Pippin

’s Heroic Journey In The Lord Of The Rings Essay, Research Paper

The Heroic Journey of Peregrine Took

The trilogy of the Lord of the Rings includes the Heroic Journey of many characters. The most prominently known of these characters is Frodo Baggins. He is not alone, however, as his hobbit friends each go on individual journeys with him. When discussing heroic journeys within the Lord of the Rings, most people instantly will say “Sam!” Not many of those people ever think that Pippin, or Peregrine Took, also goes on a Heroic Journey of his own, but he does. Pippin does not go through a complete journey, but does go through many aspects of the Heroic Archetype. He goes through multiple challenges; one of the more notable challenges is when he saves Merry and himself from the Orcs that captured them. Pippin’s atonement helps many people complete astounding things. His return to the Shire helps save it more quickly and with fewer lives lost than otherwise would have been, had Pippin not been with them.

Pippin’s call to adventure is relatively simple, compared with Frodo’s call. Pippin is spurred to go on this journey by his pure love and concern for Frodo. While Pippin knows Sam Gamgee, Frodo’s primary helper, will do everything in his ability to help, he also says, “Sam is an excellent fellow, and would jump down a dragon’s throat to save you, if he did not trip over his own feet; but you will need more than one companion in your dangerous adventure” (I, 137).+ This sentence shows that he truly does care about Frodo, and will help him any way possible, but it also shows just how na ve he is. He calls it a “dangerous adventure.” He realizes it is dangerous, as he has heard enough about the Ring to realize that, but he also calls it an adventure. The word adventure usually has an uplifting, almost a game-like tone to it. It appears as though that is the way he is using the term. The hero in the beginning of the journey usually sounds childish, as Pippin does here.

There are two thresholds in Pippin’s journey. In essence, the first is a literal threshold. When he crosses the hedge out of Buckland into the Old Forest, he is crossing from the known (the Shire) into the unknown. He has never been into the Old Forest, nor has he ever been anywhere past. Pippin is still very ignorant, as is demonstrated with this conversation between himself and Merry: ‘”There!” said Merry. You have left the Shire, and are now outside, and on the edge of the Old Forest.” “Are all the stories about it true.” asked Pippin’ (I, 144). The second threshold is less obvious, but more definite. At Rivendell, Pippin and Merry insist on going with Frodo on the journey to Mount Doom. This is Pippin’s last chance to turn around, and not go on this treacherous expedition, yet he chooses to go on to help Frodo.

The threshold guardians for Pippin do not enter the story until the second threshold at Rivendell. Elrond is set against letting Pippin and Merry go with Frodo, but Gandalf convinces him to let Merry go, at least. Pippin then threatens him with: ‘”Then Master Elrond, you will have to lock me in prison, or send me home tied in a sack For otherwise I shall follow the Company”‘ (I, 331). At that, Elrond realizes it is futile to argue with Pippin, since he has already made up his mind, and allows Pippin to join the Company.

In a normal Heroic Journey, the hero has a mentor, but Pippin does not really have one. Frodo serves as one, in a sense, as he advises Pippin until they are separated. Pippin also does not have any real helpers in his journey. This is probably because in Frodo’s journey, Pippin is a helper. He and Merry do help each other, so one could call them each other’s helpers.

The two things Pippin does have an abundance of in the Heroic Journey are challenges and temptations. He goes through many challenges when he and Merry are captured by Orcs after the Company is attacked by the Rauros. The first major challenge comes soon after they are captured. During one of the many fights the Orcs have together, the Orcs kill a guard, who lands on Pippin. The guard is strongly gripping a sword, which Pippin takes advantage of by cutting the bonds on his wrists. He then ties them, and puts them back on loosely for later use. He is obviously growing up here, as we can see he is planning ahead. Soon after this happens, Pippin and Merry are forced to march with the Orcs. Pippin sees an opportunity to jump out of line, and does. He leaves a noticeable group of markings on the ground, outside of the Orcs’ well-beaten trail of iron shoe marks, as well as leaving the elven brooch he receives in L rien. He leaves it for Aragorn, or whoever may look for them, to find and know they are on the right track for locating them.

The third challenge is still with the Orcs. The Men of Rohan are attacking the Orcs, when the Orc, Grishnakh, comes over to the side where Merry and Pippin are. When he starts patting them and asking strange questions, Pippin quickly realizes that he is looking for the Ring. Merry does not realize this, so Pippin gets the message to him by making the sound gollum, gollum, and saying, “Nothing, my precious” when Grishnakh asks what he is talking about (II, 69). From that, Merry understands, and helps him manipulate Grishnakh into taking them to the side of the battle area. Grishnakh complies, and by good fortune or fate, is killed. Pippin and M