November 5, 2002

Last Bombadil Post
Danny

In response to my question, what is my criteria for calling Bombadil an isolationist, I am posting my final post on the subject (I hope.)

I understand that not everyone is going to agree with that, but it is what rings true to me as the purpose Tolkien had for putting Bombadil in. I feel that Bombadil is a character that is used to demonstrate the folley of wasting our potential by never reaching beyond our comfort zone.

By calling Bombadil an isolationist, I am not passing negative judgement on the character. I consider him an isolationist because, despite his acknowleging the world is in danger he choses to let others worry about it. He even refuses to leave his comfort zone even to assure that the Hobbits who carry his fate make it to Bree. Hypothetically, had the wraiths captured the Hobbits bettween Bree and leaving Bombadil, I would hold Bombadil responsable. He took a great risk simply because he wouldn't go beyond his comfort zone so to speak. He is absolutely incapable or unwilling or both of leaving his self-set boundaries. Maybe isolationist is the modern word for that behavior, but I am just recognizing that behavior and categorizing it with the word we use for that. By the way, isolationism in this context has been a word in history books and political texts since long before Tolkien wrote LOTR so I don't feel that it is out of context to use it in describing one of his characters.

Actually, I suspect, but can't back it up, that Tolkien had plenty of experience with the frustration of a particular isolationist nation. He fought in WWI where the U.S. was very isolationist until near the end, and then saw the U.S. do the same type of isolationist thing with WWII only entering after others had fought against a common threat for years. Granted the U.S. did provide extensive material support to both Russia and Brittain that kept their head above water, but they did not sacrifice the lives that other nations did. (BTW I am a Patriotic American. I just recognize the mistakes of our past.)

I don't beleive that LOTR is a war allegory as some debate, but I suspect (speculate, conjecture or whatever else I can say to make it clear that this is my opinion and nothing I can back up) that Tolkien's frustrations about the dangers of isolationist behavior influenced his creation of Bombadil.