Home | Literature Index | Movies & Broadway Index | Television Index | Music Index | Miscellaneous Index | Submit Your Own
The polarizied diachomoties of the entire book, the
battle between dark and light is conspiciously absent
during this "Short Cut"
Not unlike the Peruvian Shaman the mushroom acts as
a catalyst for a spiritually educational drug experience.
The trip begins upon the symbolic crossing of the river
and ends in the barrow downs with our hobbits being
reborn, running in the sun naked in celebration, yet
better armed when they finally enter back onto the east
west road and symbolically enter back into the story
and main theme, the affore mentioned "battle"
Notice that Tom Bombadil is uneffected by the ring.He
is out side the entire story. He is the collective unconscious
guide during "the trip"
Note that the forset begins to come to life as the effects
of the mushrooms begin.
Our hobbits are soon lost and in need of a guide. They
stumble on to the agressive undercurrent of nature,
symbolized by old man willow.
Note how Tom saves them with non-sensical playfullness.
Note how Tom sooths them during the rainy day, with
stories.
Note how Tom is outside all evil effects of the ring,
and does not reappear to help the side of good.
He reappears at the barrow downs but that is the end.
He guides the hobbits rebirth
He is the master
He was there before everything
He is the eternal collective unconsciousness
One might conclude that Tolkien included these four
chapters to off set the main theme of the "battle between
dark and light" to show that there is an outside and
a beyond and an untouched area that exists behind the
myth.
Hmm......