EN238 Lecture Notes - Lecture 21: Old Man Willow, Tom Bombadil, Eucatastrophe
Document Summary
Through each event, tolkien brings the hobbits further into enchantment while also bringing them further into the real world. There is a constant cycling juxtaposition between fellowship, hospitality, joy & warmth and discord, horror, need and fear. It is a very distinct rhythm, music to the story. The entire first book of the lord of the rings is reflective of. Black rider -> elves -> black rider -> maggot -> merry as black rider -> crick hollow -> old. Forest -> tom bombadil -> barrow downs -> bree/prancing pony -> midge marshes . The eucatastrophe (good catastrophe) creates joy in reader. Fellowship of the ring that occur every time the hobbits narrowly escape each dark, dangerous event create a sense of relief and joy in between the horror, need and fear. A hybrid of horror and enchantment, they are terrified of it but are also curious. Old man willow sings the hobbits to sleep and they almost die.
