I just returned home from seeing The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring - Extended Edition in theaters. It was 3 hours and 50 minutes of beautiful cinematography, gorgeous music, amazing acting, and one of the most emotionally stirring stories I've ever read or seen. I've been in love with J.R.R. Tolkien's masterpiece since I first cracked open The Fellowship of the Rings when I was in the eighth grade. Back then, I wasn't really into philosophy and analyzing why I loved the series so much... I just knew that it was a great story that really captured me and stuck with me.
Now, while I know I haven't even scratched the surface of all the reasons I love Lord of the Rings, I know one of the main reasons. It's the idea of friendship, and therefore sacrifice.
Friendship has always been an important feature in my life. As a young teenager, I treasured my friendships because they were so few and rare. Now, I'm blessed with many many friends in many different places, and my friends are all the more precious to me because we've been through so much. I would give anything for any of my friends, be there in any circumstance, do anything within my power for them. While part of being a friend is doing these things without expecting anything in return, I don't think a true, lasting, bonding friendship can be formed without this ideal on both sides. So, to me, friendship and sacrifice are irreparably tied together. Whether they're big sacrifices or small, true friendship involves being willing and able to sacrifice anything needed for your friends, because you love them.
In my view, there is no greater story of love and friendship than the Lord of the Rings. There are so many characters who constantly exhibit their love for each other...I mean, they start out as a fellowship, that's kind of the point. However, I'm going to focus on the greatest group of friends: Sam and Frodo, Merry and Pippin, and all of them together. I could go on forever about this, but in the interests of time and being concise, I'm going to focus on instances from The Fellowship of the Ring, since I just saw it tonight and therefore it's the freshest in my mind.
First, you have to look at how they start. While Frodo has a sense of responsibility to see the quest through (however misguided that responsibility may be), Sam, Merry, and Pippin have no reason to leave the home they've always known and face unknown and untold dangers. However, they do, because Frodo is going, and they're going to support him in anyway they know know. That takes courage, and sacrifice, and love. Move on to instances like on Amon Sul/Weathertop, or the Mines of Moria, when those three are willing to sacrifice their immediate safety to protect Frodo. Now, you could argue that they're protecting the Ring, which I'm sure is true. However, I believe that especially at this early point in the narrative, they're much more concerned protecting their friend than some still abstract terror from Mordor.
They all have opportunities to give up. They all have chances to turn back, stay in some safe haven for however long it remains safe. But no. They stay with Frodo as long as they are physically able. Their willingness to sacrifice for friendship is so evident at the end of the Fellowship of the Ring. As the Urak Hai are attacking, and Frodo is attempting to flee to the boats, he runs into Merry and Pippin. Once they realize that he is leaving, rather than arguing, being selfish and trying to keep their friend with them, or panicking, they take action. They draw the Urak Hai towards them, deflecting them from Frodo and putting themselves in the path of the most terrifying, immediate threat they have faced to that point, for the most part completely alone. But they sacrifice their well-being to protect their friend.
Samwise Gamgee...I don't even know where to start with Sam. He loves and loves and loves and protects throughout the series...and he's the one who is the furthest out of his comfort zone. He loves the Shire, but he loves Frodo more, and he constantly sacrifices for their friendship. At no time in the first part is this more clear than when Frodo is trying to leave Sam behind, trying to protect him. But Sam will have none of that. Despite the fact that he cannot swim and is in fact deathly afraid of water, he walks right in after Frodo, willing to drown, though he has to know that Frodo will come back for him. This is love. This is devotion. This is sacrifice. And this...this is friendship, the type of friendship that I hope that I have and that I offer.
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