The Hobbit - Chapter 10 - A Warm Welcome

[Estelyn Telcontar]

“All things work together for good…”

This chapter shows us that, as so often, the inevitable turns out to be beneficial, even the only feasible possibility. We are told that the waterway, impossible to access except through the Elven fortress, was the only one that led the Dwarves and Bilbo to their goal. So their captivity not only enabled them to survive, but their escape got them to the Lonely Mountain in the only way possible.

The escape was not easy, and it cost them all some health and strength, what with the cold and water affecting them, but to the Dwarves’ credit, they did realize what the Hobbit had done for them eventually. Their arrival at Lake-town elicits various reactions by the populace of the city; do you think the legend of their return was important in preparing the way for their reception? What do you think of the poem that the people sang? (“The king beneath the mountains”)

What impression does the Master of the town make on you?

Thorin shows some astuteness in leaving before their welcome was spent – always good advice for guests!

Bilbo’s unhappiness despite the enthusiasm of the townspeople and the anticipation of the Dwarves is mentioned at least twice, and especially so in the last sentence of the chapter. Did you catch that as a foreboding of difficulties to come when you first read the book?

This is a pretty short chapter, but I think it hints at quite a few of the coming events and developments. Despite the fact that Lake-town is a “safe haven” for the travellers, this stop is very transitional. Do you enjoy reading the chapter, or do you skim it, pressing on to the next one? Interestingly, I find myself thinking that the title is deceptive - the warm welcome has cold undercurrents...

[Thinlómien]

One of my favourite the Hobbit quotes:

The Lonely Mountain! Bilbo had come far and through many adventures to see it, and now he did not like the look of it in the least.

The Laketown has always impressed me. I like the idea of a town built on water. The people, they're also nice, though a bit annoying sometimes. Especially their songs of the return of the king under the mountain and golden streams. For some reason, I've never liked the songs.

I also like the part were the dwarves come out from the barrells. A dwarf complaining that he will never eat apples again is something very amusing.

If the Master wouldn't be particularly shown in bad light, I wouldn't dislike him.

[Tuor of Gondolin]

I believe (Strachey?) makes an observation that the Hobbit
begins in a middle class world, moves on to the heroic,
and then returns to the middle class genre at the end.
The Master actually is a solid civil servant (if also rather
tending towards corruption) but it's of the "ordinary"
world. He has actually kept his people safe and
prosperous, wisely avoiding the dragon and it's
lair. There is an analog to the restlessness of the
laketown people and the restlessness of the
post-War of the Ring Gondorians (who in JRRT's started
Fourth Age Tale) are restless after 100 or so years of
peace and the children begin playing at being orcs.

[Formendacil]

And so I slip farther and farther behind...

Perhaps a slight lack of things to say regarding this chapter is the main reason.

Perhaps the strangest thing in this chapter, from my way of thinking, is the casual way in which the Wood-Elves interact with the people of Laketown, like it's no big deal. And it isn't, I suppose- to the Wood-Elves or Men of Esgaroth.

However, if you think about the way the Rohirrim and Gondorrim feel about the "Enchantress in the Golden Wood" (Eomer and Boromir are both excellent examples), one will see that the Men of Laketown are rather unique in their close friendship with an Elven people.

The Dúnedain of the North have a similar relationship with the people of Rivendell, but the Dúnedain are rather unique in other ways as well.

To the people of Laketown, the Dwarves are more exotic than the Elves- or, more accurately, Thorin King-Under-the-Mountain is. The people of Laketown historically, and again after the Battle of the Five Armies, had been closely entwined with the Dwarven people. They are probably unique in the history of Middle-Earth as a race of Man with close, continual ties to both an Elven nation and the Dwarves. Certainly, I can think of no other example. Even in the First Age, Men and Dwarves did not interact regularly, at least not in Beleriand, and those outside Beleriand who DID interact with the Dwarves (the forefathers of the Northmen- and the Lakemen) didn't have contact with the Elves.

[deal_with_it]

Originally Posted by Formendacil

And so I slip farther and farther behind...

Perhaps a slight lack of things to say regarding this chapter is the main reason.

Perhaps the strangest thing in this chapter, from my way of thinking, is the casual way in which the Wood-Elves interact with the people of Laketown, like it's no big deal. And it isn't, I suppose- to the Wood-Elves or Men of Esgaroth.

However, if you think about the way the Rohirrim and Gondorrim feel about the "Enchantress in the Golden Wood" (Eomer and Boromir are both excellent examples), one will see that the Men of Laketown are rather unique in their close friendship with an Elven people.

The Dúnedain of the North have a similar relationship with the people of Rivendell, but the Dúnedain are rather unique in other ways as well.

To the people of Laketown, the Dwarves are more exotic than the Elves- or, more accurately, Thorin King-Under-the-Mountain is. The people of Laketown historically, and again after the Battle of the Five Armies, had been closely entwined with the Dwarven people. They are probably unique in the history of Middle-Earth as a race of Man with close, continual ties to both an Elven nation and the Dwarves. Certainly, I can think of no other example. Even in the First Age, Men and Dwarves did not interact regularly, at least not in Beleriand, and those outside Beleriand who DID interact with the Dwarves (the forefathers of the Northmen- and the Lakemen) didn't have contact with the Elves.

Well maybe the Men didn't fear the Wood Elves because Thranduil is defintely no Galadriel. He's not a wizard or one of the elven ring bearers. Nor do the Mirkwood elves shoot travelers in their woods. Thranduil's people seem much happier and open than do the People of Lothrlorien, who seem more suspicious and have a shoot on sight policy. I'd be scared of the Galadrim too. On top of that, the Men probably realize that Thranduil keeps the evil in Mirkwood at bay.

Lastly, the Dwarves of Erebor actually seemed more magical in regards to their works. The Mirkwood Elves don't seem as mysterious and wonderous as thier southern cousins or those in Imladris.

Just my thoughts on that. Good points you made.

[Formendacil]

Originally Posted by deal_with_it

Well maybe the Men didn't fear the Wood Elves because Thranduil is defintely no Galadriel. He's not a wizard or one of the elven ring bearers. Nor do the Mirkwood elves shoot travelers in their woods. Thranduil's people seem much happier and open than do the People of Lothrlorien, who seem more suspicious and have a shoot on sight policy. I'd be scared of the Galadrim too. On top of that, the Men probably realize that Thranduil keeps the evil in Mirkwood at bay.

No "shoot on sight" policy, eh?

Well, perhaps not, but I think that the treatment the Dwarves suffered at the hands of Thranduil and his men ought to be a pretty clear demonstration of the exact nature of the Mirkwood Elves- good to their friends, such as the Lakemen, but woe betide any unknown travellers...

[Tuor of Gondolin]

No "shoot on sight" policy, eh?

Well, perhaps not, but I think that the treatment the Dwarves suffered at the hands of Thranduil and his men ought to be a pretty clear demonstration of the exact nature of the Mirkwood Elves- good to their friends, such as the Lakemen, but woe betide any unknown travellers...

Treatment of the dwarves could be considered a special case,
especially since Thranduil was a Sindar, and had, no doubt,
heard tales of the dwarves behavior against elves in the First Age.
It's interesting that Tolkien has two positive (exceptional?)
cases of peoples interaction/organization in the Hobbit not (I
believe) seen as such in other works, specifically the governmental
structure in Laketown and the view of races by the Laketown polity.
And weren't the Laketowners (Laketownites ) Edain related
who either didn't go into Beleriand or came back while not going to
Numenor?