He's probably my favorite minor character; the perfect embodiment of Tolkien's attention to the small, courageous deeds of ordinary folks.
His declining to take the journey was not cowardly but a choice that put him in more danger than Frodo, Sam, Pippen, and Merry, at least in the short term. His part in the conspiracy and keeping up appearances afterward was fraught and isolating. But he proves to be an indispensable part of getting the Ring and the Hobbits out of the Shire.
Thanks for fleshing out his part in the narrative!
Love this. I've always thought of him as incredibly brave to face the Nazgul at his door. We all have different types of bravery, and being afraid of some things over others isn't cowardice.
Part of me wonders if the merciful view of those who can’t fight in certain ways came from Tolkien’s experience in WWI. I read yesterday that too many young soldiers weren’t killed in battle but instead executed because when the battle began, they ran the opposite direction. This was such a beautiful tribute to Fatty and such a timely message in this uncertain world. I appreciate all of your posts so much.
I heart Fatty Boldger! I aso love Tolkien’s affectionate naming of characters “Fatty” (see: Lumpkins, and the Laird of Lossarnach, and his absolute unit of a horse, at the siege of Gondor) and theres an air of prowess, strength and steadfastness to each of these, even though their parts are small. Small parts in the story matter, and it’s one of the things about Tolkien’s work that continues to inspire and remain prescient.
Excellent as always. I’m doing an audiobook reread and I noticed that about Boldger as well. He was made of strong convictions. An admirable character indeed.
We love a good audiobook reading in our house! Fatty Bolger is one of the many "small" characters that Tolkien makes us fall in love with in the story.
He's probably my favorite minor character; the perfect embodiment of Tolkien's attention to the small, courageous deeds of ordinary folks.
His declining to take the journey was not cowardly but a choice that put him in more danger than Frodo, Sam, Pippen, and Merry, at least in the short term. His part in the conspiracy and keeping up appearances afterward was fraught and isolating. But he proves to be an indispensable part of getting the Ring and the Hobbits out of the Shire.
Thanks for fleshing out his part in the narrative!
Love this. I've always thought of him as incredibly brave to face the Nazgul at his door. We all have different types of bravery, and being afraid of some things over others isn't cowardice.
"different types of bravery". yes! I love how you put that.
Part of me wonders if the merciful view of those who can’t fight in certain ways came from Tolkien’s experience in WWI. I read yesterday that too many young soldiers weren’t killed in battle but instead executed because when the battle began, they ran the opposite direction. This was such a beautiful tribute to Fatty and such a timely message in this uncertain world. I appreciate all of your posts so much.
I heart Fatty Boldger! I aso love Tolkien’s affectionate naming of characters “Fatty” (see: Lumpkins, and the Laird of Lossarnach, and his absolute unit of a horse, at the siege of Gondor) and theres an air of prowess, strength and steadfastness to each of these, even though their parts are small. Small parts in the story matter, and it’s one of the things about Tolkien’s work that continues to inspire and remain prescient.
Yes, I love that Tolkien celebrates the small things too. It's one of my favorite things about his writing.
Excellent as always. I’m doing an audiobook reread and I noticed that about Boldger as well. He was made of strong convictions. An admirable character indeed.
We love a good audiobook reading in our house! Fatty Bolger is one of the many "small" characters that Tolkien makes us fall in love with in the story.