News Resources
Login
Become a member
Help
Search
|
|
| About Us News Resources
Login
Become a member
Help
Search
|
|
|
| The Acceptable Sacrifice by Larner | 1409 Review(s) |
|---|---|
| lotrgirl1415 | Reviewed Chapter: 2 on 10/17/2005 |
| wonderful update love! *hugs4frodo* *tear* love the story! --Katie Author Reply: Recovery will take time, I fear. Glad you are enjoying it so far, Katie. Thanks for the feedback. | |
| French Pony | Reviewed Chapter: 2 on 10/17/2005 |
| Oh, there's more! I completely missed the "In Progress" part last time. Frodo's thoughts about Sam's heroism are interesting. It's an interpretation of LOTR that I've seen before, that Sam is the real hero of the book, and mostly I think it has some valid points. But it's kind of sad to see Frodo thinking it. I also like his observation that his lost finger was tainted and that he's glad to see it go. Author Reply: I do mean this to be a look at the beginnings of Frodo's realization that we are meant to be living sacrifices in the eyes of God, so it will go on a bit. Many feel Sam is the real hero; although in reality all three were necessary to the destruction of the Ring--Frodo, Sam, and Gollum. They are all intertwined here. Sam feels Frodo is the hero, while Frodo thinks Sam is the hero, and all would have been lost had Gollum not taken the Ring at the last. None is THE hero--we are all part of what is meant to be a cooperative effort. And glad that my idea of Frodo's thought on his finger's loss meets with your approval. Hope the story continues to keep you engaged as it progresses. | |
| lindahoyland | Reviewed Chapter: 2 on 10/17/2005 |
| Poor Frodo,being paraded must be the very last thing he wants and being dressed by someone else is not pleasant unless you have been brought up to it. I love the way you explore Frodo's mixed feelings.I would also love to read your account of how Aragorn felt when he and Sam were brought from the fire. You are very good at psychology!I know in Jungian terms a ring symbolises the Ego,so to destroy it for Frodo is also to destroy part of himself.. IT can indeed be a curse if you are the type of person who analyses everything. Author Reply: I did write Aragorn's take on the recalling of Frodo and Sam in The Ties of Family, when Aragorn comes to the Bridge to accompany the Hobbits to the conference at Imladris. Maybe I'll work it into this story, too--but maybe I won't--haven't gone that far as yet. Tolkien tended to rush the recoveries quite a bit, I always thought. Frodo's awake, and already he's being rushed off to a feast? Necessary for the morale of the troops and the feelings of propriety for those who were offering themselves to give Frodo and Sam time to get them to the Fire; but for Frodo, just awakened and probably still confused, this must have felt like too much to handle! And then dressed by someone else and in such a guise---- The comment on Jung is quite interesting. I've not read deeply into his philosophy, but agree that Frodo indeed did lose part of himself along with the Ring. The Ring had known seventeen and a half years to weave itself into his mind and awareness, and now that part of him has truly been cleansed away by fire. Now to allow the joy to return to fill the empty places in his being hollowed out by the Ring's actions and its loss.... And self-analysis can be self-destructive if we let it go too far. | |
| jodancingtree | Reviewed Chapter: 2 on 10/17/2005 |
| This is wonderful, Larner, wise and deep. And I love the insight that Sam would accept everything with simple gratitude. jo Author Reply: I think that Sam is now as Frodo was when he awoke in Rivendell, but that after the five months since that last awakening the Ring has done all within its power to turn Frodo's own gifts of analysis, responsibility, and humility against him, seeking to twist them into destructive forces instead of gifts intended to aid him to live to be the best individual he could be. And Frodo envies Sam his ability to just accept and tries to emulate it. Thanks so much for the feedback. I loved Following the Brown Wizard, you know. I read it before I reviewed often, but it was one of the stories that encouraged me to write. Thank you for the inspiration your works have given to me. | |
| daw the minstrel | Reviewed Chapter: 2 on 10/17/2005 |
| It seems to me that in some ways Frodo still hasn't learned what it means to be a "hero," namely that what we think of when we hear that word is almost never real. How many of our heroes are just ordinarly people who dogged it out and would have given away if someone else hadn't propped them up? I think that's what most heroes are. Poor Frodo. He's really surrendered pretty much everything. Author Reply: Yes, he's surrendered so much, including (although it will be some time before he realizes this) his sense of perspective. I love the insight shown in "One Step More: the Heroism of Frodo Baggins" and as a special ed teacher understand exactly what the lady who wrote it says of how the true heroes are those who keep going, those who are true examples of "Bronwe athan Harthad"--endurance beyond hope. I've known many such in my life, and most never thought of themselves as being the least heroic. Thanks so much for the feedback, Daw. | |
| Bodkin | Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 10/17/2005 |
| He thought he was dead! And now has to deal with not being. But at least he has Gandalf there to offer him what help he can. Author Reply: Yes, I suspect the first moment of waking must have been one of utter shock as he realized he was alive. And he has several to aid him, if he'll open to healing. Thanks for the feedback, Bodkin. | |
| Ami | Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 10/17/2005 |
| Stunning beginning. This is so very spiritual and symbolic, very much in tune with Frodo's quest and his redemption as well. I can't wait to read more. Author Reply: Accepting he is alive and has spiritual healing to face as well as physical is the first step. And that spiritual redemption is in large part quite practical is also going to be a bit of a shock, I suspect. | |
| harrowcat | Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 10/17/2005 |
| I am not sure whether it is harder to live up to the expectations of other people or your own of yourself. I do know that the guilt that comes with letting yourself down can be nigh on impossible to forgive, as we see so well told through your words. Oh and the last bit - straight out of the Psalms! One of my favourites too. I am happy with the thought that Frodo survived because the Creator prefers a living sacrifice to a burnt offering and that Gollum made his own choice fore-shadowed but not forced by Frodo's words to him but that Frodo continues to be a living sacrifice is not a comfortable thought. But it is so true in our lives too. And I believe the two are connected - the guilt we carry makes any suffering we must bear so much worse. I am not sure if the above is making any sense, even to me but thank you for making me think Larner. Author Reply: We were apparently brought up so similarly in our theological outlooks, Harrowcat. (See--there is a LOT of similarity between Anglican and RC upbringings!) Yes, to be a living sacrifice is sometimes the more difficult role to play, I think, because we have to live not only with the expectations of others and those we have for ourselves, which are indeed worse for those of us who tend to be introspective. And certainly I borrowed from the Eucharistic tradition and the psalms here, much as Tolkien himself did in his thinking. Frodo needs to accept responsibility for himself alone, and to allow others to do what they must as well. He has a good deal of healing of his thought processes to go through in order to be ready for what is to come, which is why, I suspect, Eru sent him the aid he needed to be rescued, giving him time for this before he came through the Gates. Thanks so much for appreciating the thought behind what I write. | |
| Inkling | Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 10/17/2005 |
| Iluvatar does not rejoice in burnt offerings, but in living sacrifices. A great line and a promising beginning, Larner! Though I was shocked--shocked, I say, at the length! ;) It will be interesting to see your take on this part of the story... Author Reply: I do occasionally write quite short chapters, don't I? As a Christian from the liturgical traditions, this quote from the Bible is part of the way we were raised and certainly how Tolkien would have been trained from childhood to think of our Christian duty as well. And I suspect it was part of why he decided to allow Frodo and Sam to be rescued by Gandalf and the Eagles. But it's not always an easy way to live, accepting that God wishes us to live as examples to others and to know healing and correction to our egocentric thinking before we go on. Thanks for the encouragement at the beginning. | |
| Ellie | Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 10/16/2005 |
| Interesting. I'm looking forward to more. The thought at the end was quite powerful indeed. Author Reply: The thought at the ending is simply a slight translation from the Psalms, and an important part of the philosophy of most Christian churches. It would certainly have been as much part of the religious upbringing for Tolkien as a Roman Catholic as it has been for me as High Church Anglican; and was, I think, part of the reason he elected to see Frodo and Sam rescued from the ruin of Orodruin, that Frodo might have the chance to come to terms with his role in the eyes of the Creator instead of bearing unnecessary guilt and unreasonable standards for himself and carrying on the conceit he must remain the one sacrifice forever. I hope I don't let this story wander too far from the point, however. Am a ways ahead and find it wants to go its own way a bit. Thanks for the review. | |