(no subject)

[rabidsamfan]

Having a sudden fit of re-reading the book, and as I wander through the prologue and the "history" of the Red Book I am tempted to "play the game" and assume that Tolkien is pretty much translating what was written by Bilbo, Frodo and Sam (as well as Merry and assorted scribes of Gondor in the appendices).

But if so, then a curious phenomenon arises. Presumably Frodo was writing the parts about what happened in Shelob's cave through the coronation, but the point-of-view character for Frodo and Sam's part of the quest is usually Sam. And Sam probably wrote what we know about the recovery of the Shire and the Grey Havens, right? But that's where we see Frodo hiding his injuries for the sake of not bothering Sam and Rosie...

So -- playing the game -- did Sam revise what Frodo wrote about Cirith Ungol and the Mountain? Or did Frodo write what Sam told him about those places because he couldn't -- or wouldn't -- remember his own thoughts and actions? And how did Sam know about what Frodo had been thinking during that long year of writing and waiting? What conversations did they have between the time that Frodo admitted his intentions and they actually reached the harbor?

*shoos plotbunnies out into the world...*

Comments

[luv2hobbits.livejournal.com]

To confused to even see plot bunnies

[rabidsamfan.livejournal.com]

*grin* Just think of Frodo trying to write about Shelob and having to either guess at what he remembers of what Sam told him under that bush in Mordor or go and ask Sam about what happened and end up reminding him of what was plainly one of the worst moments in Sam's life when he thought Frodo was dead. How awkward is it to know that someone thought about stepping off a cliff because they thought you were dead?

[luv2hobbits.livejournal.com]

You deleted the other comment before I could respond:(
I wouldn't say it was embarrassing as much for the person who was considered dead as for the one who was to do the stepping.
Still, plotbunnies aren't coming.