What the Fall of Gandalf Means

This is it!  If you know any scene from Lord of the Rings, it is likely the climactic scene from this chapter, "The Bridge of Khazad-Dum".  Gandalf's face-off with the Balrog is one of the best known and oft quoted scenes from the whole series.  Heck, if I was teaching a class on Lord of the Rings I would tell my students.  "If you do not study, YOU SHALL NOT PASS!"

But I digress.

While reflecting on the implications of Balin's death, the Fellowship is ambushed.  They manage to escape and find the Bridge of Khazad-dum (Khazad-dum being the dwarven name for Moria).  On the other side lies their escape from the Moria.  But they are attacked by an ancient evil - an evil unconcerned even with Sauron and his Ring - a Balrog.  It is described thus, "What it was could not be seen: it was like a great shadow, in the middle of which was a dark form, of man-shape maybe, yet greater; and a power and terror seemed to be in it and to go before it."  Black upon black.  In a world defined by light and dark, the Balrog is clearly an evil entity.  However dark their journey into Moria had been, the Balrog is that darkness made manifest.

You know the rest.  Gandalf faces the Balrog.  He defeats him.  But, tragedy!  The Balrog, on his way down, takes Gandalf with him.  "Fly, you fools."  And he's gone - tumbling down the chasm after the Balrog.

The Fellowship is stunned.  Though far from out of danger, they remain rooted where they stand, shocked.  It is Aragorn and Boromir who rouse them to take them up and out of Moria.  As the text says, "They stumbled wildly up the great stairs beyond the door, Aragorn leading, Boromir at the rear."

I want to examine this quote from two different angles, if you'll indulge me.  The first is within the context of Middle Earth itself.

This episode is a microcosm of the fate of Middle Earth.  Gandalf, like all wizards, is a Maia, a divine being of Middle Earth.  Wizards are sent to Middle Earth with a Purpose.  Once their Purpose is complete, they leave.  The elves, immortal but not divine, are leaving Middle Earth.  So it is humans, what our text refers to as "men", that must take up the mantle of leadership.  Yes, hobbits and dwarves also remain, but neither of them are interested in nor capable of ruling.

Let's review again what happens in this chapter.  A wizard has fallen.  Was his purpose to give his life for the Fellowship?  Certainly we, repeat readers, know that Gandalf will Return - but as far as the Fellowship knows, Gandalf is gone forever.  On a cosmic scale, Men will have to take the lead in protecting Middle Earth from evil.  On a personal scale, Aragorn and Boromir must now lead the Fellowship.  It is worth noting that the text doesn't even raise the possibility that Legolas might take the helm.

Boromir is the son of the Steward of Gondor, and Aragorn is a descendant of the line of kings of Gondor.  Both are of noble blood.  Middle Earth is clearly set in the time frame of late medieval/early industrialization (the renaissance doesn't occur, so the two time periods are adjacent).  Thus, their nobility allows us to take Boromir and Aragorn's actions in this crisis as a model of how men respond to the passing of the torch.  Certainly this is the Creative Wizard's point of view (It is inherent in the text that the good characters support the monarchy of Gondor and all of its inevitable trappings).  That is to say, this moment should be viewed as a microcosm for the rest of Middle Earth.  The old powers are fading, either because their time has come (like the elves) or because they have fulfilled their purpose (like Gandalf).  Humans should fill the vacuum left behind.

Let us also examine how they take over, and what it can say about our world.  "They stumbled wildly up the great stairs beyond the door, Aragorn leading, Boromir at the rear."  Aragorn is in front and Boromir is in back.  What can we learn from this?

Aragorn is in front - he is leading.  A leader needs vision, drive, clarity, relevant knowledge and skills, etc.  Aragorn has these things.  He is well-traveled and he understands the need for the Ring's destruction (something about which Boromir has already expressed doubt).  He is the right person to take charge (By my evaluation, he possesses all 16/16 of these "essential leadership skills").  The Fellowship may still fail, but it will not be for lack of a capable leader.

Now let's take a look at Boromor.  Boromir is in the rear.  Is this because he is unable to lead?  I say no.

It's true that Boromir is a poor choice to lead, especially when someone like Aragorn is available.  (By my evaluation, Boromir possesses only 6/16 of those "essential leadership skills")  But Boromir is more than a suboptimal leader.  He is an excellent follower.  Yes, Boromir has his own ideas and is willing to argue for them, but he also demonstrates a willingness to accept when the opinion of the rest of the Fellowship is against him.  He wants the Ring to come to Gondor and be used against Sauron (though I suppose there is an argument to be made this is the Ring causing him to propose such a reckless plan).  He wants to take a different path to cross the Misty Mountains (by neither going over nor under them).  But in each case he is outvoted and he takes this in stride.

When they get stuck in the blizzard on Caradhras, rather than boast his route may have proved better, Boromir takes on the arduous task of clearing out the snow in their path.  When the Fellowship is beset by orcs at Balin's tomb, he draws his sword to their defense without a word of complaint.  Boromir can be counted on to do what is needed.  The whole reason Boromir, not his brother Faramir, is with the Fellowship is exactly because of his willingness to take on risk.  In an earlier chapter Boromir recounts that his father had intended to send Faramir to Rivendell, but Boromir insisted he be sent instead since the journey was potentially dangerous.

Boromir is shown to be loyal and brave and submissive.  His position in the rear is important.  If the orcs and goblins give chase he will be the most vulnerable.  Aragorn may be able to lead the company - but Boromir can be counted upon to protect them.  A group full of leaders may come up with ground breaking ideas but, without workers who have the skills and the grit and the demeanor to follow directions, none of those ideas will become reality.  Successful groups - from Fortune 500 companies to small town garage bands - must have both Aragorns and Boromirs to achieve their goals.

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Friends: Providing Light in the Darkness

This week's chapter is called "A Journey Into the Dark," which is a fitting title.  All of the action happens in the dark, either because it is night or because they are travelling underground.  But beyond that, the Fellowship is metaphorically in the dark during this chapter because they are often not sure of their next step.

Though they have been defeated by the blizzard on top, the Fellowship must still get to the other side of the Misty Mountains.  After some debate they ultimately decide to travel under the mountains, through the Mines of Moria.  But getting in isn't so simple: the door to the mines has been long shut, and dwarf doors are invisible when closed.  And even after they find it, opening the door proves to be a challenge.  And even then they do not know the right route through the mines.  They stop at every split in the cavern, and even Gandalf admits he is making only his best educated guess each time they choose which path to take.

Things are made more difficult because, although Moria had once been a thriving dwarf stronghold, it is now deserted.  The 'dark' deepens.  The chapter ends when they find a hint to the answer: The tomb of Balin, the Dwarf who led a mission to reestablish Moria's former glory.  He has evidently failed - but to what, they do not yet know.

Before they enter the mines, while they are looking for the way in, Gandalf and Gimli scour the rock wall for the door.  Gandalf doubts their chances but Gimli remains optimistic.  Gandalf tells him, "You encourage me.  We will seek the hidden doors together."

We like to think we know the world around us, but frankly we are surrounded by mystery.  Lettuce can suddenly be found to be very dangerous.  Data can be lost forever.  An Amazon package we were looking forward to can arrive incomplete (as happened to me recently).  An alarm clock can fail to go off.  And that isn't even touching real catastrophes like illness and surprise car repairs (Most Americans cannot cover such a sudden cost).  The routine of our life is very fragile.  It can be disrupted in countless ways, and then we are suddenly in the dark, searching for a way out.  And in the dark, all doors are hidden.

What a pleasant reflection Gandalf is giving us about companionship!  The benefit of companions is not that they prevent troubling times but that they provide support during them.  Friendships are built on shared experiences.  This is why so many friendships begin at school and at work.  You enjoy (or endure) certain moments together and these moments draw you closer.  That closeness then prepares you for difficult times.  Recently I was stuck on the highway with my girlfriend because she got a flat tire.  We were waiting for over an hour on a very cold night.  While this wasn't our preferred reason to spend time together, it was more enjoyable than we expected, and certainly better than enduring it alone.  Further, it is a new shared experience which brings us even closer.  Thus, surviving hard times is both a testament to and a strengthening of companionship.

Friends also bring with them their own experiences.  Recall how Gandalf says "you encourage me."  Gimli is a dwarf looking for a dwarf door.  Gimli is in his element.  While to Gandalf and the rest of the Fellowship going underground is not an appealing idea, Gimli has a very different attitude, which brings comfort and encouragement to the rest.  Who hasn't breathed a sigh of relief when, after sharing a difficult situation you are facing, a friend responds by saying "I also had a problem like that."  Their solution may not apply completely to yours, but at least you are reminded others have faced your predicament and come out the other side.

So the next time you are struggling with something, reach out to one of your friends.  You are not alone.  Fight the voice in your head that says no one cares or that asking for help is just bothering other people.  Your friends care, and they'll talk it out with you.  And though the burden remains on you to solve the problem, their insight may throw some light on it, perhaps revealing a previously hidden door.

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Defeat

"Caradhras had defeated them."  This is how this week's chapter, "The Ring Goes South," ends.

Lord of the Rings is a story.  As such, we expect certain patterns.  One major pattern of storytelling is overcoming obstacles.  If a protagonist is facing a difficult situation, they will overcome it.  This is how stories progress.  If the protagonist cannot overcome it, the story necessarily suffers.  Why have a problem that is not, eventually, defeated?

So it is a bold decision of the Creative Wizard to have the Fellowship of the Ring be defeated by the first obstacle they encounter.  Caradhras is a mountain, and as they try to climb it they get assaulted by snow.  It's unclear whether this is bad luck, Sauron or Saruman, or the mountain itself, but the snow threatens to bury every last one of them.  There is no pushing onward.  They must turn back.

What can we learn from this?

There are lots of quotes about failure.  But they all try to be optimistic.  They want to put a positive spin on it.  This reflects the larger cultural norm.  We rarely talk about our failures.  We sometimes talk about our struggles or our shortcomings or our imperfections or what we hope to change but that dodges the conversation on failure.  Failure is rough and harsh and it sucks.  It is easy to see why we avoid it.

But failure is real, and we can't always spin it toward a happy ending.  I wrote a whole graduate paper attempting to theologically justify the Holocaust.  But no matter the answer we land on, the holocaust must be deemed a failure of humanity.  There is nothing to be learned that should not have been already known or could not have been learned otherwise.  And while "never again" is a good slogan, "never" surely would have been better.

The AIDS crisis is another good example of harsh failure.  It killed hundreds of thousands of people.  Here's a good visual of how it impacted the LGBT community.  The failure was partly because of the strength of the disease and partly due to politicians refusing to take it seriously.  But a failure it was, and many paid the ultimate price because we did not defeat it.

It may sound like I am admonishing - that humans failed by allowing and perpetuating the holocaust and that Americans failed by not responding to the aids crisis sufficiently.  And in these examples indeed I am.  But failure is not always worthy of punishment.  Every failure is not a moral defeat.  Similarly, not every defeat teaches a lesson.

The Creative Wizard, by opening the second volume with a dramatic and complete defeat, seeks to remind us of the odds the Fellowship faces.  They are only nine, trekking through dangerous terrain towards more dangerous terrain.  There may be some personal growth, but ultimately this will be a march of attrition.  Indeed, unless my memory fails me, every enemy encounter they have for the rest of this book will result in the loss of a companion (Gandalf falls to the Balrog and Boromor is slain by Uruk-Hai).  This is not a heroic quest to retrieve a boon, but to destroy a burden.  Failure means total annihilation.  The journey is not to improve the world but to prevent it's destruction.

In his notes Tolkien blamed the current situation of Middle Earth on the Elves.  The article is a long one - here is the relevant piece:

In several places, Tolkien openly stated his authorial judgment that the
elves who made the Three Rings were ultimately to blame, having set the stage for
tragedy in Middle Earth. They made their own rings (preceding Sauron's One Ring)
in order to control the world, stopping time and preventing change,
forbidding anything to die and decay and thus blocking the potential for
new growth. In an oft-quoted letter, Tolkien wrote:
"They wanted to have their cake and eat it: to live in the mortal historical
Middle Earth because they had become fond of it ... and so tried
to stop its change and history, stop its growth, keep it as a pleasaunce."

But now they hide their three Rings, because they know they are not to be used, but they cannot destroy them.  They are bound to their mistakes.  They failed and all of Middle-Earth must reckon with it.

Defeat is often considered a cause for inspiration.  "Like the phoenix rising from its ashes," and all that.  I get it, and as a teacher I agree the optimist spin is useful.  But I think it is also instructive to consider the uselessness of defeat.  The waste.  The void.  The energy and time you cannot get back.  The resources spent.  The friends you might lose.

The Creative Wizard gives us a chapter that begins with hope and ends in utter defeat.  The Fellowship must turn back, having lost time, energy, supplies, as well as secrecy.  Birds have been seen flying in unusual patterns near them and they deduce they are spies sent to seek out their location.  "That cannot be helped now," says Gandalf, since there is nowhere to hide but in the snow.  All the optimism, what little they had, is lost.  They must proceed ever under the shadow of this initial failure.

On further reflection, there is one concrete benefit to failure - it helps one develop empathy.  If you never fail, but others do, you may consider their defeats to be personal.  They were defeated, but you've never been.  And given the importance of community to healthy living, being able to bond over failure and understand failure in others is a critical skill.  I think our society romanticizes failure a little bit, but certainly demonizing it is a bad solution.  It's probably worse.  It's probably better to live in a world that is too optimistic than is too pessimistic.  But that's a discussion for another time...

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Looking For The Root Cause

This week's chapter is called "The Council of Elrond."  Many of Middle Earth's finest have arrived in Rivendell, all with news of the Enemy.  They have all arrived at the same time - seemingly by chance.  A dwarf, Gloin, one of Bilbo's companions, has come with unsettling news that one of Sauron's messengers have come to his realm seeking information about a ring and hobbits "since one of these was once known to you".  Legolas comes from Lothlorien to report that Gollum has escaped Elfish captivity.  Boromir, a man of Gondor, has come because he and his brother have had troubling dreams about "Isildur's Bane" (which is The One Ring).  Gandalf has come to tell of the betrayal of Saruman, the greatest of Middle Earth's wizards.  No one has come with good news.

Elrond, lord of Rivendell, calls a council of all these people.  He reveals what connects all of their misfortune - The One Ring has been found.  Elrond goes on,

[In the time of Gil-galad and Elendil] Sauron was diminished, but not

destroyed.  His Ring was lost but not unmade.  The Dark Tower

was broken, but its foundations were not removed; for they were made

with the power of the Ring, and while it remains they will endure.

The Ring must be destroyed.  Hiding it did not work.  There is nowhere it can be kept.  Sauron's power is only growing.  Boromir wonders if they might use the Ring, this powerful ring, against Sauron.  As we learned last week, that is not possible.  The Ring is loyal to Sauron.  No victory is possible while it persists.  The Ring must be destroyed.  Elrond adds,

And it is not our part here to take thought only for a season,

or for a few lives of Men, or for a passing age of the world.

We should seek a final end of the menace...

The time to delay and harry Sauron is over.  We see the results: Only future danger.  In order to properly secure Middle Earth from Sauron, the Ring must be destroyed.  It is the only way to truly defeat him.

In 1865, slavery was abolished in America.  In 1964 and 1965, respectively, the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act were passed, marking an end to the Jim Crow era.  But racism persists.  Racism persisted after 1865, it persisted after 1965, and it not only persists now but is on the rise.  How?

Well, read that paragraph more carefully again.  Slavery ended in 1865 - but racism was not addressed.  Jim Crow ended in 1965 - but racism was not addressed.  To take Elrond's words: "Racism was diminished but not destroyed - it was removed from society but not removed from all people."  It persisted, waiting for its opportunity to rise again.  And here we are.

Before my current relationship, my previous two had been very unhealthy.  I dedicated myself almost wholly to my partner and gave up a lot that was important to me in the name of "love".  It wasn't healthy for me and opened me up to abuse.  I got taken advantage of.  This had been the case with most of my past relationships, but the previous two were really bad.

So towards the end of that last relationship I started seeing a therapist.  When that relationship ended I kept seeing my therapist.  I stayed out of a relationship for all of 2017, instead meeting monthly with my therapist, working on myself.  What did this mean?

I already knew that it was important to love myself and value myself.  But I knew it mostly abstractly.  It was difficult for me to put into words what I loved and valued about myself and how I showed it.  So, all that year, I spent time reflecting on what made me happy and how to pursue it.

After a lot of time and reflection I realized what I liked doing, I realized what was important to me.  And I resolved to keep those things in my life.  Things like playing board games with my friends, things like reading a book regularly, things like a job I find fulfilling even if it doesn't pay very well.  I like waking up early and cooking most of my meals.  I like pushing people's buttons.  I like spending my free time keeping up this blog, even if the self-imposed deadlines sometimes drive me crazy but I also like being a strict task-master and so I keep to them.  I don't like excusing failure and applauding effort that didn't result in success.  I like being forgiving.  I like how those previous two sentences are contradictory but that I still believe in them both.  "I contain multitudes" and etc.

Those bad relationships were over, but how could I prevent myself from repeating my mistakes?  How could I "seek a final end of the menace"?  I didn't want to avoid all relationships, so how could I avoid only the bad ones?  By figuring out the things that were important to me I have, again to borrow Elrond's words, "destroyed the foundation" that led to my abuse.  Better yet, I built new foundations that protect me from future abuse.

There are many examples, in society and in our personal life, when we recognize problems and respond to stop them.  But in most cases we only get rid of what we see - we only address what is bothering us and not the root of the problem.  Whether it is a social issue like racism or a personal issue like self-love it is hard to 'seek a final end to the menace'.  It can feel like wasted effort.  Can we really be rid of racism?  Can we really quiet the voice in our head that mocks us?  If we get  rid of enough - out of sight out of mind - isn't that enough?

Of course, to take the above two examples, to "be rid of them" requires some hard work.  You don't stop racism by killing everyone who is racist.  You don't stop self-doubt by ignoring that cruel voice in your head.  You must learn what circumstances lead to their rising.  Why do people become racist?  When does your self-doubt creep in?  Those are the foundations we must not only remove but also replace.

In all cases, whatever the root cause is, The One Ring is a metaphor for it.  We may be tempted to hide it or ignore it or try to use it for good.  These are mistaken impulses.  Addressing the root cause is hard work that takes time - I can attest to that.  Journeying to Mount Doom is a dangerous decision.  But it is the only way to make "a final end of the menace," and to ensure the past becomes is not prologue.

Life can feel like a game of whack-a-mole.  Whenever you hit one, two more pop up.  But the moles are only the visible symptoms of a deeper problem.  If you want your situation to improve you must get on your hands and knees, crawl behind the machine, and unplug the damn thing.  Anything else is only a band-aid.

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Finding Your Toolbox

Did you know Lord of the Rings is not actually a trilogy?  It's a six-volume work.  However, it is intended to be read as one novel.  Whereas one can read one Hunger Games or Harry Potter book, take an extended break, then return to read the next book, The Lord of the Rings is not structured like this.  Each book leads directly into the other and is to be read without undue pause.  It was the publisher who decided it should be put out as a trilogy.  It is easier to sell shorter books, and you can market on the cliff-hanger at the end of each.  Why do I bring all this up?  Because we have finished book 1.  This week's chapter, "Many Meetings," is the first chapter of the second book.

In Jewish tradition, when you finish a book of the Torah throughout the annual cycle, you say "chazak, chazak, v'nitzchazeik."  This can be interpreted a variety of ways.  The interpretation I learned is that it means "From strength to strength, we will gather our strength".  Reading the Torah gives us strength, Torah is a source of strength, Torah makes a community stronger, etc.  Given the original goals of this project it would be interesting to think of a phrase to be said at the end of each book, to celebrate our progress.  But that's a problem for another time.

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In this week's chapter Frodo finds himself in Rivendell, safe from the Black Riders who had been pursuing him.  Frodo has been asleep for a few days healing from his injuries.  When he awakens he has the eponymous many meetings: Frodo reunites with Strider and the other hobbits, but also Gandalf and Bilbo.  He also meets some newcomers to our narrative, like Elrond and Arwen.  Indeed, this title is well earned!

As I said, Frodo had been in bed for a few days.  Everyone was worried about him.  When he arises, they are collectively relieved.  Pippin, in particular, makes an over-the-top remark when he sees his Frodo has recovered:

"Hurray!" Cried Pippin, springing up. "Here is our

noble cousin.  Make way for Frodo, Lord of the Ring!"

"Hush!" Said Gandalf... "The Lord of the Ring is not Frodo,

but the master of the Dark Tower of Mordor..."

Gandalf objects to Pippin's characterization of Frodo.  Frodo has borne the Ring and has (mostly) resisted its temptations, but Frodo is not it's master.  Indeed, Frodo can never be the Master of The One Ring  That is, and remains, Sauron, even though he doesn't currently possess it.

What is the Ring, precisely?  When it was created Sauron added some of his own essence.  Sauron is a creature of strength and deception.  The Ring both represents Sauron's desire to dominate all of Middle Earth and is a tool to increase his strength.  The Ring tempts other bearers with a promise of this strength.  They can dominate as Sauron dominates.

But the Ring deceives.  No one can dominate as Sauron dominates - it is only an imitation of his dominance.  In a clash of wills against Sauron the Ring will betray them.  The Ring can be wielded by others, but not against Sauron.

As readers, we can understand The One Ring as a metaphor for power.  If you have it, you will be tempted to use it.  But if you use it, it changes you.  They say discretion is the better part of valor.  It is better to take a temporary loss than to permanently lose yourself for a momentary victory.  There are other ways to act.

Take Donald Trump.  Trump excels at insults.  They are memorable and they are annoying.  They are difficult to ignore.  These insults are one way Trump is, as we have heard many times before, a different kind of politician.  So how do we fight a different kind of politician?  Will the old strategies work?

Some have decided to take him on directly - beat him at his own game.  Marco Rubio decided to throw his own insults at him during the 2016 election.  The results were laughable.  Rubio could not match Trump's ability to cut with words.  Rubio tried to correct-course and the end result was one of the strangest political breakdowns I think has ever happened on live television.

The reason Rubio lost was simple.  Insults are Trump's weapon of choice.  Insults are Trump's Ring.  You can wield them against him, but ultimately insults will aid Trump, not you.  You will harm only yourself.

Another example is to consider the American Revolution.  We've all heard (somewhat exaggerated) that the colonists used guerrilla tactics while the British used European linear tactics.  The British were much better at linear tactics - why try to beat them at their own game?  Instead the colonists decided to exploit the weaknesses of linear tactics.  Only with the aid of the French were the colonists able to use linear tactics effectively.

A final example: I play a lot of board games in my spare time, and some of them I play competitively.  My favorite to play is Diplomacy.  Briefly, Diplomacy is a game of deal making - you must cooperate with some players against others.  Ultimately, to win, you need to be seen as trustworthy and deserving of the win.  People rarely win Diplomacy by brute force.

But there are many styles of play.  Some people refuse to lie.  Some people move their units aggressively.  Some people plant seeds of mistrust between other players.  Some people try to intimidate others.  Some hope to go unnoticed.  All of these styles are valid.

Where some new players run into trouble, I find, is playing a style against a certain opponent, rather than playing their style.  If someone is known for setting up conflict on the board, they'll try to get them embroiled in a conflict, often leaving a front unguarded.  If someone tries to disappear into the din, they'll use all their strength to point this out - unaware that they are now making the din they can disappear into.

In all cases we have people using tools.  There are many ways to make it in this world.  It is important to look inside yourself and discover your natural strengths.  Are you an excellent deal maker?  Do you like to take your time and explore your surroundings or do you prefer to quickly focus in on what's important?  Are you good at bringing people together, or better at pointing fingers at the out-group?  All of these are tools.  There are many ways to live a successful life.  But you need to find the right tools for you.  I say tools and not tool because A) we are all at least competent at multiple things and B) it is a bad idea to depend on only one approach.

Overcoming obstacles is a key skill in life.  There are many tools we can employ for success; find the tools that work for you.  Practice them, hone them, learn how to best apply them.  Finding your toolbox is an important step toward living the kind of life you want to.  Not only will you be equipped to deal with obstacles as they come your way but you'll stay true to yourself, as well.  If overcoming an obstacle changes you, did you really overcome it?

The Lord of the Rings: An Ethical Guide is a Patreon-supported project.  Thank you to all those who have contributed.

Like this project?  Want to learn more?  Want exclusive access to behind-the-scenes content?  Go to my Patreon site and see how you can become a part of the action!