Sass, I very much enjoyed your latest post, though I will respond to it now with mostly disagreements, I fear. But before that, I want to say that Sam's faults do not make him any less worthy.
* Faramond reminds me that Sam is not very wise about Strider. And says he is right to be cautious. And so he is. Once again his initial caution is intrinsically connected to his concern for Frodo's safety. You will have to prove yourself before Sam will let down his guard. I do call that a sort of wisdom.
Sam is still has suspicions of Strider even later, when Sam wonders why Frodo's wound troubles him so, when Strider had clearly proven himself. I think Sam is proud to be Frodo's helper, and maybe a little jealous that Strider has usurped that role.
I do think that Sam mostly trusts Strider at this point. He knows, in his rational mind, that Strider is not an enemy. But Frodo is wounded, and suffering, and he does not understand why it is so dire, that small closed wound, cannot possibly understand why. His master, his
friend, is succumbing to something completely outside his experience. His fear has to have a target. Instinct tells him blame should fix upon the foreign element in their midst. That is Strider.
Smug?
I don't think so. Tolkien errs here, or my reading of LOTR is very differnt from his intent. If he meant for Sam to be smug, he should have written him differently.
Is he more likely to be smug, or mentally myopic, in his treatment of Gollum? Sam's dislike of Gollum is palpable. He does not, for one single instant, ever even approach trust and never, ever relaxes his guard, nor does he ever forgive Gollum: only close to the very end do Pity and Mercy enter Sam's emotional 'Gollum lexicon.'
Take this from a different perspective. Make it about Frodo, instead of Gollum. Sam never really considers Frodo's point of view on Gollum. For all that Sam admires the wisdom of Frodo, he never asks the question, "Could I be wrong about Gollum, and Frodo correct?" Do he ever realize that as ringbearer Frodo has a unique perspective on Gollum? This is Sam's mental myopia. He never considers a different perspective in this case, not even Frodo's. Tolkien clearly states that Sam has contradictory ideas of Frodo in his mind, a belief that Frodo is both very wise and far too soft-hearted concerning Gollum. Sam wants it both ways. His certainty is precious to him.
(I'll touch on the missed opportunity later) I share in the distaste and the distrust, it is my opinion but Sam is both right and correct in those feelings.
Well, distaste and distrust are not quite the same as vigilance. Vigilance is needed, and let us not forget that Frodo IS vigilant concerning Sméagol. He warns Sméagol that he will never have the ring, and that he will be held to his promise in the end. As for distrust, well, distrust is impossible, since Sam and Frodo clearly put their trust in Sméagol when they followed him. Distaste? Too much like hostility.
Gollum is not trustworthy.
He is not. But they put their trust in him anyway.
Not under any circumstance, and pragmatic Sam has a sworn duty and an innermost need to protect Frodo from any perceived harm.
Then he should have prevented Frodo from going on the quest. And THAT thought never entered Sam's head. Which I give Sam great credit for! Twice Frodo thought that Sam was trying to stop him, once in Crickhollow, once on the banks of the Anduin. But Sam did understand that Frodo needed to go on, and Sam would go with him. But there is more. Sam needed to go on as well, for his own sake. This is something he rarely realized and probably never really thought about, though he did put it into words, which you quoted, Sass:
“Yes. Sir. I don't know how to say it, but after last night I feel different. I seem to see ahead, in a kind of way, I know we are going to take a very long road, into darkness; but I know I can't turn back. It isn't to see Elves now, nor dragons, nor mountains that I want --- I don't rightly know what I want: but I have something to do before the end, and it lies ahead, not in the Shire. I must see it through sir, if you understand me.”
Here is a gentle rebuttal to the idea that Sam was merely a servant to Frodo, motivated only by his love for his master.
Sam cannot afford the luxury of forgiveness (that is in Frodo's province …. mercy is left to Frodo, who need not worry about the daily trivialities of survival because Sam has taken on that particular burden ) Sam cannot afford to forgive because to forgive Gollum entails risk.
What does Sam have to forgive Gollum for? Things he meant to do, perhaps. But before Shelob, Gollum never once
sins against Sam, if you will forgive the use of that word. He would like to, of course. But the question of forgiveness does not yet apply, unless Sam is to take on the role of justice-giver. And I do not think it is wise for qualities such as mercy and vigilance can be distributed piecemeal through a company, as if they might all add up properly.
An enormous risk to the quest (not for the personal growth of the forgiver) The path of the quest is a straight and narrow one. It has to be. “Stray but a little” …................
But this I will say to you: your quest stands upon the edge of a knife. Stray but a little and it will fail, to the ruin of all. Yet hope remains while all the Company is true.
In what way may they stray? How are we to take Galadriel's words? I do not take her words to mean that there is only one successful path ( real or metaphorical ) that the quest must follow. I think the way they may stray is to fall to the temptation of the easy path. The temptation of expedience. Taking the ring and making direct war on Sauron. That was Boromir's way. It was not Frodo's way. Putting their trust in Gollum was not the easy path.
They must plod their weary way to Mordor one foot in front of the other without the emotional deviation required of Sam to forgive Gollum. Deviation is perilous. I do believe that the rigid mistrust Sam holds is a defensive armour; it is expedient, it is proper for it allows them the best chance of completing the task.
Armor may hinder in the crucial moment. It is burden, a weighting down that closes off paths that might be tried by the more nimble. The ability to deviate from the
path that you can see may be the only thing that saves you.
So, I am sorry Sass, but I do not agree. One thing I have learned from Jnyusa's posts is to mistrust expedience, which is how you identify Sam's rigid mistrust. The best chance for the quest is to not cut off the chances that may come before they happen. This is Sam's failing. But there is more. ( There is always more! )
Sam's great triumph comes from his choices after Gollum's betrayal. I have written some about this already. There is more to be said, but I will let it pass for now.