This chapter, literally, marks the beginning of the Fellowship of the Ring. About halfway through the chapter the Fellowship is formed and begins its journey towards Mordor. While many may presume the Fellowship pushes east immediately, the path of the Fellowship is a little less direct. As this chapter's title states, initially, "The Ring Goes South." And so, the journey begins!
However the last chapter ended only with Frodo taking up the burden as Ring-Bearer (and Sam, having sneaked into the Council of Elrond, pledging his allegiance). At the start of the chapter, the Fellowship is yet unformed. Elrond says of it, "Nine Walkers shall be set against the Nine Riders that are evil." He announces that Gandalf, Legolas and Gimli will go with Frodo. Aragorn and Boromir announce their decision to go to Minas Tirith (Capital of Gondor, Boromir's home) and, since Minas Tirith is on the way to Mordor, they will accompany the Fellowship that far. So the first seven are decided. Elrond says, "There remain two more to be found. These I will consider. Of my household I may find some that it seems good to me to send." At this Pippin speaks up, saying:
"But that will leave no place for us! We don't want to be left behind. We want to go with Frodo."
"That is because you do not understand and cannot imagine what lies ahead," said Elrond.
"Neither does Frodo," Said Gandalf, "I think, Elrond, in this matter
it would be well to trust rather to their friendship than to great wisdom."
The first and then final two companions who pledge their allegiance are Hobbits. Moreover, they are his friends who would accompany him even on a journey not so dangerous (or moreso). Legolas, Gimli, Aragorn, Boromir, and even Gandalf (who has known Frodo a long time) are accompanying him due to the importance of his Quest. Sam and Merry and Pippin are going because they want to be with Frodo. In fact, when Elrond initially balks at Gandalf's suggestion, Pippin says: "Master Elrond, you will have to lock me in a prison or send me home tied in a sack, for otherwise I shall follow the Company." These are not the words of a fiery zealot, committed to the destruction of the Ring (few have more invested in destroying the Ring than Aragorn and Boromir, and they've already announced they don't plan to follow the Company all the way to Mordor). These are the words of a friend.
We need friends like this. We've already seen how, in the text, friendship trumps wisdom. We need friends who are so unwilling to let us face disaster alone, they're willing to forsake the comforts of home to do so. These, and not those who hold great wisdom, are the real heroes of the world. Paramedics, firefighters, soldiers, police officers, everyone who must be somewhere for their job. Everyone who must be, as the saying goes, "in the trenches." While managers and researchers and theorists have an important part to play in the world, it is those on the ground whom we must give our highest respect. They know the situation better than anyone.
But I'm not even talking about high-stakes situations. When I was younger I worked in a candy store. I was told that, every few hours, I needed to spend 10 minutes wiping the insides of the display glass where our fudge was kept. Obviously, this is important to do. But my supervisor would always just tell me to do it. My co-workers understood my frustration. Cleaning glass for 10 minutes (and cleaning the inside of display glass is physically a little awkward) feels like a lot. But whenever I complained, my boss would get angry. I wasn't saying it shouldn't be done - I think I was just frustrated at just how easily I was told to do it - as if the inconvenience was my own fault.
Being a teacher, I see something similar. In Alaska my boss would always tell me various things to do. They were good and important things to do. But the ease with which they are able to be said is drastically simpler than the act of doing them. It gave a whole new meaning to the phrase "Easier said than done."
As a society, we have the same frustrations. Education researchers/experts recommend that if teachers do X, Y and Z that our school system can be fixed. As a teacher, I often feel like responding "Yes - but doing that is way harder than you're imagining." I'm not saying "It's too hard, screw it." But talking heads have a way of spouting solutions without taking into account the process of that solution. For example, a common theme I hear is to "get parents on board." Certainly that's important. But you can't just....... do that. It takes time and energy and a unique approach with each family. Some families are too busy to even want to get on board. Some are eager to get on board, and then also eager to take control of the whole ship. Those "in the trenches" understand this. Those who are not sometimes don't. There's a disconnect between those speaking wisdom and those enacting the wisdom.
Which is why we, as a society, tend to despise (or love) talking heads. Either: they say something simplistic and, Goddammit, the world doesn't work that way; or they say something simplistic and, Goddammit, why don't the fools doing the work just do it that way? Peace talks are a good counter-example. Removed from the fighting, it's easy to say "Just put down your weapons and quit it!" But the war didn't start because one side was bored with peace. They wanted something and the other side didn't want to give it up or they couldn't find a way to split it in a way that seemed fair. They'd love to put down their weapons, once they get what they want. But telling them to just "stop fighting" because fighting is bad misses the point of their war. I imagine they might feel as I feel when I read an article on education policy: "We'd love to, but it isn't that simple."
Those on high, while their wisdom may be good to know and have access to, are not ideal companions. They see a bigger picture that minimizes us. We're the tools they can use to accomplish their goal. But we aren't tools, and we don't like to be treated that way. When we're down in the trenches, we want someone who cares about us, and who sees our struggle, and who sees us trying our hardest and still falling short. We don't want someone to say "Well, just try harder." We want (we need) someone who will say: "Yeah, this sucks. This is awful and we're not getting the support we need. I wish I could fix that. But I can't. At least know that you're not alone. I'm here in this, too."
It is good for the Quest to have Aragorn and Boromir and Gandalf and Gimli and Legolas accompany Frodo. It is good for Frodo to have Sam and Merry and Pippin with him. Unlike the great warriors and heroes listed above, here Frodo will have companions who can understand his pain and wonder at the impossibility of the Quest. Without their other companions, the Quest is doomed to fail (after all, Frodo does not know the way). But they need more than wisdom and strength to complete their journey. They will need sympathy and compassion.
We all work jobs where there is someone above is. They provide the wisdom. They have a vision of how everything should work. That is good - we need those visionaries. We need those who see how everything fits together. However, in seeing the big picture, they sometimes see us only as a tool. A way to accomplish a job. I know this from my own managing experience. While I try to make personal connections with all my staff, there are times when something needs to be done and that's all that matters. In at least that moment, that's all I can focus on: I have a problem, and they are the tools.
Nonetheless, when I get treated like a tool, I still don't like it. But I see it more as a shortcoming of the supervisory structure than a failure of the individual. There's little use being mad at them. After all - I do the same thing! But I'm still frustrated. To deal with those feelings, then, I find those who work with me (rather than above me). Those who see my day-to-day work and will understand my frustration at being asked to do yet another thing.
There are a myriad of reasons why friends are important. One of them - in my mind, the most important - is emotional support. They may not be able to fix the problem - they may not be able to do anything. But they'll be able to listen and validate and assure you that, indeed, you aren't weak for feeling stressed out. Hard jobs are not completed by those who are impervious to their difficulty. Hard jobs are completed by those who have surrounded themselves with those who can provide support when needed. Those on high may not be understanding - "You have a job to do!" And they're right. If Frodo fails the Quest, all hope is lost (Hopefully our job isn't quite so critical). But, for all their wisdom and vision, they lack sympathy and compassion. We must get those things elsewhere.
On three things the Fellowship stands: Wisdom to guide the way, strength to overcome obstacles, and compassion to heal a tired heart: and the creation of friendships leads to them all.
Such as it is in the text - such as it is in life.
Such as it is in the text - such as it is in life.
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