Book IV, ch. 7&8: The Journey to the Crossroads and The Stairs of Cirith Ungol

[Elanor the Fair]

Well, finally it is my turn and although I have been thinking about it for some time, it was still really difficult to make a start. I referred to Azalea’s guidelines for the chapter summaries and tried to keep this in mind. In the end I really enjoyed writing my summary. Thanks Azalea, for making this project possible. So, let’s start…..

Journey to the Crossroads

Frodo and Sam resume their journey after saying their farewells to Faramir and his company. There is a moment where Faramir gives them gifts at parting – just like the elves in Lothlorien. I couldn’t think of any other instances of gift giving at parting besides these two and wondered if there was any significance in this.

At first Frodo and Sam journey southwards through lush green forest then as their journey progresses, the forest opens up to a more wooded forest, with huge trees and grasses dotted with a variety of field flowers.

When I first read the book I was surprised that so much unspoilt forest could lie so close to Mordor. How did Ithilien remain so natural when it was at the very feet of Mordor?

I loved the journey through Ithilien. It always seemed like a bit of a respite for Frodo and Sam after the exhaustion of the Emyn Muil and its barren slopes and stony passages; the stagnant stinking marshes with the horrors seen beneath the water; the barren desert of the Noman-Lands; and finally the desolation of ash and fire-blasted rock that lay at the feet of the Black Gate. Do you feel that there was any effect on Sam and Frodo as they travelled through Ithilien compared to their journey before this?

The hobbits continue to journey southwards through the silent forest. As they get closer to the crossroads, the forest begins to change with much evidence of recent fires. It is on the third day that the darkness crept out of Mordor and covered the land with a grey twilight. We can feel the increasing tension here and so does Gollum. He becomes almost frantic with haste – why?

Frodo and Sam have a very lonely journey to the crossroads. In fact, their whole journey is one of isolation compared to the journey of the rest of the Company. Apart from taking Gollum as their guide and meeting briefly with Faramir’s company, they have interacted with no-one else since the Company parted. What effect do you think this had on their relationship and on their character development?

I feel that the journey through the green lands of Ithilien is part of one of Tolkien’s bigger themes. - A message that is predominant through this book – There is always hope. There are other references to this theme in this chapter –

Presently, not far ahead, looming up like a black wall, they saw a belt of trees. As they drew nearer they became aware that these were of vast size, very ancient it seemed, and still towering high, though their tops were gaunt and broken, as if tempest and lightening-blast had swept across them, but had failed to kill them or to shake their fathomless roots.

And where they see the fallen statue of the King at the crossroads…..

There, far away, beyond sad Gondor now overwhelmed in shade, the Sun was sinking, finding at last the hem of the great slow-rolling pall of cloud…… Suddenly, caught by the level beams, Frodo saw the old King’s head…. The eyes were hollow and the carven beard was broken, but about the high stern forehead there was a coronal of silver and gold.

This last part of the chapter is so beautiful and poignant. It tells us a great deal about Frodo and about Tolkien’s own message: “They cannot conquer for ever!”