Two Towers/Summary

Summary

Book Three

Chapter 1: The Departure of Boromir

• Short chapter
• ARagorn on his own, caught between Amon Hen or back
• Depiction of what Aragorn sees from the summit (nothing), contrasts with what Frodo saw
• Aragorn hears fighting
• Boromir's fight offscene
• Brought low by Orcs but also by behavior toward Frodo
• Aragorn traces Orcs to Saruman, emergence of conflict with Saruman
• He keeps Boromir's final confession to himself
• Makes the decision to follow Merry and Pippin rather than abandon them to help Frodo and Sam
• Funeral songs for Boromir (Legolas and Gimli)

Chapter 2: Riders of Rohan

• Three heroes run and run and run
• Picture of a desolate landscape
• Flashback narrative, squabbling Orcs
• Further into Rohan, get glimpse of Gondor
• Foreshadowing of storyline: need to deal with Sauron, but deal with Saruman first
• Far off Eagle spotted
• Finding of Lorien brooch
• Stop for the night
• Losing hope
• 36 hours behind Orcs (thanks Boromir)
• Background on Rohirrim
• Trio surprises Rohirrim horsemen, pissing contest
• Aragorn reveals himself as the Heir of Elendil
• Eomer trusts Aragorn b/c of Boromir
• Eomer informs the party that they attacked/burned the Orc party
• Gives background on Rohan, setting up rest of Book 3 - Rohan weak, Saruman on the prowl
• Picture of Saruman's war stretegy
• Why Saruman is dangerous
• Gandalf unpopular in Rohan - doomsayer (foreshadowing Wormtongue)
• Edge of Fangorn Forest - remains of Orcs
• Strange figure (old man) appears, then disappears, does not return for several chapters
• Chapter begins fresh narrative, creates interesting branch of narrative, stalls Frodo and Sam developments

Chapter 3: The Uruk-hai

• Steps narrative up a notch
• Cuts to Pippin and Merry
• Merry fight/capture scene
• Pippin doubts his presence on the quest
• Addresses black sheep of why they were included
• Chapter begins to weave the sub-plot of Ugluk and Grishnakh (Mordor and Isengard)
• Ugluk (Isengard) - show-off, junior in first command, kbarks, stupid speeches, puffs chest
• Grishnahk (Mordor) - grizzled old vet, seen and done it all, dismissive of Ugluk
• Hobbits exploit situation (need to keep prisoners alive, fights breaking out)
• Orc medicine - fast and rough
• Internal power struggle between Orcs, precipitated by principle of "least intelligence"
• Running running running
• Question mark over fate of two hobbits
• Grishnakh tries to run off with the hobbits (knows about ring, etc)
• Merry and Pippin watch the battle while snacking on lembas bread
• Escape into the forest, miss Eomer's last battle with Ugluk
• Final words of chapter, "The smoke rose high and was seen by many eyes", is ominous foreshadowing

Chapter 4: Treebeard

• Fangorn Forest
• Antique forest
• Pippin - Took leadership bloodline, important in the Shire
• Treebeard makes his appearance
• Callback to "The Shadow of the Past", possible sighting of Entwives
• Treebeard shows sarcasm, name-drops Gandalf
• Callbacks/comparisons to Tom Bombadil
• Treebeard cares for the Hobbits
• Ents depicted as independent
• Saruman's look: "his face... became like windows in a stone wall; windows with shutters inside"
• Characterization of Saruman
• * Treebeard suddenly decides now is time to make a stand (may have been planning this for a while)
• Original depiction of Treebeard (Fangorn) was a servant of Saruman, traps Gandalf and keeps him prisoner
• Still a bit dark
• Story of the Entwives
• Entmoot scene, trees decide to go to war
• Anti-climatctic
• Chapter brings in the fantasy aspects of Middle Earth

Chapter 5: The White Rider

• Deus ex machina
• Takes us back to Legolas/Gimli/Aragorn
• Aragorn follows trail of Merry and Pippin, recalls scene, they continue into the forest
• Aragorn searching for redemption
• Gandalf's return (the strange old man)
• Deus ex machina - reveals the lack of a plan for LotR
• Somewhat ham-fisted
• Emotional weight of his fall trashed (hero syndrome)
• Gandalf initially acts stoned - is confused about who he is
• Only asks for news
• Gandalf seems surprised by obvious things (Sam joined Frodo), Gandalf continues to not explain how he got there
• Gandalf mentions Galadriel's concern about Boromir (raises questions: why would they let him continue in the party without saying anything?)
• Gandalf lays out bad guys strategy (Mordor and Isengard), Sauron able to overpower Saruman, Saruman doesn't have chance at getting the ring
• Info about Nazgul, Ents
• Legendary nature of Ents reinforced
• New trio for the quest - off to war in Rohan
• Edoras and house of Theoden
• Finally get Gandalf's story
• Confusing/badly explained, but not referenced much after
• Shadowfax
• Chapter represents break in narrative of Book 3

Chapter 6: The King of the Golden Hall

• The three heroes ride and ride and ride
• They finally see the Golden Hall
• Rohirrim, the Horse-lords
• Heading to talk to Theoden
• The Golden Hall is 500 years old
• They reach the gates of Edoras, and are challenged at the gate
• Two nights ago Wormtongue said that no strangers should enter the gates
• Gandalf tells the guard to tell Theoden that Gandalf and Shadowfax have arrived
• They are disarmed before they enter the hall by Hama (the doorkeeper)
• Gandalf keeps his staff, with some insistence
• Aragorn says "Death shall come to any man that draws Elendil's sword save Elendil's heir
• They enter the hall and see Theoden, who looks like a dwarf, long white hair, beard laid like snow upon his knees
• Theoden calls Gandalf a herald of woe
• Gandalf Stormcrow - "Troubles follow you like crows"
• Wormtongue reveals that Theodred (Theoden's son) was slain at the West Marches
• Wormtongue says Eomer cannot be trusted
• "Ill news is an ill guest they say"
• Gandalf says the company's weapons are powerful and they are clad in Elven cloaks
• Wormtongue claims they are in league with "the Sorceress of the Golden Wood"
• Wormtongue: Grima son of Galmod
• "The wise speak only of what they know, Grima son of Galmod. A witless worm have you become. Therefore be silent, and keep your forked tongue behind your teeth. I have not passed through fire and death to bandy crooked words with a serving-man till the lightning falls."
• Gandalf raises his staff, reveals himself as Gandalf the White
• The light compels Theoden to leave his chair, his black staff comes clattering down, he "awakens"
• "Not long now shall stand the high hall which Brego son of Eorl built"
• Eomer is being held prisoner by the counsel of Wormtongue, Gandalf tells Theoden to release Eomer
• Gandalf begins to make his case that there is a gathering threat from Mordor and that Rohan should come to the aid of Gondor
• "Your fingers would remember their old strength better, if they grasped a sword-hilt"
• Eomer comes in and presents his sword, Hama says he let Eomer go
• Gandalf says Rohan must ride that day, tells Theoden to go to Hold of Dunharrow
• Theoden says he will go to Helm's Deep
• Two guards with Wormtongue prisoner come in, present Theoden with Herugrim (his sword)
• Wormtongue claims that Theoden is under the influence of the wizard
• Theoden tells Wormtongue he must leave that day too
• Gandalf asks what the price was that Saruman bought Wormtongue with
• Wormtongue is sent away, anywhere he wants
• Everyone eats while Theoden asks Gandalf questions about Saruman
• Gandalf asks Theoden to gift him Shadowfax (only borrowing before that)
• Everyone gears up with swords and mail and helmets
• The whole side-drama betwween Eowyn and Aragorn (ugh)
• Eowyn is Eomer's sister, so Theoden is Eowyn's uncle and Eomer's uncle
• Eomer's horse is called Firefoot
• Gandalf whistles, Shadowfax comes, Theoden gifts Shadowfax to Gandalf
• The King and the White Rider