Response to LiteratureIn all genres and styles of writing, character dependencies are developed.
The good guy always depends on his friends, the bad guy never depends on anything except evil. Such dependencies are developed in JRR Tolkiens Fellowship of The Ring. The most prevalent of these is the one between Bilbo and Frodo Baggins. These two characters are brought together and bonded in a variety of ways. Frodo was always fascinated and interested in Bilbos telling of experiences and adventures he has had, tales which he by no means hesitates to share. Early on in the novel Bilbo realizes he is not as young as he used to be, because of this he decides that he must choose an heir to his fortune and belongings.
He chooses Frodo, the son of his favorite sister, for this role. Frodo moves in with Bilbo and adopts his name. Bilbo needed this to happen so that he could feel refreshed and reclaim some of his youth. Frodo needs Bilbo to teach him in the ways of life and to help him develop as a person.
Bilbo needs Frodo to revive his life and to have somebody to share his life with and keep him company. It is a swinging door relationship, in the sense that they both benefit from it and they both develop and learn more about each other. Bilbo and Frodo share a mutual companion and guide, Gandalf, the good wizard. Early on in the book Bilbo decides that he wishes to take one last journey before he dies and that he must take it alone. Gandalf helps him prepare for this trip and Bilbo leaves in front of the entire town at his own birthday party.
Everybody is confused because the way in which he disappeared was magical, through the assistance of a special ring of power. Before Bilbo departs he leaves the ring to Frodo. Later, Gandalf informs Frodo that he must take a quest to The Crack of Doom to destroy the ring before a dark enemy is able to obtain it and add it to the other rings which he has already acquired giving him absolute power. Even through out this journey which was endlessly wearisome and packed with traumatic events, Frodo feels the need for the presence of Bilbo. This feeling expressed is expressed in a pivotal point in the novel.
Frodo is in the recovery process from an injury inflicted by an evil blade wielded by the enemy, he is telling the tale to Gandalf, then he says;Dear Bilbo! I wonder where he is. I wish he was here and could hearall about it. It would have made him laugh. -Page 218 This tells us that even when Frodo was nearly at deaths door, he still longs for Bilbo, meaning that he is as a father figure to Frodo and he wants him to be there to comfort him in this time. In the process of all this, a second very strong character dependency is developed, one between Frodo and Gandalf.
Frodo depends on Gandalf for guidance, support and wisdom for the long journey ahead of him. Gandalf depends on Frodo to provide him with further insight and information as to the potential of a hobbits (the type of creature Frodo and Bilbo are) fortitude. Gandalf tells Frodo what to pack for his journey, supplies him with a fake name as to not reveal to the enemy the route by which he is traveling, and instructs him to buy a new house out in the country side so that his absence will not be noted until he is several days into his journey. Gandalf not only makes sure that the beginning of their journey is successful, he tells certain trusted friends of his along the way to watch out for them and to provide shelter and protection if they need it. One such friend was Strider. Strider becomes a major part in the novel, saving Frodo and his traveling company form danger many times, and also helping them to get to their destination in much less time than they originally would have.
It is revealed to us several times throughout the novel that Gandalf has personal feelings for Frodo such as in the scene shortly after the quote from above Gandalf says to himself after noticing that Frodo still has taints of evil about his wound:Still that must be expected. He is not half through yet,and to what he will come to in the end not even Elrondcan foretell. Not to evil I think. He may become like a glass filled with a clear light for eyes to see that can.-Page 217Many characters had dependencies in this novel, which is one of the best selling of all times, but the one that originated them was the bond between Bilbo and Frodo Baggins living together in their little home where two epic journeys changing the course of their world originated from.Words/ Pages : 820 / 24
