I wonder if Tolkien is showing us how capable we each can be in doing hard things. The thing about hobbits is they are a small and simple people. Yet they are the only ones for whom this task can fall and we see how courageous they can be, what a difference they can make. There is an element of surprise, just as we may be surprised by the difference we can make.
It think it also shows how the Hobbits have grown because of their journey and everything they had encountered (even literally in the case of Merry and Pipin because of the Entwater). Gandalf even says as much when they hear of some trouble in the Shire as they're travelling there. He says that he trusts them to be able to put their affairs in order themselves. And they are, after all that the dangers they had had to face, they did what was necessary, with little hesitation and with courage and determination. So I think that could have also been why Tolkien included it in the story. On a more philosophical level, it is a sort of manifestation of the loss of innocence that the Hobbits, and now the Shire, experience. Nothing would ever be the same again, no matter how much they might wish it were so.
Great thoughts, Robert. I especially love thinking about the Hobbits growing both literally and figuratively.
I’ve also never thought about how Gandalf let them deal with reclaiming the Shire on their own. I wonder how much he knew of Saruman’s treachery? Or maybe he was just tired and ready for his retirement in Valinor? 😅
Also, I'm pretty sure he suspected the whole Saruman thing already from the moment he heard from Treebeard that he had released him. But Saruman had become a shell of who he once was, whereas for the Hobbits the opposite happened. Even more character development, yay!
Gandalf was, well, busy, with plenty of other matters he had to deal with, mostly in Rivendell discussing everything that had happened and the larger implications for Middle-Earth as a whole (as they are preparing for transferring stewardship of M-E to Men, but also because they wanted to talk to Tom Bombadil and hear him out on everything he knew. I think the other part of that is taking all that knowledge with them back to Valinor. And because he felt confident not having to bail the Hobbits out this time, he instead focused on things with higher priorities. If they hadn't managed to do it, I'm sure he would have come to help.
Thanks :) Especially how he's like the anti-Sauron / Morgoth; full of knowledge and incredibly powerful but totally uninterested in power. The ring has no effect on him, and when during the council of Elrond someone suggest letting him safeguard the ring, Gandalf says that he would probably lose it, so little did he care about it, so utterly trivial did it seem to him.
Wonderful read Elle! I grew up just ten minutes drive from Hall Green, Birmingham (UK), where Tolkien took inspiration from his childhood days in (then) Sarehole. And I’ve always seen a lot of my home in the Shire though he likely didn’t stray that close to my home as a child. It would have been similar countryside then. Particularly the boggy streams and love of the trees, but also the place names and the governance, even many years later. We do still have Mayors which I think the Shire’s mayor is more akin to (the mayor of Birmingham it’s a very ceremonious role but not nearly as grand as the queen.)
Looking forward to the next instalment. (And my husband also listens to the audiobooks to sleep! Didn’t know this was a thing but makes sense! I occasionally borrow an earpod as I hear Gandalf’s voice booming... Andy Serkis is amazing!)
Wow, that's so cool! You basically grew up in the Shire! And I love all this information about the Village Trust, thank you so much for sharing! From reading those articles it sounds like Tolkien really did have a nostalgia for a pastoral setting apart from industrialization.
Writing from the area from which Tolkien took a good chunk of his inspiration, I would say he replicated what he saw in his lifetime, the beautiful countryside being overrun by the expanding industrial towns. He observed the corruption of these places and understood that you cannot "tame" them, make them good and honest places to be. It's an "either or" situation. Either you have a society based on agriculture and artisanship, or you have a society based on pillaging the land and its people. The division between these two places and kinds of life still exists today - the beautiful Ribble Valley contrasted with the former industrial towns of East Lancashire. For him, it was clear which kind of life was best.
I'm not sure it has to be either/or, but you bring up a good point and I definitely want to think more about that. I love beautiful pastoral settings, but I also love living in a city. I wouldn't say that one is utopian and the other dystopian (or as you put it agriculture vs. pillaging the land), but I do have a bone to pick with strip malls (and similar bad urban design). If there is pillaging involved it should still be beautiful... 😝🤓
To bring it back to Tolkien, he wasn’t solely enamored with the countryside. His descriptions of cities throughout Middle Earth are majestic, especially Lorien and Minas Tirith.
As someone who just moved back to a city after two years in a small town, I’ve been comparing the differences. And I think cities share just as many utopian possibilities as a commune in the woods.
Thanks for your thoughts! Yes, the contrast from Tolkien's childhood in the early 20th century to post-war Britain must have been shocking to witness for his generation.
Ahhh where’s the rest? I kept thinking the essay was going to continue and explain why the author thinks Tolkien made the choices he did --- but it looks like we gotta do it ourselves in the comments!
Very well then: I think it’s because Tolkien, as an incredible author, both fully inhabited his imaginary world and stayed true to the real one in which we all live. The dismay of nostalgia ruined, going back to a home that’s not at all like we remember, is something I think most of us understand. We can never enter the same river twice; both us and the river have changed.
Whether he planned this epilogue from the beginning or whether the story demanded it of him, Tolkien described this aspect of reality with aching accuracy. The pathos! The catharsis! No wonder people return to this series time and again 💚
I'm so interested in the nostalgia bit. I do think I had a very idyllic childhood, and the Shire reminds me of my memories of it. The world wasn't that different then, but I was unaware of it, and maybe that's why they say ignorance is bliss!
Thanks, Peter for continuing the discussion! Obviously, when you start talking Tolkien it can easily get long winded 😂 (you gotta stop somewhere).
I appreciate your point about catharsis. Delving into Tolkien’s work is a catharsis for me, less so about the escapism, and more to help process my emotions when I’m facing hard times or need the emotional wave of friendship, loyalty, and overcoming the odds that are packed throughout The Lord of the Rings.
Hey Elle and Luke! I don't know if you've ever seen it, but if you want an even deeper layer if immersion in Tolkien's world, I cannot recommend highly enough the maps of Barbara Strachey, which were published in book form as "Journeys of Frodo": https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Journeys_of_Frodo It's a bit of a treasure-hunt to find a copy, as the last time it was in print was about twenty years ago, I think (there are copies bouncing round Amazon but none of them are cheap: https://www.amazon.com/Journeys-Frodo-Atlas-Tolkiens-J-R-R-Tolkiens/dp/0261102672). But it's well worth it. The detail on the maps is so fantastic, and Strachey maps the routes, day by day, that all the characters take in LOTR, based on scouring geographic details from all of Tolkien's books. It's incredible work!
I agree, Colbert is under-utilized, and frequently underestimated. He's wicked smart. The fact that he's a Tolkien fan is another point in his favor too. *grin*
Those chapters he talks about are among my favorites too, and likely for the same reasons. They bring a peace to our harried, jangling souls. I live in the woods, and when I have to go to town for supplies or appointments, I feel a physical ache much like Frodo aches for his home, so I get it.
I do what I can to reproduce the spirit of The Shire on my land. Despite sandy soil, a million ants, almost no extra budget - but I have patience, and knowledge, and a powerful yearning for a bit of my own Utopia. So I do what I can.
I constantly work to improve the soil, grow my own food, and flowers for the pollinators. I don't use loud, earth-wrenching tools. I don't smoke pipweed, but like Frodo, my idea of a good time is under a tree with a good book.
I think that each of us can reproduce something of The Shire in our ways. At least I hope we can. I think it's becoming more and more of an urgent need as the rest of the world around us goes to Mordor in a hand cart - if you know what I mean.
Carolyn, it sounds like you’re making a little Bag End of your own 😁 It sounds heavenly.
There’s an interesting quotation in the book where Faramir compliments The Shire because gardeners are valued members of society.
“The Shire must truly be a great realm, Master Gamgee, where gardeners are held in high honor.”
Even the Captain of Gondor respects the idea of a country that prioritizes taking care of the land. It’s another glimpse into Tolkien’s love of nature.
There are clearly wealth differences there, though, with some Hobbits being particularly well off like Bilbo, or Pippin and Merry, while others till the fields or are a gardner like Sam.
True Robert! It’s also interesting that in the books there seems to be debate amongst the Hobbits about Bilbo’s seemingly overnight wealth, whereas Pippin’s status is accepted because he comes from a influential family.
I expect there weren’t significant transfers of wealth because everyone was taken care of no matter their profession. And actually it was looked down upon if you tried to amass it.
There seems to be this sort of accepted 'way that things are', which is arguably peaceful and with everyone well looked after, but there is also this line about Pippin never having done a day's hard work in his life (don't recall if that was in the books) and you can wonder whether that us completely fair compared to someone like Sam and his gaffer who probably have to work very hard every week.
Yes, that’s one of the many things Tolkien left ambiguous and mysterious in his works. What I love about being a Tolkien fan compared to the other mega franchises that are popular today is that there’s so much left unsaid. The myth and mystery make it so much more like our actual world rather than having everything fit together nicely in a tightly packaged story.
I really want to have a deeper conversation with you about this. Because when I was trekking through the alps I very much felt like I was living in the Shire......
I'm city-folk so of course I like visiting nature like seaside, islands, and simple life. Yet I wouldn't like to live 24/7 there, because I like my tech, and easy access to what big cities offer: diversity, entertainment, plenty of outsourced services freeing my time to do things I like most.
I feel you Antonio. Outside of a few outliers, it seems like most Hobbits in Tolkien’s lore are content with their lives, and there’s a spirit of community. I think that’s something we can all tap into in our own neighborhoods and blocks.
I wonder if Tolkien is showing us how capable we each can be in doing hard things. The thing about hobbits is they are a small and simple people. Yet they are the only ones for whom this task can fall and we see how courageous they can be, what a difference they can make. There is an element of surprise, just as we may be surprised by the difference we can make.
I love that idea.
That’s so beautiful, Kim. I got chills! ❤️❤️❤️
It think it also shows how the Hobbits have grown because of their journey and everything they had encountered (even literally in the case of Merry and Pipin because of the Entwater). Gandalf even says as much when they hear of some trouble in the Shire as they're travelling there. He says that he trusts them to be able to put their affairs in order themselves. And they are, after all that the dangers they had had to face, they did what was necessary, with little hesitation and with courage and determination. So I think that could have also been why Tolkien included it in the story. On a more philosophical level, it is a sort of manifestation of the loss of innocence that the Hobbits, and now the Shire, experience. Nothing would ever be the same again, no matter how much they might wish it were so.
Great thoughts, Robert. I especially love thinking about the Hobbits growing both literally and figuratively.
I’ve also never thought about how Gandalf let them deal with reclaiming the Shire on their own. I wonder how much he knew of Saruman’s treachery? Or maybe he was just tired and ready for his retirement in Valinor? 😅
Also, I'm pretty sure he suspected the whole Saruman thing already from the moment he heard from Treebeard that he had released him. But Saruman had become a shell of who he once was, whereas for the Hobbits the opposite happened. Even more character development, yay!
Gandalf was, well, busy, with plenty of other matters he had to deal with, mostly in Rivendell discussing everything that had happened and the larger implications for Middle-Earth as a whole (as they are preparing for transferring stewardship of M-E to Men, but also because they wanted to talk to Tom Bombadil and hear him out on everything he knew. I think the other part of that is taking all that knowledge with them back to Valinor. And because he felt confident not having to bail the Hobbits out this time, he instead focused on things with higher priorities. If they hadn't managed to do it, I'm sure he would have come to help.
Robert you win the prize 🏆 of being our first mention of Tom Bombadil in the Salon. I was waiting for someone to bring him up 😂
Tom probably deserves an entire separate essay.
Thanks :) Especially how he's like the anti-Sauron / Morgoth; full of knowledge and incredibly powerful but totally uninterested in power. The ring has no effect on him, and when during the council of Elrond someone suggest letting him safeguard the ring, Gandalf says that he would probably lose it, so little did he care about it, so utterly trivial did it seem to him.
Wonderful read Elle! I grew up just ten minutes drive from Hall Green, Birmingham (UK), where Tolkien took inspiration from his childhood days in (then) Sarehole. And I’ve always seen a lot of my home in the Shire though he likely didn’t stray that close to my home as a child. It would have been similar countryside then. Particularly the boggy streams and love of the trees, but also the place names and the governance, even many years later. We do still have Mayors which I think the Shire’s mayor is more akin to (the mayor of Birmingham it’s a very ceremonious role but not nearly as grand as the queen.)
In fact, in Bournville where I grew up, our self-installed Village Trust sounds much like the neighbourhood watch you describe. If you ever come over that way let me show you around! These two pieces are maybe of interest: https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2020/nov/13/guided-walk-tolkien-original-shire-sarehole-birmingham-hobbiton?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other
https://www.birmingham.gov.uk/info/50165/birmingham_connection/1571/history_of_bournville_village_trust
Looking forward to the next instalment. (And my husband also listens to the audiobooks to sleep! Didn’t know this was a thing but makes sense! I occasionally borrow an earpod as I hear Gandalf’s voice booming... Andy Serkis is amazing!)
Wow, that's so cool! You basically grew up in the Shire! And I love all this information about the Village Trust, thank you so much for sharing! From reading those articles it sounds like Tolkien really did have a nostalgia for a pastoral setting apart from industrialization.
Hannah, thanks for sharing more about your home. I’m especially interested in learning more about the Village Trust.
Also, you’re husband and I are on the same page. There’s no better way to drift off to sleep than a bit of Serkis voice narration :)
Amazing essay, I feel like I’ve found my people!
Same!
Thanks, Michelle. Yes, we're here!
Writing from the area from which Tolkien took a good chunk of his inspiration, I would say he replicated what he saw in his lifetime, the beautiful countryside being overrun by the expanding industrial towns. He observed the corruption of these places and understood that you cannot "tame" them, make them good and honest places to be. It's an "either or" situation. Either you have a society based on agriculture and artisanship, or you have a society based on pillaging the land and its people. The division between these two places and kinds of life still exists today - the beautiful Ribble Valley contrasted with the former industrial towns of East Lancashire. For him, it was clear which kind of life was best.
I'm not sure it has to be either/or, but you bring up a good point and I definitely want to think more about that. I love beautiful pastoral settings, but I also love living in a city. I wouldn't say that one is utopian and the other dystopian (or as you put it agriculture vs. pillaging the land), but I do have a bone to pick with strip malls (and similar bad urban design). If there is pillaging involved it should still be beautiful... 😝🤓
To bring it back to Tolkien, he wasn’t solely enamored with the countryside. His descriptions of cities throughout Middle Earth are majestic, especially Lorien and Minas Tirith.
As someone who just moved back to a city after two years in a small town, I’ve been comparing the differences. And I think cities share just as many utopian possibilities as a commune in the woods.
Thanks for your thoughts! Yes, the contrast from Tolkien's childhood in the early 20th century to post-war Britain must have been shocking to witness for his generation.
Ahhh where’s the rest? I kept thinking the essay was going to continue and explain why the author thinks Tolkien made the choices he did --- but it looks like we gotta do it ourselves in the comments!
Very well then: I think it’s because Tolkien, as an incredible author, both fully inhabited his imaginary world and stayed true to the real one in which we all live. The dismay of nostalgia ruined, going back to a home that’s not at all like we remember, is something I think most of us understand. We can never enter the same river twice; both us and the river have changed.
Whether he planned this epilogue from the beginning or whether the story demanded it of him, Tolkien described this aspect of reality with aching accuracy. The pathos! The catharsis! No wonder people return to this series time and again 💚
I'm so interested in the nostalgia bit. I do think I had a very idyllic childhood, and the Shire reminds me of my memories of it. The world wasn't that different then, but I was unaware of it, and maybe that's why they say ignorance is bliss!
Thanks, Peter for continuing the discussion! Obviously, when you start talking Tolkien it can easily get long winded 😂 (you gotta stop somewhere).
I appreciate your point about catharsis. Delving into Tolkien’s work is a catharsis for me, less so about the escapism, and more to help process my emotions when I’m facing hard times or need the emotional wave of friendship, loyalty, and overcoming the odds that are packed throughout The Lord of the Rings.
Hey Elle and Luke! I don't know if you've ever seen it, but if you want an even deeper layer if immersion in Tolkien's world, I cannot recommend highly enough the maps of Barbara Strachey, which were published in book form as "Journeys of Frodo": https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Journeys_of_Frodo It's a bit of a treasure-hunt to find a copy, as the last time it was in print was about twenty years ago, I think (there are copies bouncing round Amazon but none of them are cheap: https://www.amazon.com/Journeys-Frodo-Atlas-Tolkiens-J-R-R-Tolkiens/dp/0261102672). But it's well worth it. The detail on the maps is so fantastic, and Strachey maps the routes, day by day, that all the characters take in LOTR, based on scouring geographic details from all of Tolkien's books. It's incredible work!
Thanks for the recommendation, Mike. This will continue to feed my fantasy map addiction 🤣
Elle - check your email...
Got it!
I agree, Colbert is under-utilized, and frequently underestimated. He's wicked smart. The fact that he's a Tolkien fan is another point in his favor too. *grin*
Those chapters he talks about are among my favorites too, and likely for the same reasons. They bring a peace to our harried, jangling souls. I live in the woods, and when I have to go to town for supplies or appointments, I feel a physical ache much like Frodo aches for his home, so I get it.
I do what I can to reproduce the spirit of The Shire on my land. Despite sandy soil, a million ants, almost no extra budget - but I have patience, and knowledge, and a powerful yearning for a bit of my own Utopia. So I do what I can.
I constantly work to improve the soil, grow my own food, and flowers for the pollinators. I don't use loud, earth-wrenching tools. I don't smoke pipweed, but like Frodo, my idea of a good time is under a tree with a good book.
I think that each of us can reproduce something of The Shire in our ways. At least I hope we can. I think it's becoming more and more of an urgent need as the rest of the world around us goes to Mordor in a hand cart - if you know what I mean.
I love this line: "I think that each of us can reproduce something of The Shire in our ways."
I so agree!!!!!
Carolyn, it sounds like you’re making a little Bag End of your own 😁 It sounds heavenly.
There’s an interesting quotation in the book where Faramir compliments The Shire because gardeners are valued members of society.
“The Shire must truly be a great realm, Master Gamgee, where gardeners are held in high honor.”
Even the Captain of Gondor respects the idea of a country that prioritizes taking care of the land. It’s another glimpse into Tolkien’s love of nature.
Thanks for your thoughts, Carolyn!
Man, I wish I could live in the Shire instead of this capitalist dystopia...
There are clearly wealth differences there, though, with some Hobbits being particularly well off like Bilbo, or Pippin and Merry, while others till the fields or are a gardner like Sam.
True Robert! It’s also interesting that in the books there seems to be debate amongst the Hobbits about Bilbo’s seemingly overnight wealth, whereas Pippin’s status is accepted because he comes from a influential family.
I expect there weren’t significant transfers of wealth because everyone was taken care of no matter their profession. And actually it was looked down upon if you tried to amass it.
There seems to be this sort of accepted 'way that things are', which is arguably peaceful and with everyone well looked after, but there is also this line about Pippin never having done a day's hard work in his life (don't recall if that was in the books) and you can wonder whether that us completely fair compared to someone like Sam and his gaffer who probably have to work very hard every week.
Yes, that’s one of the many things Tolkien left ambiguous and mysterious in his works. What I love about being a Tolkien fan compared to the other mega franchises that are popular today is that there’s so much left unsaid. The myth and mystery make it so much more like our actual world rather than having everything fit together nicely in a tightly packaged story.
I really want to have a deeper conversation with you about this. Because when I was trekking through the alps I very much felt like I was living in the Shire......
I'm city-folk so of course I like visiting nature like seaside, islands, and simple life. Yet I wouldn't like to live 24/7 there, because I like my tech, and easy access to what big cities offer: diversity, entertainment, plenty of outsourced services freeing my time to do things I like most.
Same Perry!
You had me at “trekking through the Alps” 🤣
Yes! There’s so much to unpack here about creating “Shires” in our communities.
I feel you Antonio. Outside of a few outliers, it seems like most Hobbits in Tolkien’s lore are content with their lives, and there’s a spirit of community. I think that’s something we can all tap into in our own neighborhoods and blocks.