Tolkien Tuesday: Re-Reading "Strider"
In which we learn a great deal more about the enigmatic stranger known only as Strider.
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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!
Tolkien was one of those authors who truly had a gift for crafting marvelous characters, and one need look no further than “Strider,” the tenth chapter of The Fellowship of the Ring. In this chapter, Frodo and company have a more intimate meeting with the mysterious man from the common room of the inn, in which he reveals himself to be an ally and offers to help them through the Wild. Meanwhile, Sam continues to express skepticism over whether they should trust him, Butterbur reveals a letter he forgot to send to Frodo, and Merry has a close encounter with a Black Rider.
After Gandalf, Aragorn is arguably the most important non-hobbit character. Though we don’t yet know who he is or what his motivations are, there’s still enough evidence that he is someone of significance. While at first Frodo views him a threat, as their conversation continues it becomes clearer to the hobbit that there is more to this tall stranger than just his physical appearance. As Gandalf’s letter puts it: “All that is gold does not glitter.” Like so many other wandering heroes from literature, his somewhat shabby appearance belies a great strength and, as he shows to Sam, there is still a core of iron hidden beneath, which he can bring out whenever he needs to make an impression or to show the full extent of his majesty.
In many ways, Aragorn is the paradigmatic epic hero, yet there is a softer side to him, as well. After it’s revealed that he is Gandalf’s friend, Frodo asks him why he didn’t just say so to begin with, to which he responds that he knew nothing of the letter. Moreover, he goes on, “I must admit that I hoped you would take to me for my own sake. A hunted man sometimes wearies of distrust and longs for friendship. But there, I believe my looks are against me.” It’s a remarkable admission from this man who is descended from kings, and it’s an indication of just how heavily the years and his burdens weigh on him. While he has devoted his life to ensuring that those who live in places like Bree and the Shire can sleep safely at night knowing they won’t be murdered in their beds, they continue to look at him and his brethren with extreme hostility.
There is something conservative about this particular line of thought. Butterbur and the people of Bree (and the common folk more generally) simply don’t know what’s good for them. They are so insular and so myopic that they fail to see the truth about the very people in their midst. This isn’t to say that they don’t have good hearts, of course, as the frazzled innkeeper clearly demonstrates when he does everything he can to provide Frodo and his friends with the aid they need to stand against the Black Riders. It’s also worth pointing out that there’s more going on behind Butterbur’s rather silly exterior than meets the eye, as even Gandalf will be the first to admit.
Of course, there is someone who isn’t entirely convinced, not even by Gandalf’s letter, and that’s our dear Samwise Gamgee. As he has throughout the novel, he expresses no small amount of skepticism regarding Aragorn and, though misguided (if there’s anyone that the hobbits can trust, it would be Aragorn), it’s still rather charming to see the extent to which this little fellow will go in support of his master. His response is also very much in keeping with his character as it has already been established. Sam, like so many of the other hobbits of the Shire, naturally views anyone from outside of it with distrust, particularly if they happen to be one of the Big People and if they happen to exhibit the characteristics that Sam associates with those who are to be mistrusted.
What I particularly enjoyed about this chapter was how deftly it demonstrated the unlikely alliances that can form, even in a fractured time like the end of the Third Age. A man like Barliman Butterbur has never really had to face a challenge like the Black Riders, and it would certainly have been very easy for him to simply turn Frodo and company out rather than continuing to put himself at risk. Like Farmer Maggot, however, he is more than ready to leap into battle when the time comes, though one wonders whether he really has a full grasp of just how dangerous it is to go head-to-head with the agents of Mordor.
Finally, this chapter usefully demonstrates the extent to which Sauron’s influence has begun to spread across all of the various corners of Middle-earth. Most of the people of Bree are, of course, good solid folk like we’ve already seen in the Shire, but there are already seeds of evil starting to take root, as one can see with the likes of Bill Ferny. These are the type of people that are always looking for the main chance, and they don’t really care how much they have to destroy in order to get what they want. They are so far gone that they are even willing to waylay poor Merry, presumably to turn him over to the Black Riders. I don’t think it takes much imagination to see where that would lead. Even though Merry will be key to the downfall of the Witch-king down the line, it’s hard to imagine him being able to survive an encounter with one of the Nazgûl this early on.
Overall, I found this to be a great chapter. It allows us to get a firmer understanding of who Aragorn is and what role he’ll play, even as it also shows us new shades of character to supporting characters like Butterbur. In the end, it’s hard not to feel a bit sorry for the innkeeper, for all that his negligence in not sending Gandalf’s letter put Frodo’s life at significant risk (since he presumably would have fled much earlier had he realized the imminent danger he was in). But, as it turns out, it all turns out for the best. Chance, if chance we call it, was once again on the hobbits’ side.