Word of the Road
JRR Tolkien Houghton Mifflin Company 1955 440 pages
Character Description
Sam: Sam is Frodo's gardener. He is his companion in the War against the Ring. He has never lost faith in Frodo, but he is weary of Gollum.
Merry: Merry is one of the four hobbits (Frodo, Sam, him, and Pippin) and he is the most cautious and well-rounded of the four. He is a fighter, and he will not be left behind.
Pippin: Pippin is the friend of Merry and a companion to Frodo. Although he does not accompany Frodo and Sam to Mordor, he remains with Merry until he and Gandalf are off to Minas Tirith.
Aragorn: Heir to the throne of Gondor, this ranger from the North has an impossible choice in front of him: become the man he was meant to be, and leave behind, Arwen, his lover, or stay a ranger, keep Arwen, and watch Middle Earth fall without its king.
Legolas: The prince of the Woodland Realm of Mirkwood, he represents the elves in the fellowship. He has never left Aragorn's side in the War of the Ring, but he does befriend one of the most unlikely people in the fellowship; Gimli.
Gimli: Representing the dwarf race, Gimli has watched over the hobbits, along with Aragorn, Legolas, and even Gandalf. He has never faltered in battle, and has protected all that he can. Gimli is the son of Gloin, who was part of the original company to retake Erebor. He also has stood as a figure of seriousness and hope for other members of the fellowship.
Gandalf: Being the wisest and and most powerful of the company, Gandalf gave Bilbo a "nudge out the door" to be the burglar in the retaking of Erebor, and he aids Frodo in destroying the Ring of Power. Being one of the only five wizards in Middle Earth, it is his job to protect all the he can. But can he trust that Frodo will destroy the Ring?
Plot Summary
What in Middle Earth?
Where in Middle Earth?
Conflict in War
Book Review
An Excerpt
"At last they rode over the downs and took the East Road, and then Merry and Pippin rode on to Buckland; and already they were singing again as they went. But Sam turned to Bywater, and so came back up the Hill, as day was ending once more. And he went on, and there was yellow light, and fire within; and the evening meal was ready, and he was expected. And Rose drew him in, and set him in his chair, and put little Elanor upon his lap.
He drew in a deep breath. 'Well, I'm back,' he said.
I chose this quote because it really represents, in my mind, the completing of the circle. Merry and Pippin are finally going home, with Sam married with children. They have left Frodo to sail to the Undying Lands, leaving Sam the Red book of Westmarch. When its says that Sam is expected, it means that he has a place once more in than two years. His life for more than a year has been devoted to the quest of the RIng. It ends with this quote, which really in itself means so much to the book. The end of the book, this quote, shows us all, that at the end of the, maybe it wasn't the journey there, the destination, or the journey back. It's finally coming home to family, and that's exactly what this is.