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Tolkien Himself Shipped Sam + Frodo
4 years ago
General
As if drawing the WITCH BOY and STRONG FEMALE PROTAGONIST graphic novels didn't make Molly Ostertag cool enough, she's just published a respectful, patient, well-researched, and very lucid essay explaining why we've been shipping Sam and Frodo all this time: it's because Tolkien did it first, right there in the pages of LOTR.
In a relatively brief essay, Ostertag argues not only that Frodo and Sam are exemplars of chivalric romance -- "the height of romantic love" -- but that Tolkien was well aware of what he was doing, having not only literary scholarship on his side, but his own observations of intense male-male bonding on the front lines of World War I (in which some of his close friends died). Time and again, Ostertag quotes passages from LOTR itself to support her argument, and I'd be convinced even if Sean Astin hadn't gone public with his opinion (Dec. 2020) that Sam and Frodo should've shared a kiss in the movie.
Read the essay for yourself. The bonus is that you get to see the totally swoon-worthy illustrations Ostertag drew for it.
https://www.polygon.com/lord-of-the.....tolkien-quotes
In a relatively brief essay, Ostertag argues not only that Frodo and Sam are exemplars of chivalric romance -- "the height of romantic love" -- but that Tolkien was well aware of what he was doing, having not only literary scholarship on his side, but his own observations of intense male-male bonding on the front lines of World War I (in which some of his close friends died). Time and again, Ostertag quotes passages from LOTR itself to support her argument, and I'd be convinced even if Sean Astin hadn't gone public with his opinion (Dec. 2020) that Sam and Frodo should've shared a kiss in the movie.
Read the essay for yourself. The bonus is that you get to see the totally swoon-worthy illustrations Ostertag drew for it.
https://www.polygon.com/lord-of-the.....tolkien-quotes
Also it bothers me to this day that they did not simply used Eagle Air to fly to Mt. Doom
It is said, repeatedly, that openly challenging Sauron is going to end in disaster; hence sending the hobbits in on a stealth mission. Sending a Great Eagle into Mordor is as clear and open a challenge as can be, and will be met with flying Nazgûl, and all the focused will and malice of Sauron, once he realizes the Ring is there (and he will, when he looks into what's happening). Congrats, you've just express delivered the Ring to the Dark Lord.
Seriously, people. Read the fucking book, and pay attention.
Not my head cannon, however. I agree with you.
(I also definitely ship Sam & Frodo and will have to read this article n.n)