Throughout the first half of The Two Towers, Tolkien shifts narratives constantly from Aragorn, Gimli and Legolas plight to save their friends and to assist the Riders of Rohan to Merry and Pippin’s escape from their Uruk-hai captors and their new friends the Ents. However, there finally comes a chapter after the events of Helm’s Deep where the two groups are finally reunited and by recounting their own adventures, fill in any gaps in the story that the reader may have missed along the way:
Book III, Chapter IX: Flotsam and Jetsam
Flotsam and Jetsam is a chapter which finally gives us a chance to take in the events of the previous chapters which moved at such a quick pace and introduced us to one of the most innovative races in the history of literature. The chapter also sheds light on the things unsaid in the previous passages, such as how the Ents arrived at Isengard and how they went about wrought the incredible damage and havoc they did.
It has often been said that you don’t truly understand a character and the strife they go through until you hear them recounting the experience itself. In this way, listening to the characters in The Two Towers describe their journeys themselves, along with the thoughts and emotions they had at the time, only heightens our understanding of the characters themselves. This chapter has something for everyone, from Ent fans to Hobbit fans, so join us this weekend for what should be a great discussion!
Upcoming Discussions:
Aug 18 & 28: TTT Chapter Chat – The Voice of Saruman
Place:
#thehalloffire on theonering.net server; come to theonering.net’s chat room Barliman’s and then type /join #thehalloffire .
Saturday Chat: 5:30 pm ET (17:30) [also 11:30 pm (23:30) CET and 7:30 am Sunday (07:30) AET]
Sunday Chat: 7:00 pm (19:00) CET [also 1:00 pm (13:00) ET and 4:00 am (04:00) Monday morning AET]
ET = Eastern Time, USA’s East Coast
CET = Central European Time, Central Europe
Questions? Topics? Send ‘em here.
