February 17, 2003

Logic in TTT
Danny

Someone argued that the Wraith seeing the ring destroys Tolkien's logic about keeping the quest secret. I posted this once, but don't think it got through so here goes again.

What that wraith saw would have lead Sauron to beleive that the Ring was on its way to Minas Tirith. It had no way of knowing that Frodo left for Mordor, and would have assumed he was being taken with the ring to Minas Tirith so it doesn't destroy the secrecy of his quest.

Someone else commented that Sauron had a good idea where the Ring was in the book. I disagree. No fool would have let the ring wander freely in his own stronghold, the only place where it could be destroyed. Had he known, Sauron would have channeled all his resources to finding Frodo and there would have been no escape. Gandalf even says that had Sauron kept all his forces intent on defending Mt Doom there would have been no hope for Frodo, and that is why Gandalf did all the things he did. Tolkien also writes in the chapter Mt Doom that Sauron perceived his folley when he knew Frodo was going to destroy it. In the book it doesn't say anything about Sauron instantly seeing one who wears the Ring. Gandalf successfully distracts the eye from seeing Frodo on Amon Hen in the book, and all his actions in TTT and ROTK were calculated to distract Sauron further. So it is safe to say that Sauron was blindsided by the attempt to destroy the ring as Gandalf intended, at least in the book.

I kind of worry about that in ROTK the movie. How is sam going to wear the ring and not be seen by Sauron. I think he will have to wear the ring or do something amazingly stealthy and altogether unlike Sam in that part of the movie so I don't know what PJ has in mind. I do feel that if the eye sees Sam that will be a fault in Tolkien's logic.