The Fellowship of the Ring

The details of the Shire and its neighboring regions emphasize the charmed and sheltered life of Hobbits. The path from Frodo’s home on Bagshot Row in Hobbiton to the new house at Crickhollow in Buckland traces a realm of ancient trees, quiet streams, and rolling hills. Until now, Frodo’s main antagonists have been only the neighbors with their petty gossip and his childhood fear of Farmer Maggot and his dogs—and even the farmer turns out to be harmless and an ally after all. Only when Frodo leaves the perimeter of the Shire does he encounter the practice of locking doors and building walled defenses. As the hobbits journey farther from home, the atmosphere changes, foreshadowing the peril ahead. And not only do they venture out into darkness, but there is also a sense of the darkness encroaching upon them; the presence of the Black Riders within the borders of the Shire alarms Frodo as he never imagined that trouble would come so close to his door.

Though the hobbits leave behind the idyllic world of the Shire, they take with them a piece of their home: a good will and camaraderie that is like a light in the darkness. The comic hyperbole of Merry and Pippin’s roles as “conspirators” and Frodo’s lighthearted accusation of his friends as “deceitful scoundrels” demonstrate the hobbits’ complete lack of malice, as their bond of friendship and love prevent any real sense of betrayal. The chapters establish the deep bond of friendship among the hobbits and their earnest sense of loyalty to one another. Merry, Pippin, and Sam forego their safety without question as soon as they become aware that Frodo is in danger. Their foundation of trust and friendship are crucial weapons against Sauron, whose powers feed on greed, envy, and ruthless ambition. Sam promises, “You can trust us to stick with you through thick and thin—to the bitter end […] But you cannot trust us to let you face trouble alone, and go off without a word. We are your friends, Frodo” (103). Sam further displays loyalty when he does not leave Frodo’s side during their encounter with the Elves and sleeps at his feet. Even the small consideration of Merry surprising his friends with three bathtubs illustrates the hobbits’ genial interactions. Pippin sings “one of Bilbo’s favourite bath-songs” (99), establishing a tradition of enjoying simple moments, and the hobbits splash and take childlike pleasure in the basic comforts of home.

The juxtaposition of these scenes of domestic cheer and the subsequent terrors of facing evil highlights the purity and sincerity of the hobbits’ nature. Hobbits enjoy six meals a day, relish a good pipe and song, and indulge in hot baths, warm beds, and lively parties. These activities are emblems of pure delight and are never presented as vices of gluttony or sloth. Hobbits possess a lightness and joy that counter the darkness of Sauron and the influence of the Ring, for their main desires are of pleasure, not power. The hobbits do not see the Shire again until the third volume, The Return of the King, but often reminisce about the joyful moments of home as an incentive to accomplish their mission of destroying the Ring and return to their beloved Shire.

These chapters, in providing a sharp contrast to the grave dangers that Frodo and his companions eventually face, also emphasize the hobbits’ admirable and remarkable ability to overcome obstacles. Gildor tells Frodo, “The wide world is all about you: you can fence yourselves in, but you cannot for ever fence it out” (82). The seemingly insignificant Hobbits who have no interest in the events outside their lands nevertheless feel impelled by a moral responsibility to engage in the larger world and become the key figures to fighting evil. In his brief interaction with the Elves, immortals who have experienced millennia of tribulations, Sam experiences a profound change often associated with the trope of the hero’s journey. He claims,

I know we are going to take a very long road, into darkness; but I know I can’t turn back. It isn’t to see Elves now, nor dragons, nor mountains, that I want—I don’t rightly know what I want: but I have something to do before the end, and it lies ahead, not in the Shire. I must see it through, sir, if you understand me (85).

Before the group officially embarks on their mission, Sam gains a worldly perspective and understands his opinion of Elves is less important than the epic histories that the Elves themselves embody: “It don’t seem to matter what I think about them” (85). When he sees the Elves’ simultaneous age and youth, and joy and sadness, it widens his vision of life and gives him a sense of something far beyond himself, even if he doesn’t yet “rightly know” what it is. This fuller perspective consequently acquaints him with the gravity of their quest—and of the consequences of taking action versus remaining sheltered.