Posted: March 10, 2000 at 16:49:14: by macadamia
I should note at the outset -- I'm not trying to cause trouble. I'm just going through the books very carefully, seeing how well everything holds together. If there are some inconsistencies in the text, I don't consider that a terrible flaw. And sometimes there are ingenious explanations that I hadn't thought of that make everything fit, and I always like hearing them.OK, so here's the situation: In "The Shadow of the Past" (p. 61 in my edition -- about 11 pages into the chapter) Gandalf is explaining to Frodo all about the One ring. And he says, "And this is the dreadful chance, Frodo. He believed that the One had perished; that the Elves had destroyed it, as should have been done." Can this possibly fit with the way the plot of the trilogy develops? I don't see how it could. First of all, it seems surprising that Sauron would not know that he would cease to exist if his ring were destroyed. Second, if Gandalf believes that Sauron could still exist even when the ring was destroyed, he gives no sign of it in later chapters. Third -- how does Gandalf know what Sauron believed at any given time? What is he basing this guess on? I can think of some ways to explain all this, but I'd like to hear other people's suggestions. I think at the very least, Gandalf is making guesses about Sauron on no real evidence.
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