Reading “The Lord of the Rings”: "The Uruk-hai"
In which Merry and Pippin find themselves in the clutches of the Orcs and have to use their wits to survive.
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Welcome to Tolkien Tuesdays, where I talk about various things that I love about the lore and writings of Tolkien, whether in a chapter reading or a character study or an essay. I hope you enjoy reading these ruminations as much as I enjoy writing them and, if you have a moment, I’d love it if you’d subscribe to this newsletter. It’s free, but there are paid options, as well, if you’re of a mind to support a struggling writer. Either way, thank you for joining me!
Having followed Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli for several chapters, we now move to a different point in time and learn what has happened to Merry and Pippin since they ran away searching for Frodo only to fall right into the hands of the Orcs. Very soon, Pippin quickly shows that he has more cleverness and mettle than one might have expected given his actions and attitude up to this point. He even goes so far as to leave behind his brooch, so that it can be picked up and seen by one of the other members of the Fellowship.
As with the very first chapter of The Two Towers, here we get more insight into the various strata and varieties of Orc. It quickly becomes clear that there are three distinct types. There are, of course, the Orcs of Isengard, the large and brutal Uruk-hai; there are the Orcs of Mordor (who presumably serve Sauron, though we’ll get to that in a moment); and those from Moria (who are there, one presumes, to gain vengeance for the killing of their chieftain). Orcs, then, are just as varied and complex as any of the other races of Middle-earth, even if, as becomes painfully clear, they are quite malicious, cruel, and prone to destruction and violence for their own sake.
I’ve always particularly enjoyed this chapter, since it gives us so much fascinating (and sometimes funny) insights into the structures of Orc culture. While they might cluster in bands, they are far from united, and they certainly don’t seem to have any particular loyalty to one another or to their masters. In fact, they seem to heartily dislike, and disrespect, one another nearly as much as they do their avowed enemies, Men and Elves. Uglúk in particular seems to have nothing but contempt for both the Orcs of Mordor and those of Moria, and Grishnákh seems to return the feelings in kind. They also don’t seem to have much understanding of one another’s language, which explains why they resort to the Common Tongue.
It might be going too far to say that this chapter humanizes the Orcs, but I would argue that it does at the very least show us that they aren’t simply mindless creatures of evil. They are, instead, beings with consciousness and agency, even if the latter is often circumscribed and curtailed by the powerful beings who dominate them (i.e. Saruman and Sauron). Given the extent to which they have no doubt been brutalized from the moment of their birth, it makes sense that they would come to view the world as some sort of Hobbesian nightmare, i.e. nasty, brutish, and short and that, as a result, they would scratch and bite and claw their way to survival. They are so twisted and debased from their Elvish stock–assuming that that is the true origin story of their race–that they can only be forced to obey their masters by the threat of pain.
At the same time, there is also a little bit of humor in this whole sequence as well, particularly once Merry and Pippin are snatched up by the nefarious Grishnákh. “What do you think you’ve been kept alive for?” he asks the hobbits. “My dear little fellows, please believe me when I say that it was not out of kindness: that’s not even one of Uglúk’s faults.” There’s something almost (but not quite) endearing about his inquiry, even as there’s also no mistaking the sense of menace that underlies the question. Of course, given that The Lord of the Rings as a whole purports to be a translation from an original text, and given that it is told from the point of view of the hobbits, this might be one of those sly little in-jokes of which Tolkien is sometimes fond.
Indeed, it’s hard not to love Merry and Pippin throughout this entire chapter. By this point they have endured quite a lot. Aside from seeing Boromir get shot with arrows they’ve also had to endure the unsanitary and ugly company of the Orcs, and it’s clear that some of the latter are just barely kept in check by the threat of violence. Somehow, though, they manage to still be their irrepressibly cheerful selves. When it comes right down to it, there is truly a core of iron to hobbits, a special bit of their nature that keeps them insulated from the very worst that surrounds them.
This is particularly true for Pippin. Since Merry has been knocked unconscious, it lies with him to do what he can to leave the brooch behind for the others to find and, as this entails quite a lot of risk, it really is quite a brave thing for him to do. It’s another of those little hobbit actions that will go on to have consequences far beyond the immediate term. It’s also another indication that, for all of Elrond’s hesitation about sending him, there is far more to him than meets the eye. As with so many other hobbits, he might appear to be foolish and foolhardy and even lacking in bravery, but when it’s needful he is just as brave as anyone else.
While much of the chapter immerses us in the terror and unpleasantness of the hobbits’ capture, there are also gestures toward the larger conflict that is beginning to engulf all the lands of Middle-earth. The Orcs may not entirely grasp the entirety of what they have been enlisted to do, but it’s clear they have an inkling of the powerful weapon with which their captives are involved. And while the forces of evil seem to be gaining ground, the conflict between the various groups, particularly the Uruk-hai and the Orcs of Mordor, reveals the extent to which the enemy will always be confounded by its own selfishness. As will become clear several chapters later, Saruman’s own cleverness will be his undoing, just as Sauron’s arrogance and pride will be his.
Next up, we’ll continue following Merry and Pippin as they begin to make their way into the mysterious Fangorn, where they will meet an unlikely ally.