Dear Elizabeth
I think we have had a slight misunderstanding. Several weeks ago I pointed out that I couldn’t comment on several papers because of the lack of citations and asked the authors to send me ANGEL mail when they had posted a revised version. Yours was one of these papers; your “List of Works Cited” contains only one article. This morning is the first time I have heard from you.
What you have posted here is not even a rough draft of a research paper; it is essentially a paraphrase of an article by Hooker. Since your style changes greatly from sentence to sentence I am afraid that you are copying whole blocks of text from the article. This constitutes plagiarism, even if you give a citation, because you are implying that the words are yours. You also use far too many direct quotations; I need to be able to evaluate YOUR writing and YOUR ideas, not Hooker’s!
I think it might be to focus your subject either on race or class in Tolkien’s works. If you decide to stick with this topic, however, you need to come up with a clear and concise thesis statement and to develop your argument using your scholarly sources to support your ideas. All you are doing in the paper as it stands is tell me what Hooker’s ideas on the subject of Sam as Frodo’s batman are.
I have put a link at the top of this page for a revised version of your rough draft. If you could care to post one and send me ANGEL mail to let me know I shall be delighted to make comments. Lydia Fish December 01, 2008, at 11:03 AM
I find that your topic could be both hard and very easy. Hard because there is not a whole lot of serious racism in the novel but easy if you think about all the minor hints of racism, such as the conflict between the elves and dwarves. I like how you used the article Frodo’s Batman but I do not know how you could have used it because I used it in my paper and there is no racism in that. I think you seem to be confusing classicism and racism. Donald Turner November 13, 2008, at 05:14 PM
You have a very interesting topic and paper. I almost chose racism myself. You have strong arguments and the development so far has been great! Steven Wilser? November 13, 2008, at 04:36 PM
I really think your topic is provocative and interesting. I like what you have so far, I am really fascinated by class differences. I just want to know if you think the economic structures of Middle Earth impacted the social classes. I am curious to see how the racism aspect turns out. I think you will have a lot of great material to work with. Eligh Hanning
Good so far, just make sure you use the draft as a medium to put all of your ideas in one place. I don’t know how many sources you’re waiting for, but nows the time to suck the ones you have dry and put everything in one place. You can organize it afterwards for the final. Besides that, I found your ideas thought provoking.Brian Nacov November 13, 2008, at 02:37 PM
Great start to your paper. The whole concept of class differences is interesting and something I never thought about when reading LOTR. Great ideas.Sarah Chudyk? November 13, 2008, at 09:38 AM
I always thought this whole racist-commentary on the Lord of the Rings was overblown and drawn out….but your paper raises some good points, and makes me question that. Which is a sign of a good job! I wish I could read your intro to see if it draws me (the skeptic) in or not. Aw well. Joseph Bella? November 13, 2008, at 01:16 AM
I really liked your topic, I never thought it could be an issue with the Lord of the Rings but you have made some really great points. Racism is still a major issue today although some people fail to acknowledge the topic. You are off to a great start and I look forward to how you develop the rest of your paper. The comparison between Frodo and Sam was also interesting, and well written. Carly Lopez? November 12, 2008, at 11:15 PM
This will be interesting to see how racism comes up in the trilogy. For what you have now, though, there are just some minor grammatical issues, such as comma use. I understand that it’s a rough draft, so transitions and flow aren’t perfect. I can sympathize with not getting sources from ILL until the last minute for this rough draft, so I’m sure once you get all your information, everything will fall into place. Devon Cozad? November 12 , 2008, at 08:29 PM
Thanks for the pointers guys!! :)Elizabeth Delano? November 12, 2008, at 05:54 PM
You have a very good handle on your topic so far. I am interested in your paper because it is always a good topic in conversation. I never really had thought about Sam as a lower class than Frodo because I viewed them as good friends. You used great evidence to back up your statements. In your last paragraph, try to stay away from “This could be because of”. My CWP102 teacher used to beat it into us that you had to have evidence to back up everything you say. Try to use a citation or make it sound more confident! Very very good start! Keilah Bradley November 12, 2008, at 04:09 PM
I understand you are waiting for more sources and what you do have so far is well done. You make a good argument that there are distinctions between the two classes originally and then prove that it is not impossible to change status like Sam does in the end. I look forward to reading your final! Sarah McNutt November 12, 2008, at 07:31 AM
It would be interesting to see what other examples you have to explain the issue of race in the novel. Please work on your transitions because it is very import that the reader can follow ideas form one paragraph to the next.Trudy Antwi November 12, 2008, at 12:00 AM
This is a great topic and I can’t wait to see what you come up with for the second half on racism. While you have alot of information about the class difference between Frodo and Sam, is there any way you could discuss another example of class difference? If you only plan on discussing this one aspect, then you should make sure to specify that within your introduction. You would also want to keep an equal amount of examples between class difference and racism. Otherwise the paper might seem lopsided. Other than that I think this paper has alot of potential! Lauren Brych? November 11, 2008, at 03:21 PM
I really like your last statement- perhaps you could expand more on that because it is an important point. I think that you go into great detail about Frodo and Sam, which helps the reader understand their relationship more and better supports your topic. Even so, I think that you could narrow your topic to just talking about Frodo and Sam’s relationship (although this is risky because the paper is so long), or definitely try to go into depth in other areas as well, such as the orcs, the nobility in LOTR, etc. Your title says “racism” but I don’t see any discussion of racism yet in the paper. Good job! Kelsey Till November 09, 2008, at 03:33 PM
Make sure you capitalize “class” and “difference” in your title. I suggest maybe changing your title, so that it doesn’t have too many “and”s. You could change it to “The Lord of the Rings: Racism and Class Difference.” Try to avoid using “a lot” because this is vague. Also, in your first paragraph, you seem unsure of how Tolkien felt about race relations. I believe your paper would be stronger if you had a sense of where he is coming from on these issues. Try finding a hint of his opinion in his published letters. Also, in your second paragraph you need to insert a page number citation in the sentence with “John Garth” and insert an author for the citation (172–172). As a reader, it is unclear to me from where this information is coming. Make sure you italicize titles of books. Other than that, the other citations look ok. I like how you talk about Frodo and Sam being “master” and “servant.” Just continue to develop the ideas in your final, like you said you need to do. Emily Marvin? November 09, 2008, at 03:22 PM
This is a really interesting topic. Your argument concerning Frodo and Sam is very strong. If you continue with the other portions of your paper in the same way your paper will be great. Since you have two main topics you are addressing in this paper make sure you include them both in your introduction and conclusion. Nice work so far! Annika Laughlin? November 11, 2008, at 08:36 PM
Tolkien: Racism and Class Differences
This is just one section of my paper (not including the introduction and conclusion statements). It is indeed a rough draft and needs more work. I just recently receieved books from the ILL and did not have enough time to properly read and address them for this draft. I have not yet mentioned anything on the racism section of my paper.
There is a lot of talk about the aspects of racism and class differences within the pages of the Lord of the Rings series. Tolkien himself may not have felt strongly about these topics or considered himself to believe in the aspects of social class structures and racism but these ideas can be found in his writings whether this was intentional or not.
A military batman was assigned to a person who was higher in the ranks compared to themselves, usually an officer, as a personal servant. According to John Garth, author of the book titled “Tolkien and the Great War”, the batman of the military had a wide range of duties that they were responsible for. The batmen were responsible for the domestic duties that the officer might need done. These chores ranged from making the officers bed and polishing their shoes to feeding them the best foods. The officers needed a person to do these tasks because of the jobs they needed to get done. The officers had the job of training peoples, directing peoples and censoring the letters and other such things that the soldiers sent home. The batmen were not only maids and chefs, but they were also personal soldiers who served as “runners” for the officers. They had to be fit and intelligent so they did not misinterpret and garble a report that an officer needed sent. The batmen had to fight in combat along with doing all of these tasks for the officers. Tolkien, who fought in great wars, had respect for the batmen that he knew (171–172). Tolkien came into contact with batmen when he served in the British forces during the first World War.
Two authors at the time named William Noel Hodgson and Graham Seton Hutchinson wrote stories about their own batmen by the names of Pearson and Peter McLinktock. In the short stories that these authors wrote are traits that a good batman should have. According to Mark T. Hooker, author of the article titled “Frodo’s Batman”, Samwise Gamgee has some of these traits as his own (4). “An officer and his batman were from different social classes. While Frodo represents the English officer and gentleman, born to greatness, as it were, Sam-like Pearson and McLintock-was not born to greatness, but had greatness thrust upon him” (Hooker 7). The class difference that exists between Frodo and Sam is made apparent with this statement.
“Tolkien clearly establishes the relationship between Sam and Frodo as ‘master’ and ‘servant’ by spreading those two descriptions throughout the text” (Hooker 4). There are many examples within the text of the Lord of the Rings where Samwise and Frodo are put in their ranks in society. Sam is obviously the batman to Frodo because he is told that he is going along on the journey “to do for Mr. Frodo” (Tolkien 78). This means that Sam is to go along on the journey to take care of Frodo and see that he makes it through as comfortably as possible. When referring to Frodo, Sam uses the proper form of address for someone is below someone else in the ranks when he calls him Mr. Frodo.
The differences in class while in the Shire between Sam and Frodo can be seen throughout the story as Sam’s job as batman progresses. “Tolkien also drops a number of hints as to Sam’s duties at Bag End as the story progresses. As Frodo awakens in the Tower of Cirith Ungol, for example, Sam tries ‘to sound as cheerful as he had when he drew back the curtains at Bag End on a summer’s morning’(RK, VI, i, 187)” (Hooker 4). This shows that before the journey even began, Sam was some sort of servant to Frodo because of the differences in their social status. Frodo is higher up in the class structure and so he is waited on by Samwise who is lower in the class structure.
Sam shows the undying self-sacrifice to Frodo that the batmen of the military showed to their officers. While they are along on their journey, Sam gives up what little food and water he has to make sure Frodo is taken care of and as well fed as he is going to be. This shows that Sam is dedicated and is willing to struggle through the thirst and hunger to see that Frodo has the energy to go on. The sacrifices that Sam make indeed result in him being a good batman but the actions he makes earlier within the plot of the story show that he is just living in his ranks of society, which is to serve Frodo. “Earlier in the tale, as they were just leaving the Shire, Tolkien has Frodo complain in the jest that they have saddled him with all the heaviest things in his pack. Sam stoutly volunteers to take on some of Frodo’s burden, saying his pack is quite light. Which the narrator pointedly informs the reader is not true” (Hooker 5). This shows that even in the very earliest parts of their long and hard journey, Sam is used to serving others. The class difference between Sam and other hobbits is also shown by the words and actions of Pippin. Pippin makes comments to Sam commanding him to cook breakfast and have a hot bath ready for him when he wakes up in the morning.
As the story goes on and Sam and Frodo get deeper and deeper into their journey, the class differences between the two hobbits seem to dwindle away. This could be because of the fact that Frodo gets drawn in by the ring and begins to lose himself as a hobbit and this takes away the dimension of his awareness that would realize the differences between Sam and himself. One thing is clear, at the beginning of their journey “Sam’s father the Gaffer, and a stranger from Michel Delving both say ‘jools’ instead of ‘jewels’, the crowning touch to a dialogue full of turns of phrase that mark them as men of limited education. Sam’s dialogue is peppered with a number of less obvious turns of phrase that clearly mark him as a member of that class as well” (Hooker 7). This shows that Frodo and Sam are definitely on different class levels and education is one of the barriers between them when their journey just begins. However, after the journey is over and everyone is safe in their homes, the class differences between Sam and Frodo seem to disappear in some aspects of their lives. “Sam becomes Frodo’s heir, and goes on the become Mayor of the Shire, the most famous gardener in history, and keeper of the knowledge of Red Book” (Hooker 7). Sam goes from being a low in the social structure gardener like when the journey started to becoming the Mayor of the Shire and sitting on a higher pedestal. This switch in Sam’s place in the class ranking in the Shire can be credited to his taking place in the destruction of the evil forces. Only a handful of Hobbits were involved in the plan to destroy the ring and Sam, being the only gardener and person from his social class that went along with the fellowship, came back from the journey with greater respect then what he had when he left the Shire. This shows how people disregard certain aspects of the social class structure when someone proves their worth.
Works Cited (so far)
Elizabeth Delano? November 05, 2008, at 06:44 PM
