As is true of many, I found Lord of the Rings via The Hobbit. I and my fellow class of 8 year olds had the Hobbit read to us, and Bilbo became a favourite character to us all. The lure of further Bilbo Baggins adventures led to LotR, and A Long Expected Party. I believe I skipped the Prologue on first reading; I wanted the adventure.
I was heart-broken at the chapter’s conclusion. I wanted to follow Bilbo and the dwarves, not stay behind with Frodo. And then to compound my grief, Gandalf departs!
I am not a Tolkien scholar. I love Tolkien’s works, but I have only cursorily investigated The History of Middle Earth. With that caveat, I would like to give my impressions of Tolkien’s intent, perhaps nascent, in his introductory chapter.
The first page or so is a brief recap of Bilbo’s life since his return from Erebor, then we are transported to the present, and The Ivy Bush inn. This is, in effect, where the tale starts, and I believe it is no accident that our first introduction is to Hamfast Gamgee, and by extension, Sam. I am convinced it is no accident the novel is bookended by the Gamgees; Tolkien is stating his intent from the outset.
The Hobbit was sparse in its depiction of hobbit society, save that Bilbo and his relatives are what could be fairly described as “comfortably off”. Bilbo is no son of the soil, but a gentleman of leisure. Fast forward to The Ivy Bush, and Sandyman aside, the group is comprised of farmers, gardeners and their ilk. This is a deviation for Tolkien. Up to this point, he has depicted characters that mirror himself; educated and middle class. Now, he introduces the working class of hobbit society.
Tolkien’s depiction of class is not without guile. The Shire is an idealised class society, in which birth conveys status but that stratification does not generate resentment. A hobbit’s character matters more than their birthright. The Shire is a pastoral idyll, and the Gaffer’s distaste for the miller Sandyman hints at events to come. Tolkien is setting his scene, of just what Frodo will be losing when he leaves The Shire. But more than that, he is setting up the protagonist through which the reader will be transported through his epic tale. Step forward Sam Gamgee, the unexpected hero. It is a subtle introduction, that echoes Frodo’s own.
Now that he [the Gaffer] was himself growing old and stiff in the joints, the job was mainly carried on by his youngest son, Sam Gamgee. Both father and son were on very friendly terms with Bilbo and Frodo.
Throughout the conversation in The Ivy Bush, it is Hamfast who defends Bilbo and Frodo, supported by his neighbour Daddy Twofoot. The template is set, of a close relationship between Baggins and Gamgee, but still one of master and servant. Again, Tolkien’s class structure is present, but slight. I would suggest this subtle examination of class persists throughout the novel, and that Sam, so fleetingly introduced, increasingly becomes the “reader’s eyes” as the novel progresses. Subsequent chapters show how Sam grows. From being the butt of Pippin’s teasing
Sam! Get breakfast ready for half-past nine! Have you got the bath-water hot?” - Three’s Company
to
He drew a deep breath. ‘Well, I’m back,’ he said. - The Grey Havens
the reader is propelled along Sam’s journey, from servant to Master of Bag End. And all of it presaged in the first few pages.
