What, I wondered, would I put in my reading journal? What five questions could I come up with for the first day of class? It's Frodo. It's the ring. Brave little hobbit and friends going through deadly peril to free the world from evil. I prepared to jot down inconsequential notes, highlighting favorite parts, and examine the character of each hobbit, man, elf and dwarf, but didn't expect to come out with anything remarkable.
Well, within the first 150 pages, I've noted many thought-provoking passages. For instance, when Gandalf tells Frodo the responsibility for the ring rests on him now and he must take it out of the Shire, Frodo doesn't object. He's determined to follow in Bilbo's footsteps, perhaps even enjoy seeing the great wide world beyond the sheltered Shire. But he is only a young hobbit, and not at all savvy to the ways of that outside world. He looks at Gandalf, contemplating his journey. "But where will my courage come from?" he asks. "That is chiefly what is needed."
Where does courage come from? Confidence in the self, or in one's friends, or in the rightness of the cause? Lack of fear, or overcoming fear? Virtue doesn't just bubble from some helpful spring. Frodo will have to learn courage. I'm looking forward to following the progress of one little hobbit until he succeeds in gaining that courage.
