Evil, wraiths, and Rolf
Apr. 30th, 2003 09:59 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
pegkerrI adore the Shippey book! I've read a lot of Tolkien analysis and criticism over the years, of course, but I've learned quite a bit which is new and eye-opening here. Shippey, of course, like Tolkien, is a philologist, and he is bringing out very interesting bits of philological information which sheds light on characters, structure, etc.
For example: Shippey going on at length re Tolkien's conception of evil, which is tied particularly to two words: wraith and shadow. I won't recount the entire explanation here, but quick version: wraith's etymology is obscure (and therefore a puzzle guaranteed to pique Tolkien's interest), but the meaning is tied to wrath and wroth (anger); and wreath and writhe (twisted). A wraith is poised between these two meanings, someone who is "twisted up" by anger (among other, negative emotions). Wreath is also linked to wisp--Legolas uses "wreath" once to refer, clearly, to a wisp of cloud.
Becoming evil is becoming a wraith, literally, becoming twisted up inside. We see this process in Bilbo and Frodo. Gollum is a little further along, but is beginning to recover (for awhile he starts calling himself "Smeagol" again, his hobbit name). But the best example of "wraithing" in LOTR, Shippey argues, is Saruman. Saruman reminds me a great deal of Rolf, and yes, the process is the same. A person convinces himself that he can achieve is worthy goals by cutting corners, and as he becomes increasingly careless by the means he uses to achieve his ends, he becomes more and more twisted.
I remember the passage in John Dean's autobiography, where he writes about when he really realized he was in over his head during the Watergate scandal, he got out his law books and really took a look at the law and thought back to the first mistake he had made. He realized he had made a bad ethical judgment within a month of starting to work at the White House. But in pursuit of his goals, he allowed his actions to became more and more twisted, until he couldn't even really perceive how badly he had strayed anymore.
In discussing shadow, Tolkien's other key word tied to his conception of magic, Shippey goes into two theories of evil, which he terms "Boethian" (evil as the absence of something--the 'Shadow') and "Manichaean" (evil as a force--the 'Dark Power'). Shippey traces these two theories through LOTR and shows how Tolkien actually uses both. If evil is the Shadow, then Ringwraiths operate by psychically amplifying the worst in their chosen victims. They don't "do" to a person; they force a person to "do" to themselves. If evil is the force, then evil is a force to strive against.
So which is Rolf? As I said, I think he is like John Dean, or like Saruman. He set out on a course which he thought was good, but decided to use a shady method to accomplish what he wanted.
Must think further on this, on what it means re: his interactions with Solveig and Jack, especially at the end. And how the ice palace fits in.
(Goes off to think some more)
Cheers,
Peg
For example: Shippey going on at length re Tolkien's conception of evil, which is tied particularly to two words: wraith and shadow. I won't recount the entire explanation here, but quick version: wraith's etymology is obscure (and therefore a puzzle guaranteed to pique Tolkien's interest), but the meaning is tied to wrath and wroth (anger); and wreath and writhe (twisted). A wraith is poised between these two meanings, someone who is "twisted up" by anger (among other, negative emotions). Wreath is also linked to wisp--Legolas uses "wreath" once to refer, clearly, to a wisp of cloud.
Becoming evil is becoming a wraith, literally, becoming twisted up inside. We see this process in Bilbo and Frodo. Gollum is a little further along, but is beginning to recover (for awhile he starts calling himself "Smeagol" again, his hobbit name). But the best example of "wraithing" in LOTR, Shippey argues, is Saruman. Saruman reminds me a great deal of Rolf, and yes, the process is the same. A person convinces himself that he can achieve is worthy goals by cutting corners, and as he becomes increasingly careless by the means he uses to achieve his ends, he becomes more and more twisted.
I remember the passage in John Dean's autobiography, where he writes about when he really realized he was in over his head during the Watergate scandal, he got out his law books and really took a look at the law and thought back to the first mistake he had made. He realized he had made a bad ethical judgment within a month of starting to work at the White House. But in pursuit of his goals, he allowed his actions to became more and more twisted, until he couldn't even really perceive how badly he had strayed anymore.
In discussing shadow, Tolkien's other key word tied to his conception of magic, Shippey goes into two theories of evil, which he terms "Boethian" (evil as the absence of something--the 'Shadow') and "Manichaean" (evil as a force--the 'Dark Power'). Shippey traces these two theories through LOTR and shows how Tolkien actually uses both. If evil is the Shadow, then Ringwraiths operate by psychically amplifying the worst in their chosen victims. They don't "do" to a person; they force a person to "do" to themselves. If evil is the force, then evil is a force to strive against.
So which is Rolf? As I said, I think he is like John Dean, or like Saruman. He set out on a course which he thought was good, but decided to use a shady method to accomplish what he wanted.
Must think further on this, on what it means re: his interactions with Solveig and Jack, especially at the end. And how the ice palace fits in.
(Goes off to think some more)
Cheers,
Peg
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
Date: 2003-05-01 03:56 am (UTC)Hmm... very nice.
(no subject)
Date: 2003-05-01 07:01 am (UTC)