Lord of the Vocations, Part III: Frodo's Vocations

I may have to my Frodo and Sam posts mostly separate, because there’s just so much to unpack. I’ve talked about vocation in terms of the couples Aragorn and Arwen, and Faramir and (especially) Eowyn. Merry and Pippin have the vocation of friend and companion, as well as service to the respective kingdoms of Rohan and Gondor. All vocation exists to serve one’s neighbor in one’s particular calling(s).

For movie-goers, Frodo is not a favorite character for many. The battle exploits of the Three Hunters are preferred; or maybe the daring exploits of Faramir, Eowyn, or the other hobbits. The problem that many have has simply to do with the fact that Frodo acquires the Ring early in the movie, and from that point on, it slowly devours him until he becomes unrecognizable. Unlike the others, he cannot choose to simply resist the Ring by casting it aside. He himself must be willing to be cast aside to save the others. From the start, Frodo’s journey is marked with terror, flight, and helplessness, and it just seems to go on and on. It’s easier to like a character whose individuality comes through a little more. If we want to get a grasp on Frodo’s callings and character, it doesn’t hurt to take a good look at what we see of Frodo before he acquires the Ring. The quest to destroy the Ring is the most obvious calling, but why is he the one who has to do it?

Frodo has a few callings that massively shape his role in the War of the Ring. The first is the fact that he is a devoted resident of the Shire–the vocation of citizen. The second is the fact that he is a devoted heir of Bilbo–a kind of adopted "nephew." A third vocation, which we’re not likely to get to yet in this post, is the fact that he is Sam’s master.

At the time of Bilbo’s disappearance, Frodo’s love of the Shire takes precedence over the possibility of sticking by Bilbo’s side, despite his natural wanderlust. As Bilbo says in Chapter 1: "He would come with me, of course, if I asked him. In fact he offered to once, just before the party. But he does not really want to, yet. I want to see the wild country again before I die, and the Mountains; but he is still in love with the Shire, with woods and fields and little rivers." When you watch the movie and see Frodo early on, take note of the fact that Frodo is in love with the Shire. You see it in his reading out-of-doors, his appreciation of Gandalf teasing the hobbit children, his love of beer and partying. As any good hobbit would, he loves his land–a Shire patriot.

When Gandalf tells him about the Ring, Frodo realizes that the Shire is in danger if he stays there with it. His citizen vocation is his primary concern in his willingness to be the Ring-bearer (at least for the present). Yet his vocation as Bilbo’s nephew is also a factor. In Chapter 2: "‘But in the meanwhile it seems that I am a danger, a danger to all that live near me. I cannot keep the Ring and stay here. I ought to leave Bag End, leave the Shire, leave everything and go away... I would like to save the Shire, if I could... and I suppose I must go alone, if I am to do that and save the Shire. But I feel very small, and very uprooted, and well– desperate. The Enemy is so strong and terrible.’
He did not tell Gandalf, but as he was speaking a great desire to follow Bilbo flamed up in his heart– to follow Bilbo, and even perhaps to find him again. It was so strong that it overcame his fear..."

So we see these vocations at work in Frodo’s status as Ring-bearer. He has not yet taken into consideration that his friends may have a vocation in connection with his, as companions, but the game is in motion. All the hobbits are also concerned, in a secondary way, with saving the Shire. But for Frodo, this is primary. Recall in the movie that Frodo sees in Galadriel’s mirror what will happen if he fails in his quest: the destruction of the Shire, the enslavement of hobbits, the beautiful natural landscape turning into a wasteland. This vision seriously resonates with him. And as Frodo says at the end of The Return of the King: "We set out to save the Shire, Sam, and it has been saved– but not for me."

If you want any more proof that Frodo’s vocation as Shire citizen is the backbone for his motivation, just think of the tear-jerking scene in ROTK where Sam tries to comfort Frodo with various images of the Shire: "Do you remember the Shire, Mr. Frodo...?" Frodo cannot remember. He has completely lost touch with the reality of why he set out on his quest in the first place. He is driven not by hope or desire but by the sheer will that the task must be done. This loss of vision is what makes the moment so tragic and sad. So when the Ring is destroyed, what does Frodo say? "I can see the Shire... The Brandywine River... Bag End... Gandalf's fireworks... The lights in the party tree." This scene is also going to be important when we consider the vocation the comes into play between Frodo and Sam. But more on that later!

So Frodo is the Ring-bearer. The Ring-bearer must be a hobbit; their backgrounds and nature make them resistant to the lure of the Ring. In Frodo's case, he has inherited part of his vocation from Bilbo. Frodo has another reason to go on this quest, despite the fact that he has no desire for battle or renown-- the love of the land he is leaving. Faramir shares this attitude with Frodo when he says to him in TTT: "War must be, while we defend our lives against a destroyer who would devour all; but I do not love the bright sword for its sharpness, nore the arrow for its swiftness, nor the warrior for his glory. I love only that which they defend: the city of the Men of Numenor; and I would have her loved for her memory, her ancientry, her beauty, and her present wisdom" ("The Window on the West").