Tolkien Tuesday: Re-Reading "The Lord of the Rings: The Shadow of the Past"

In the second chapter of "The Fellowship of the Ring," Frodo learns some terrifying truths about the One Ring...and about his own place in Middle-earth's history.

When I first read The Lord of the Rings decades ago, it was “The Shadow of the Past” That told me in no uncertain terms that things were about to get real. The sense of impending menace is right there in the chapter title, cluing us in that Frodo’s life, carefree and idyllic as it has been up until now is about to be upended. And so it proves to be, as Gandalf–more than a little weary from his many journeys in Middle-earth–reveals that he has learned a great deal about the Ring that Bilbo bequeathed to Frodo, and none of it is good. 

There is something particularly haunting and unsettling about Gandalf’s recounting of Sméagol and Déagol. One might characterize this portion of the book as the “Tragedy of Gollum,” for though he is clearly a malicious and untrustworthy being, and obviously quite capable of murder, the Ring turns him into something worthy of pity, at least from Gandalf’s perspective. Unlike Frodo, however, who continues to hold onto a view of Gollum that sees him as irredeemably evil and beyond saving, the Wizard insists on offering grace, suggesting that there might yet be hope for the withered and tortured creature. Gandalf’s hope for him exists in tension with his own description of what Gollum has become, a threat spoken of in whispers as a “new terror,” “a ghost that drank blood.” Even if some of the things said about him are exaggerations, is there anyone who doubts that Gollum would climb into a window to snatch away an unguarded baby?

Indeed, the question of Gollum and his eventual fate is a repeated note in this chapter, and it reveals a great deal about both Gandalf and Frodo. While Frodo–dismayed at the fact that this dangerous weapon has come into his custody and horrified by the Wizard’s revelations about the creature’s true history and nature–proclaims (somewhat sanctimonious) that Gollum deserves death, Gandalf takes a more nuanced approach. “Deserves it! I daresay he does,” he says sternly. “Many that live deserve death. And some that die deserve life. Can you give it to them? Then do not be too eager to deal out death in judgment. For even the very wise cannot see all ends.” 

This is, to my mind, one of the best moments in the entirety of The Lord of the Rings. It’s a powerful reminder, both to us and to Frodo, that it isn’t for any of us to sit in judgment on others and to proclaim who is worthy of life and who of death. Just as importantly, it also enjoins us to see those who have sinned, whether against us or against others, as worthy of grace and forgiveness, no matter how far from the light they might seem to be. Gandalf’s belief that even Gollum, wretched and fallen as he is, can be saved speaks very highly of his character, and it makes the reader come to love him all the more.

There is also something profound about Gandalf’s remark that even the wisest cannot see all ends. It’s a part of this speech that is somewhat easy to miss, but to me it is a key element of Gandalf’s personality and his ethos. Unlike Sauron, his fellow Maia, Gandalf doesn’t pretend that he knows everything or that he should be the only one to determine the fates of others. In fact, precisely the opposite is true, for throughout his talk with Frodo he makes his own shortcomings clear, and this makes him far more human, and more sympathetic, than one might expect from a being of such tremendous power and influence. 

 More to the point, Gandalf also believes that there is some force at work beyond the ability of either Frodo or the Wise to fully see or comprehend. It’s one of those places in The Lord of the Rings where Tolkien shows his own belief in the power of divine providence, and it is encouraging, to both the characters and the reader, to think that there is some force of good working in the world, difficult as it might be to see in the midst of misfortune and tribulation. Just as Bilbo was meant to find the Ring in his stumbling about in the bowels of the Misty Mountains, so was Frodo meant to have it, though at this point it isn’t yet clear just how far or how long he’ll have to bear it, or how much of a toll it will take on his mind, body, and soul. 

It is also remarkable the extent to which this chapter highlights the surprising power of even the silliest of hobbits. Though they have largely been overlooked by the great powers and even most of the Wise (with the exception of Gandalf), they are about to find themselves thrust onto the stage of history in the most extraordinary way imaginable. The old Wizard isn’t blind to their shortcomings and their foibles, but he also isn’t foolish enough to underestimate them. He knows enough about their history–more than they do themselves, as it turns out–and this allows him to see connections that others might overlook or dismiss out of hand.

All of which brings us to dear Sam. For most of the chapter he is just trimming the hedges, whistling as he goes along. As it transpires, of course, he has actually been listening to much of what Gandalf and Frodo have been saying, though not understanding very much of it. To his immense credit, he expresses the loyalty to Frodo that will come to be his trademark throughout the rest of the novel, even as he is also as earthy as ever. His conversation in the Green Dragon is also notable for the extent to which it shows that even the most insular of hobbits are aware of the world encroaching on their quiet little corner of the world.

Ever since I first read this chapter years ago, it’s always been one of my favorites. I know that info dumps like this one aren’t very much in style these days, but I do appreciate the effortless way that Tolkien weaves together the past and the present. It’s not just that Gandalf is relating to Frodo how the Ring came into his possession; he’s showing the vast scope of history itself, a grand drama in which the hobbit is to take his own part when the time comes. The Ring hovers over the entire chapter with a malevolence and a sinister aura as foreboding as Sauron himself, and it will only grow more terrifying in the chapters to come.