I agree that is very important. The hardening of his resolve here is a real turning point. But there is yet another parallel that just occurred to me that I had not thought of before. Frodo resists here to the limit of his strength (and even then some). But ultimately that is not enough. Just as eventually he resists the Ring to the limit of his strength, but in the end, that too is not enough. But he (and the quest) is saved by the working of providence, when Gollum attacks him, steals the Ring, and falls into the Fire. Here, he is saved by Tom, who is conveniently available to save the Hobbits again. I mentioned this in passing, I think, in the last thread. How is that Tom is available to save the day after "a long slow moment?" One possibility is that he was the following the Hobbits and so was close by. But I discount that possibility. If he were following them and close by he would have simply protected them from the Barrow-wight in the first place. No, there is something else going on here, something inexplicable. Nothing provides more questions about Tom's nature than this passage, I believe, because it calls into question his very presence in the physical plane. When combined with the connection to Frodo's "dream" in the beginning of this chapter, well I won't say any more about what possibilities it leads me to think.I'll come back and add some thoughts later to the incident of the barrow because this is a very significant chapter. Frodo confronts evil and uses the means he has to resist and to overcome it with someone's help.
Tom's rhymes in this chapter are admirably in character; they still have that sing-songy quality that Prim finds so annoying. But it is the Wight's incantation that particularly impresses me
Absolutely chilling. I actually feel my own blood go cold when I read that. And very telling, too; it is clear that the Wight does have some connection to Sauron, however tenuous (probably through the Witch-King). Then there is Merry's hallucination (if that is what it is) upon waking, feeling the spear of the men of Carn Dum in his heart. Another item that makes little sense on the first read, but still adds both to the sense of depth and of mystery.Cold be hand and heart and bone,
and cold be sleep under stone
never more to wake on stony bed
never, till the Sun fails and the Moon is dead
In the black wind the stars shall die,
and still on gold here let them lie,
till the dark lord lifts his hand
over dead sea and withered land.
Holby, still waiting for your thoughts.