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Yelp!
Dear Linh,
I have a possible answer. Namely, in heroic literature, such as the Lord of the Rings, and in classic literature in general, authors always strive towards some kind of moral symmetry. Sins must be atoned for, and the proper form of atonement for the gravest sins is a hero's death. Boromir had to die for his sins, and (if you've read the Hobbit) so did Thorin Oakenshield.
Frodo committed serious sins by the end of the story, as the ring overpowered him and he coveted it for himself and himself alone. However, it seems that Tolkien could not simply kill him off. Not because he is the main protagonist, but because he is such an unlikely protagonist - a hobbit willing to go into the very mouths of hell to save his friends - and if in this he was overpowered - so what! So, we cannot just kill him off.
However, the "Undying Lands", while not death (in fact, the opposite) do represent a departure from this world. So, for Frodo the atonement is not merely complete, it is actually transformed in to a reward. He sinned, but the burden was not meant for him, and in taking it on voluntarily (and playing a large part in quite literally saving the world) he went farther than anyone could have expected. The departure must take place, that is the way of things, and the scales of justice must find balance in all things, but for Frodo, punishment is turned into reward - and this reward must be accepted, or the scales will not find their balance.
Please tell me what you think of this interpretation!
Yelp!
I have a possible answer. Namely, in heroic literature, such as the Lord of the Rings, and in classic literature in general, authors always strive towards some kind of moral symmetry. Sins must be atoned for, and the proper form of atonement for the gravest sins is a hero's death. Boromir had to die for his sins, and (if you've read the Hobbit) so did Thorin Oakenshield.
Frodo committed serious sins by the end of the story, as the ring overpowered him and he coveted it for himself and himself alone. However, it seems that Tolkien could not simply kill him off. Not because he is the main protagonist, but because he is such an unlikely protagonist - a hobbit willing to go into the very mouths of hell to save his friends - and if in this he was overpowered - so what! So, we cannot just kill him off.
However, the "Undying Lands", while not death (in fact, the opposite) do represent a departure from this world. So, for Frodo the atonement is not merely complete, it is actually transformed in to a reward. He sinned, but the burden was not meant for him, and in taking it on voluntarily (and playing a large part in quite literally saving the world) he went farther than anyone could have expected. The departure must take place, that is the way of things, and the scales of justice must find balance in all things, but for Frodo, punishment is turned into reward - and this reward must be accepted, or the scales will not find their balance.
Please tell me what you think of this interpretation!
Yelp!
Liam
Frodo could not find solace from all that he had seen. There were shadows in his life, and he could not rid himself of them. He could not find peace in Middle-earth, and chose to seek it beyond the White Shores of Valinor. He, as a ring-bearer, had seen horrors from it that nobody else had, and so he could not live yet in that land. As he himself said: "I tried to save the Shire, and it has been saved, but not for me." He couldn't just return to a quiet life after all he'd seen, and so sought a life beyond the Sea and to the land of the Valar.
Deblina
Its sad he left, isn't it? I wish he had stayed too. But, the story follows its own course. :)
Linh, I don't know if you will get a satisfactory answer to your question because a deep feeling arising from the depths of the unconscious mind may not be easily explained. the thing about this series of books is that if you are just reading and relying on the facts and events presented, you are likely to miss out the underlying essence. You need to let your imagination flow; visualise the places, breathe the scents and smells of the land; become part of the story. I hope you have enjoyed the story enough to try it out.
But if you still want to have a concrete answer, I will say that all the four hobbits had returned from the journey as very different people than when they had set out, but Frodo most of all. He had borne the One Ring for too long and it had taken its toll on him. His wounds were far deeper than the ones sustained by others, scarring his body, mind and soul. Hence leaving for the Havens was his only hope for respite. Think of it as like a person who has been in agonising pain for so long that he starts coveting death.
Well, I tried my best to answer your question. I hope you figure it out soon.
Linh, I don't know if you will get a satisfactory answer to your question because a deep feeling arising from the depths of the unconscious mind may not be easily explained. the thing about this series of books is that if you are just reading and relying on the facts and events presented, you are likely to miss out the underlying essence. You need to let your imagination flow; visualise the places, breathe the scents and smells of the land; become part of the story. I hope you have enjoyed the story enough to try it out.
But if you still want to have a concrete answer, I will say that all the four hobbits had returned from the journey as very different people than when they had set out, but Frodo most of all. He had borne the One Ring for too long and it had taken its toll on him. His wounds were far deeper than the ones sustained by others, scarring his body, mind and soul. Hence leaving for the Havens was his only hope for respite. Think of it as like a person who has been in agonising pain for so long that he starts coveting death.
Well, I tried my best to answer your question. I hope you figure it out soon.
Kaylen
This answer contains spoilers…
(view spoiler)
Kevin Milner
His wounds (the stab wound on Weathertop and the sting of Shelob) were still causing him pain. Besides, a trip to the undying lands (essentially elf "heaven") would be pretty hard to turn down.
At any rate, Sam, as a ring-bearer, also eventually went across the sea to join him.
At any rate, Sam, as a ring-bearer, also eventually went across the sea to join him.
Armagaan
Tolkien's book follows the Abrahamic religions (Judaism, Christianity, Islam). Crossing the sea is basically going to heaven. Frodo has worn the ring for too long and it has twisted his soul. As a ring-bearer, there is now a never-ending thirst in him to reacquire the ring which will haunt him for the remainder of his life. Since that wish will never be fulfilled, he will be unable to find solace in the mortal world and the only way to keep his sanity is to ascend to heaven where he shall attain bliss and get rid of the ring's malice on his soul.
2022056WF
It says that progressively, the wound that Frodo sustained on Weather Top made him more ill as time went on, and he eventually had to die. Sam will eventually join him, but like the book said, he has his own life to live.
Peter
Tolkien is not one for "they all lived happily ever after." Consider The Hobbit--Thorin dies. The story of Beren and Luthien--after many sorrows and trials, ends with the death of Luthien. Even Aragorn and Arwen end with the death of Aragorn, and later, Arwen.
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I'm suggesting that Tolkien end his stories with an air of uncertainty or vagueness, that nothing is perfect in life. Perhaps that is from a mark WWI left on him. The war ended, but the world changed and not for the better. Thus, happy endings are characterized with sorrow.
.
So going back to the question, I venture to say that Frodo's departure is a mark of Tolkien as a storyteller.
.
I'm suggesting that Tolkien end his stories with an air of uncertainty or vagueness, that nothing is perfect in life. Perhaps that is from a mark WWI left on him. The war ended, but the world changed and not for the better. Thus, happy endings are characterized with sorrow.
.
So going back to the question, I venture to say that Frodo's departure is a mark of Tolkien as a storyteller.
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