📖👀 Chapter 9 (📔Book V): The Last Debate

[Rivendell_librarian]

This is a brief transition chapter setting up the final acts of the struggle against Sauron. However, it contains some fascinating ideas that are key themes of the book. On this reading, I have been struck by the personal journeys of several characters. Aragorn is now seen as so powerful that Legolas understands that with the Ring he could be a powerful dark lord. Legolas and Gimli's relationship has developed to the point that Legolas calls Gimli his friend. However, they are still different: Gimli sees deficient stonework in the later constructions whereas Legolas sees a need for more green spaces. We have already seen how Merry and Pippin have matured and taken on greater responsibilities. Pippin is still the bright optimist in contrast to the more thoughtful Merry. The sight of migrating gulls (Common Gulls?) reminds Legolas of the sea, and the thought that he will soon join the westward migration of elves out of Middle Earth and the end of the Third Age. Merry hopes that not all elves (including Legolas) will leave. This is a key Tolkien idea: that of the decline of civilisation from older more glorious times.

Legolas then recounts to Merry and Pippin (with Gimli) how Aragorn led them and the army of the dead to defeat the Corsairs and Haradrim on the road to Pelargir. The aforementioned change in the wind direction was a key factor which meant they arrived in the nick of time.

The chapter ends with a council of war in Aragorn's tent with Aragorn, Gandalf, Imrahil, Eomer and the two sons of Elrond. Gandalf knows that the final defeat of Sauron can only be achieved by giving Frodo and Sam the best chance by assembling their meagre forces to challenge Sauron. Sauron will take the bait because he thinks that Aragorn has the Ring. Sauron's undoing is that he thinks his enemies will try to use the Ring against him. He cannot conceive that their plan is to destroy the Ring in Mount Doom and that this task has been appointed to two little hobbits.

 

[TrackerOrc]

As Gandalf says about Sauron and the Ring:
'If it is destroyed then he will fall; and his fall will be so low that none can foresee his arising ever again...he will be maimed for ever, becoming a mere spirit of malice that gnaws itself in the shadows' Definitely a high stakes game for the Dark Lord here. I actually wonder whether Sauron thinks that the revealed Aragorn does somehow plan to destroy the ring? Maybe he could see the march to the Black Gate as a precursor to the ring being sent to the fire by a victorious Aragorn?

'We have not the Ring. In wisdom or great folly it has been sent away to be destroyed, lest it destroy us.' Very neatly put.

 

[Rivendell_librarian]

Another issue is whether Gandalf knows that Frodo and Sam are still alive and still have the Ring. He was keen to find out what Faramir knew so maybe he didn't know but only hoped.

Also, given that the whole conflict depends on two hobbits from the Shire one could argue that Pippin should have been at the summit talks in Aragorn's tent (Merry still not fully recovered).