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The Hobbit: Chapter 6 Out of the Fry...

The TVClubHouse: Archives: Movies & Library 2003 -2004: Library: June 2003 - April 2004: TVCH Book Club (ARCHIVES): The Hobbit: Chapter 6 Out of the Frying-Pan into the Fire users admin

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Reiki
Member

08-12-2000

Friday, March 05, 2004 - 11:47 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
The is the discussion area for Chapter 6 of the Hobbit - Out of the Frying-Pan into the Fire

The Misty Mountains by JRRT

The Misty Mountains by JRR Tolkien


Timeline for this chapter:

July 19 - The company is trapped by wolves and rescued by eagles.


Pictures for this chapter

Reiki
Member

08-12-2000

Saturday, March 06, 2004 - 6:00 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
In this chapter the negative influence of the ring on Bilbo is seen for the first time when he tells the lie of how he snuck into dwarves camp and doesn't mention the ring at all in telling them of his escape from the goblin caves.

It is mentioned that Gandalf has made a special study of fire and lights (fireworks, the flash of light from his staff). This will become a somewhat important skill for Gandalf during LOTRs. I notice that he seems to favore blue lights/flame in this book.

Bilbo mentions a elder Took cousin who was a great traveller and had imitated the sound of a wolf to frighten Bilbo. Another example of Tookishness.

Now we understand the title of this chapter. "Escaping from Goblins to be caught by wolves!" or as we now say "out of the frying-pan into the fire". I like how this tries to tie the story into our own world.

Here we meet the Wargs - the evil wolves of the wild who made an unexpected appearance in the 2nd movie, The Two Towers. Interesting that Gandalf can understand the wargs "language". Interesting that warg have a "language".

warg from The Two Towers movie


Eagles to the rescue! And not for the last time in Middle Earth.

This chapter ends with the company safe for the moment with the eagles. It's a nice respite from the anxiety of the goblins and wargs attacking.

Reiki
Member

08-12-2000

Saturday, March 06, 2004 - 6:07 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
A note about these great eagles here from the Encyclopedia of Arda:

The mighty Eagles of the Elder Days were more than mere birds, they were gigantic, intelligent creatures. Thorondor, the greatest of them, had a wingspan of thirty fathoms (55 metres, or 180 feet), and spoke with Elf-lords as an equal. Beings like this first appeared after the awakening of the Elves, when spirits sent by Eru (the God of Middle Earth) entered the World and inhabited certain of its living things (the Ents first appeared at about this time, for the same reason). 'Ordinary' eagles, of the kind we still know today, must presumably have predated the arrival of these spirits.

The Lord of the Eagles in the Hobbit is a descendant of Thorondor.

Ocean_islands
Member

09-07-2000

Wednesday, March 10, 2004 - 7:01 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
I remember when I read this book when I was a kid and I was struck by the phrase saying that eagles were not kindly birds. This has always influenced my feeling about them in these books. As a matter of fact, I believe somewhere in the books one of the eagles tells Gandalf that they are sick of helping him out all the time.

Reiki
Member

08-12-2000

Wednesday, March 10, 2004 - 1:13 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
The Annotated Hobbit says that the Lord of the Eagles we meet here is not the same one who will come to the rescue several times in LOTRs. I always thought it was the same one.

In previous discussions I've had about the trilogy someone always brings up the question of why Gandalf and Elrond, et al, didn't just have the eagles fly them to Mount Doom. The standard answer is that the eagles are not a taxi service.

The eagles are like many other characters/species/races in middle earth who don't feel the argument between Elves/Men and Sauron is their business and only become involved when they feel like it.

Calamity
Member

10-18-2001

Wednesday, March 10, 2004 - 2:15 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
That's a common element in folklore - the uneasy co-existence between humans and animal/other societies. Fits in with the view that these stories are less "fantasy" and more "myth".

It also brings to mind some interesting comparisons between Tolkien's Middle-Earth and his fellow Inkling C.S. Lewis's Narnia.

Oh, I don't know if this is valid or not but I remember a theory that the Eagles wouldn't want to carry the One Ring/Ring-Bearer for fear of being corrupted by its influence themselves.

I just got the annotated version from the library but have to get caught up with all the notes now. I've been enjoying everyone's comments, especially about the differences between The Hobbit and LotR. And it's been so interesting to read the impressions of those who haven't read the book before. There's nothing like the first time you read a story!

Ocean_islands
Member

09-07-2000

Thursday, March 11, 2004 - 8:30 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
I think this chapter drags a bit. He seems to go on a bit about the wolves and the eagles too much for my liking, it seems to stop the action and also the chapter does not end on a cliff hanger like so many others.

Jed245
Member

11-01-2002

Monday, March 15, 2004 - 2:59 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
wow a "the hobbit" chapter by chapter disscussion. :o) This would have been a great thread for me about 8 years ago. :o) heheh.

Loved the book and I loved the rings series books. Just wanted to stop by and see what was going on in here. :o)

I hear there is going to be a hobbit movie soon? I honestly think the hobbit movie should have been just like the book and released before the other movies.

personally I like the hobbit for some reason better then the rest of the tolkin books. :o)

er ok I'll go now. :o) (GO BILBO)

Jed. :o)

Wargod
Member

07-16-2001

Thursday, April 01, 2004 - 1:47 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
I am really behind in my posting! I'm up around chapter 10 of so in the book, but haven't posted in forever, lol. I thought I'd have a few more hours a week to read and post with the kids out of school, but it has been worse than usual!

now to try to get caught up with posting. This is going to sound absolutely silly, and more than a few people will wonder if I have completely lost it (but figure enough people know I'm nuts anyways so it won't matter much, LOL,) but the thought of giant eagles, even though they are the good guys here and rescuing our heroes, gives me the heebie jeebies! Just read up thread and see that OI mentions seeing them being described as not kindly birds, so I don't feel quite so silly. The idea that a bird is big enough to pick someone up and carry them away is one of my irrational fears, and reading it just makes it worse!

It is nice for a change to have our company end at a safe place. Kind of a respite from the hardships and danger ahead.