The Scouring of the Shire

• 1. The Scouring Narrative Arc

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  Frodo Baggins and his three companions, Samwise Gamgee, Meriadoc Brandybuck, and Peregrin Took, arrive at the Brandywine Bridge late one night. They find the bridge barred by Shiriffs who act as a local police force under Saruman's rule. The hobbits are shocked to see endless new rules, ugly buildings replacing old ones, and trees cut down without reason. Sam recognizes one of the guards and tells him he should be ashamed for joining such nonsense. The cheerful inns are all closed, forcing the group to stay in a depressing, badly-built Shiriff-house. The next morning they ride toward Hobbiton but meet more Shiriffs at Frogmorton who try to arrest them for breaking rules. Unable to keep up with their ponies, the guards let the hobbits pass. At Bywater, they discover Sandyman's mill has been replaced by a noisy machine that fouls water and pollutes air. Ted Sandyman is the only hobbit who likes it because he works there now while his father was once his own boss. Merry, Pippin, and Sam use swords and height to scare away ruffians. They decide to raise the Shire. Merry blows a magic horn given to him by Éowyn of Rohan. Sam recruits Tom Cotton and his sons to rally the village. Cotton explains wagonloads of goods including tobacco have been sent away causing shortages. These were paid for with unexplained funds by Lotho Sackville-Baggins known as Chief or Boss who moved into Frodo's home Bag End when Frodo left on quest. Pippin rides to Tuckborough to rally his kin the large Took clan. A gang of twenty ruffians from Hobbiton tries to take farmer Cotton prisoner. Their leader dies under arrows and others surrender quickly. The next morning hobbits learn Thain Paladin II raised Tookland pursuing fleeing ruffians south. Pippin returns with one hundred family members before larger group arrives. Merry and Pippin lead victory in brief Battle of Bywater. They ambush ruffians blocking high-hedged lane with wagons front and back. Most ruffians killed. Frodo does not fight.

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• 2. Formal Structure And Origins

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  Tolkien scholars note that The Scouring of the Shire implies formal structure for entire work. Critic Bernhard Hirsch writes chapter provoked considerable critical debate unlike rest homeward journey in Book 6. Hirsch accepts Tolkien statement in foreword to Fellowship of Ring that formal structure meant chapter along other two return chapters was foreseen from outset. Another critic Nicholas Birns notes approvingly David Waito argument that chapter is morally important as main quest but applies morals to daily life. Scholar Paul Kocher writes Frodo having thrown aside weapons chooses to fight only moral plane in Shire. Birns argues chapter has important formal role overall composition as Tolkien stated. In Birns view main surprise appearance Saruman indeed his presence made necessary scouring Shire. Evidence Tolkien planned something found Sam vision future Shire peril when looks Mirror Galadriel Lothlorien Fellowship Ring. Scholars identify several possible origins antecedents chapter added Christopher Tolkien exploration literary history father work years. Scholars agree Scouring ancient pedigree echoing Homer Odyssey long years away Odysseus returns home island Ithaca scour Penelope worthless suitors. Robert Plank adds Tolkien could chosen pattern any number returning heroes. Theme last obstacle heroic homecoming paradoxically both long-planned certainly time writing Lothlorien chapter late entry person Saruman-as-Sharkey. David Greenman contrasts scouring Tuor Aeneas-like escape wrecked kingdom told Fall Gondolin. Earlier drafts show Tolkien considered giving Frodo far more energetic part confronting Sharkey ruffians. These throw light choice who Sharkey actually was whether boss hobbit Lotho Sackville-Baggins human leader gang ruffians or Saruman. Tolkien hesitated implement Scouring arriving Saruman trying other options. Birns argues effect brings consequentiality abroad including Isengard where Saruman strong back parochialism home not only scouring strengthening with Merry Pippin world citizens.

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• 3. Political Satire And Allegory

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  Various commentators note chapter political overtones. Critic Jerome Donnelly suggests chapter satire serious kind knockabout comedy manners start Hobbit. Plank calls caricature fascism. Donnelly agrees Tolkien Scouring not allegory proposes Saruman Ruffians echo tyrannical behaviour Nazis use collaborators threats torture killing dissenters internment. Jay Richards Jonathan Witt write conservatives progressives alike seen chapter pointed critique modern socialism citing scholar politics Hal Colebatch comment rule redistribution-heavy Saruman regime owed much drabness bleakness bureaucratic regulation postwar Britain Attlee Labour Government. They note similarly Plank identification parallels Shire under Saruman German Nazi Party Hitler Italian Fascism Mussolini. Plank discusses why hobbits did not resist fascism reasons cowardice lack solidarity most interesting melancholy shiriff-hobbit statement sorry Mr Merry orders. Plank comments recalls statements Nuremberg trials. Further compares Saruman Mussolini noting both came miserable end. Richards Witt concede chapter wider themes ugliness Saruman vengeful heart nastiness sub-urban development hobbits love-inspired defence homeland need not just obey orders state state letters demonstrate dislike socialism chapter deftly satirizes socialism pose moral superiority. Shippey comments whatever Tolkien protestations readers back 1950s noticed features Shire during Scouring seem slightly out of place fact wagonloads pipeweed tobacco taken away seemingly wizard Saruman orders no visible in-universe explanation. What Shippey asks Saruman doing so much tobacco wizard hardly trading profit nor issuing orcs Isengard. Instead Shippey suggests echoes Britain shortages just after Second World War routinely explained words gone export. Kocher adds devastation people responses Shire after War would familiar people 20th century. Not all critics seen chapter political medievalist Jane Chance notes domestic image Scouring chapter title suggesting view rejuvenation Shire. She describes chapter social cleansing similar terms washing purifying reptilian monsters Sharkey Wormtongue.

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• 4. Environmentalism And Nostalgia

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  Critics since 1970s observed one more theme chapter environmentalism. One first note Tolkien ecologist Paul H. Kocher. Birns calls as much conservationist traditionalist writing presents strong pro-environmentalist argument addition other themes. Plank describes chapter emphasis deterioration environment quite unusual time returning hobbits finding needless destruction old beautiful replacement new ugly pollution air water neglect above all trees wantonly destroyed. Matthew Dickerson Jonathan Evans look chapter point rousing people environmental action own backyard. Tolkien related chapter childhood experiences end 19th century Sarehole rural Warwickshire taken over growing city Birmingham early 1900s. Old mill fell disrepair. Shippey writes streak wish-fulfilment account Tolkien liked hear horns Rohan blow watch Black Breath inertia dissolve England. More specifically Shippey applies idea Scouring noting Merry returns Rohan horn brought Eorl Young founder Rohan dragon-hoard Scatha Worm North. Horn explains magic modestly blowing brings joy friends arms fear enemies chapter awakens revolution sloth shabbiness Saruman-Sharkey quickly gets Shire purified. Shippey suggests Tolkien wished do same notes novels at least succeeded bringing joy. Tolkien wrote letter man-made ultimately daunting insupportable Ragnarök burn slums gas-works shabby garages long arc-lit suburbs could go back trees. Caitlin Vaughn Carlos writes Sam Gamgee exclamation This worse Mordor comes home remember before ruined encapsulates impulse nostalgia since Sam longing remembered home not one now exists.

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• 5. Pacifist Dilemma And Growth

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  Scholars Nan Scott Janet Brennan Croft commented pacifist dilemma embodied chapter. Hobbits return home War Ring wanting peace find obliged fight indeed lead fighting rid Shire enemy. Scott notes hobbits innocent peace-loving set out Rivendell weapons surprised Tom Bombadil gives swords Barrow-wight hoard. Aragorn states Rivendell Shire peaceful constantly watched Rangers. Further Scott writes Tolkien shows war once exhilarating thrilling Helm's Deep ugly human heads catapulted besieged Minas Tirith. Frodo feels pity even Saruman but pacifism will not rid Shire Saruman ruffians. Merry seeing dilemma tells Frodo if many ruffians certainly mean fighting. Brian Attebery introducing Birns article Journal Fantastic Arts notes Birns calls Scouring famous anticlimaxes literature conventional wisdom stop once action completed. Attebery begs differ likes anticlimaxes Jane Austen heroes heroines work everything detail once finally reached agreement view novel much less without chapter. Tolkien critics John Rateliff Jared Lobdell compared sudden shrivelling Saruman flesh skull moment death instantaneous aging protagonist Ayesha Rider Haggard 1887 novel She History Adventure bath fire immortality. Tolkien acknowledged Haggard major influence especially She. Interview 2015 novelist screenwriter George R. Martin called section Lord Rings brilliant tone aiming end Game Thrones. Jonathon Langford writing Mythlore describes scouring hobbits coming age culmination individual quests. States Merry Pippin clearly matured journey while Frodo Sam see success quest reassessed hobbit society. Notes heroic quest described Joseph Campbell ends hero return enchanted lands ordinary world renewing community hobbits return does.

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• 6. Adaptations And Omissions

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  1981 BBC Lord Rings radio play covers Scouring including original showdown ending Saruman dies Wormtongue knife Wormtongue killed arrows Shire. Events Scouring retold Finnish miniseries Hobitit. Chapter left Lord Rings film trilogy except brief flash-forward Frodo looks crystal ball-like Mirror Galadriel Peter Jackson 2001 Fellowship Ring. Extended edition Return King Wormtongue kills Saruman stabbing back not slitting throat in turn killed arrow as chapter however takes Isengard instead Shire Legolas shoots Wormtongue. Peter Jackson called chapter anticlimactic decided 1998 include film trilogy. Decided merge Saruman Wormtongue death scene Voice Saruman chapter Two Towers did wish go back Isengard after Battle Helm's Deep. Jackson explained post-production Return King scene felt seven-minute wrap up Two Towers gave film unsteady beginning made film too long ended extended DVD. Alan Lee last series 50 illustrations Lord Rings depicted four hobbits Fellowship returning horseback hedged lane stumps recently cut trees felled trunks foreground tall chimney making plume dark smoke background. Painting reviewed Mythlore Glen GoodKnight wrote anti-clima containing joy denying hint bitter-sweet resolution story.

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