Sam

[Play Girl]

Am I a bit dim to just get this but once I had finished reading the entire book it was only then it dawned on me that Sam was the main character and not Frodo. He is present in nearly every scene that concerns his part of the journey and his experiance of the ring is describe - his fuzzy vision and sharp hearing - while Frodo just sort of puts it on and seesthe dark riders. And at the end he is given the book to finish off. Does he write any of it or is it just the very end lines he rights? Well I still think he is the best character and who cares if he doesn't get alot out of the quest, he comes home and has a ridiculously large amount of baby hobbits with Rosie!
Play Girl
xxx

[samwise of the shire]

Actually I think Sam got alot out of the quest, at first he was just going along because you know his master was going but at the end he KNEW the peril they were in and he relizied that he would die and yet he stuck in there, it's amazing how DIFFERENT Sam is from todays people. He's a servant he puts others before himself and yet he does'nt let people walk all over him, he's balanced I guess you could say.
But we're on the same boat Play Girl
Sam

[IronParrot]

Actually, it's highly debatable who the main character of LOTR is, because of the parallel nature of the story in Books III-V. Sam's perspective becomes extremely important, because it's a window to how Frodo changes from Cirith Ungol to Oroduin. If this was done through Frodo's eyes, it would not have been so effective.

It's all about perspective. After all, Sam closes the book after Frodo's departure...

[Ñólendil]

Still, when you take the whole romance together, you can't say the main character is anyone but Frodo.

[Finmandos12]

But the hero is definitely Aragorn/Elessar.

[Darth Tater]

I dissagree, I think Sam's definately the hero

[Ghost of Tolkien]

Sorry folks, Tom Bombadil is the main character

Ghost of Tolkien

[Ñólendil]

I think the hero is definitely the curious fox in the Green Hill Country, so you're both wrong.

[Ghost of Tolkien]

Originally posted by Inoldonil
I think the hero is definitely the curious fox in the Green Hill Country, so you're both wrong.

Anyone that can wear the ONE and not be affected can certainly turn in to a fox when He wants to..

I agree with you Inoldonil

Ghost of Tolkien

[Ñólendil]

I was of course joking. I guess you are referring to Tom Bombadil, and that you think 'He' is God. Not so. See the Letters of J. R. R. Tolkien, if you have it, Tolkien specifically says that Tom was not God.

[fireworks19]

That doesn't mean he wasnt THE coolest character!
Has anyone seen that little book about Tom Bombadil? I forget what its called....

[KingElessar8]

IMO, it is possible to say that in LOTR there is a main character (Frodo) and a "hero" (Sam). I think it would be hard to argue that Frodo isnt the main character of the story - the entire Fellowship of the Ring revolves around him, and the rest of ths story - while it moves away from his perspective - is based around what he is doing. Sam reacts to what happens to Frodo - almost nothing happens to Sam as a character that doesnt relate to his master. Sam can probably be called the "hero" fairly easily however, albeit of an unconventional type. The Quest could not have achieved its goal without him. All (or almost all) of the actions that move the story forward from the point he and Frodo set off for Mordor are caused by him, inadvertently or otherwise. Frodo is more important but Sam is more active .
Of course, Tolkien complicates the debate even more by adding a conventional hero in opposition to Sam uncoventional heroic part - of course Im speaking of Aragorn.

[Ghost of Tolkien]

Originally posted by Inoldonil
I was of course joking. I guess you are referring to Tom Bombadil, and that you think 'He' is God. Not so. See the Letters of J. R. R. Tolkien, if you have it, Tolkien specifically says that Tom was not God.

I referred to this on my maiden post: "I'm glad you enjoyed etc..."
Don't believe everything you read, including letters


The joke part is just "foxism"

Ghost of Tolkien

[Ñólendil]

Don't believe everything you read, including letters

Are you speaking under your tasteless persona as the ghost of JRR Tolkien, or do you really believe the man was being dishonest?

[arynetrek]

i see LotR as having 4 "main characters:" Frodo, Sam, Aragorn, Gandalf, but instead of Tolkien giving us one main character to get overwhelmed with, he takes the pieces of Main Character-hood & divides them among the 4.

Frodo - Emotional Attachment. is there anyone here who DIDN'T, during their first reading, spend long hours worrying about the poor Hobbit? (shudders in memory of her first reading of Shelob's Lair)

Sam - Action. i've already written why he's so pivotal in two other threads, if you want me to repeat i will.

Aragorn - Traditional Hero. archetypal & pretty obvious, except Tolkien in his infinite authoring genius throws in a melancholy streak - as king of Gondor he won't be free to wander anymore & his character definitely changes from Strider to Aragorn in TT.

Gandalf - The Coolness Factor. again obvious. he also does a LOT of work holding the Fellowship together & later aiding the Gondorim (?) and Rohirrim in their battle. could also be The Leader, but that applies to Aragorn also.

This is of course a grotesque oversimplification. feel free to tear this to shreds.

aryne *

[ringbearer]

You are all wrong! The main character is Sauron! The book is even named after him!

[arynetrek]

sorry, i disagree.

he's not even the main Bad Guy - i'd say that the Ring's influence is the main antagonist and Sauron more of a plot device, but that's very arguable.

aryne *

[samwise of the shire]

The main charecters once you think about it are SAD, Frodo has no hope of returning and he KNOWS that even from the very beggining, Sam goes along quite happily but then as time goes on realizes that he probably wont see his loved ones again and he does'nt turn around and Galadriel was sooo beautiful and sad. :*(

[arynetrek]

ME is a beautiful place, but is steeped in sadness & has been from its beginning... so of course its people would reflect that.

aryne *

[Ghost of Tolkien]

Originally posted by Inoldonil


Are you speaking under your tasteless persona as the ghost of JRR Tolkien, or do you really believe the man was being dishonest?

I find it quite odd that once a great man says/writes/invents/performs some feat etc there springs up a number of acolytes who defend the 'new religion’ so to speak....

The 'tasteless' tag I think is a bit 'priggish' of you....

I believe many of great people of the past wouldn’t necessarily thank anyone for believing they are defending their reputation – There is something deviant about many of the creative figures of the past that often opposed the flow of popular sentiment and religious feeling…

Is JRR being dishonest?

Bearing in mind ME is a mythical world anyway ,this may be an absurd notion
Perhaps the professor didn’t know that Mr Bombadil was Illuvator, in which case he couldn’t be dishonest !

Regards
Ghost of Tolkien