trouble with Saruman began. Until then we counted Saruman our friend, but Gandalf came then and warned us that sudden war was preparing in Isengard. He said that he himself had been a prisoner in Orthanc and had hardly escaped, and he begged for help. Théoden would not listen to him, and he went away. Speak not the name of Gandalf loudly in Théoden’s ears! He is wroth. For Gandalf took the horse called Shadowfax, most precious of all the king’s steeds, chief of the Mearas, which only the Lord of the Mark may ride. For the sire of their race was the great horse of Eorl that knew the speech of Men. Seven nights ago Shadowfax returned; but the king’s anger is not less, for now the horse is wild and will let no man handle him.’ ‘Then Shadowfax has found his way alone from the far North,’ said Aragorn; ‘for it was there that he and Gandalf parted. But alas! Gandalf will ride no longer. He fell into darkness in the Mines of Moria and comes not again.’ ‘That is heavy tidings,’ said Eomer. ´ ‘At least to me, and to many; though not to all, as you may find, if you come to the king.’” 9
This is when Eomer discovers Gandalf has passed, and takes place after a few minutes of back and forth between the two parties. What is most distressing for all concerned is the black reputation that Gandalf has gathered in Rohan, and that there are no immediate clues as to where to find Pippin and Merry, while for the Rohirrim though they’ve been at odds lately with Gandalf the news of his passing distresses Eomer.
It is decided to carry on the search for the Hobbits, wherefore the heroes soon find themselves unhorsed after they stop to set up camp, and make a fire. It is at this point that something very strange happens. Something that wasn’t in the Jackson movies (and would have made a GREAT scene everyone, as it is both hilarious in a way, and also fascinating).
The Elder who Turned away from Wisdom
Saruman appears.
Recognizing him Aragorn invites him to break bread with the heroes. Saruman though does not answer but instead does all that he can do under the circumstances: He liberates and scares off their horses.
“‘Well, father, what can we do for you?’ said Aragorn, leaping to his feet. ‘Come and be warm, if you are cold!’ He strode forward, but the old man was gone. There was no trace of him to be found near at hand, and they did not dare to wander far. The moon had set and the night was very dark. Suddenly Legolas gave a cry. ‘The horses! The horses!’ The horses were gone. They had dragged their pickets and disappeared. For some time the three companions stood still and silent, troubled by this new stroke of ill fortune. They were under the eaves of Fangorn, and endless leagues lay between them and the Men of Rohan, their only friends in this wide and dangerous land. As they stood, it seemed to them that they heard, far off in the night, the sound of horses whinnying and neighing. Then all was quiet again, except for the cold rustle of the wind. ‘Well, they are gone,’ said Aragorn at last. ‘We cannot find them or catch them; so that if they do not return of their own will, we must do without. We started on our feet, and we have those still.’”10
Spooky, and also interesting.
Naturally there’s more to this chapter than what’s been presented here as this is just a skimmed-description of it. It is important though that in spite of how bleak things look and how everything’s gone wrong and they’ve not even managed to corner/capture Saruman, Aragorn’s not lost his drive.
The chapter concludes with him more determined than ever to see their mission through to the end, so that one can only say that the key to hope isn’t empty wishing but it is an active thing. It takes heart and resolve to push through, this is what it means to truly hope. This is why one should look to Aragorn as a figure who embodies the idea of ‘Hope’ just as surely as Eomer embodies ‘Valour’ as does Gimli while Legolas is someone who captures the ideal of ‘Brotherhood’.
Now that that’s all out of the way thank you to
once more for allowing we to contribute in some small way to his awesome series that runs through the whole of The Lord of the Rings.Wow—thank you so much, fellas. That’s a recap and a half right there! I hope those of you who are following along are excited as we are to continue the read-through journey. As always, refer to the schedule (posted at the beginning of the article) and make sure to invite your friends! We had a GIVEAWAY in our last read-through, and I’ll be announcing a new GIVEAWAY in the next few weeks—only for those participating in this journey, of course.
Carry on!
Tolkien, J.R.R. The Lord of the Rings. Houghton Mifflin Company, 1954-1955. 413.
Ibid. 414.
Ibid. 416.
Ibid. 419.
Ibid. 422.
Ibid. 423.
Ibid. 434.
Ibid.
Ibid.435.
Ibid. 443.
 | A guest post by
|