“Not all those who wander are lost.”

[Estelyn Telcontar]

One of the recurring themes of Tolkien’s works is that of change. We’ve discussed it before, but a lecture at ‘Tolkien 2005’ in Birmingham made me think about it more deeply. This post is based on Marjorie Willetts’ presentation: ‘The Good, the Bad and the Static: Wise Wanderers and Tired Travellers in Middle-earth’, augmented by my own thoughts and research, and limited to an introduction, in the hopes that many others will have something to add.

In his Letters, Tolkien mentions several times that the weakness of the Elves is their unwillingness to change.

…‘change’ viewed as a regrettable thing… (#131)
But the Elves are not wholly good or in the right… they were ‘embalmers’. (#154)
…the Elvish weakness is…to become unwilling to face change… (#181)

An important passage, which mentions change in connection with a journey is in Letter #183:

For if there is anything in a journey of any length, for me it is this: a deliverance from the plantlike state of helpless passive sufferer, an exercise however small of will, and mobility – and of curiosity, without which a rational mind becomes stultified.

(And later …calculable people reside in relatively fixed circumstances…

These statements show us that Tolkien considers change not only necessary, but important and beneficial. When we study his books, we see that he shows us the effects of staying static in his characters. Here are some examples, using the more important characters. I’m sure we can find others.

Wanderers are: Gandalf, Aragorn, Frodo, Sam, Merry, Pippin, Bilbo, Gimli, Legolas…

Fixed persons are: Saruman, Denethor, Bombadil…

Those who change from fixed to wanderers: Théoden, Treebeard, Éowyn…

Those who are fixed have a limited vision – inaccurate because incomplete - not seeing the concerns of others or other viewpoints; they are not open for possibilities outside their control. Stopping change is stopping growth. We see that in Saruman, who has settled down in Orthanc, which has relatively small windows in a stony wall. In limiting himself to one place, he loses sight of his mission and ultimately fails. He refuses to leave the tower until the end of the story, when it is too late for him to change.

We see it in Denethor, who says, “I would have things as they were – or nothing”, refusing to leave his city to do battle against the foe and even choosing death over change. (For more on him, please check out the Chapter-by-Chapter discussion of LotR, Book 5, Chapter 7 – ‘The Pyre of Denethor’.)

We also see unwillingness to wander in a 'good' character – Tom Bombadil! In limiting himself to the small boundaries of his own land, he sets limits to his powers and influence, having withdrawn from the wider world.

Gandalf (who is Saruman as he should have been) is the ultimate wanderer of Middle-earth. His travels give him a broad outlook on life, and experience gives him more than mere knowledge, it gives him wisdom. He gets to know and appreciate the different races and knows how each of them can effectively fight the good fight. After all, who else of the ‘great ones’ knows about Hobbits?!

Aragorn’s wanderings prepare him for his fate as King and give him an outlook that sees more than merely his own country and people. He is able to see the weaknesses of others with pity, not scorn, having learned both justice and mercy.

Théoden is at first limited to his hall; his sight is dim, and he has no will of his own. By leaving it (with Gandalf’s encouragement!), he regains a broader view, giving him hope and purpose, and ultimately plays an important part to victory in the great battle of his age.


I’m sure these are enough examples with which to start; I look forward to exploring this topic in greater depth through your contributions!