Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The Two Towers, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Decline and Decay
Good and Evil
Duty
Joy and Optimism vs. Despair
Power
Heroism, Honor, and Glory
Summary
Analysis
Faramir wakes Frodo up before dawn to ask his advice about something, and Sam follows. One of Faramir’s men, Anborn, has seen something—not a squirrel or a bird, but an animal with four limbs—on the bank of the basin below them. Faramir’s men are waiting for his command to shoot it. Faramir turns to Frodo to ask if they should, and Frodo pauses for a moment before begging him not to. Sam would have said “yes” if he dared to speak.
Once again, Frodo makes the decision to defend Gollum’s life, and again Sam wishes that he wouldn’t. Sam’s intuition has been proven accurate multiple times; though Sam’s wish that Faramir would kill Gollum is counter to Frodo’s devotion to mercy, his insistent dislike indicates that Gollum probably is a danger to Frodo.
Themes
Faramir asks what the creature is and why it should be spared. In all their time talking, Frodo reveals that he never mentioned his other companion, who evaded capture by Faramir’s guards. Gollum has trespassed and, consequently, Faramir should kill him. Frodo answers that Gollum doesn’t know the customs of men and that he was only lured into trespassing, following Frodo and the Ring, which he carried for many years. When Faramir asks what Gollum is seeking, Frodo answers “fish.”
In many ways, Gollum is a childlike creature, driven primarily by his fears and desires and ignorant of most matters beyond them. In this instance, he truly doesn’t intend any harm. Faramir is now faced with another choice between following his duty to the letter (which would mean executing Gollum) and bending the rules for a moral purpose.
Themes
As they watch, Gollum swims out of the water and begins chewing on a silver fish. Frodo tells Faramir that because Gollum is “wretched,” “hungry,” and “unaware of his danger,” Gandalf would have forbidden Faramir from killing him. Besides that, Gollum is tied to Frodo’s quest as his guide. Faramir says that he can’t let Gollum go free to later be caught by orcs and reveal their location in Ithilien. He has to either die or be brought inside with them. Frodo asks permission to go down to Gollum, volunteering to be shot himself if Gollum escapes.
Frodo has learned Gandalf’s lesson about mercy well enough to teach it to Faramir; killing Gollum wouldn’t be just adherence to the laws of trespassing, but needless cruelty. Frodo proves his true devotion to his responsibility for Gollum by risking his own life to fetch him, though it’s unlikely that Faramir would ever actually shoot Frodo.
Themes
Frodo creeps down carefully towards Gollum, who talks to his fish about the Ring. As he goes, Frodo is disgusted and wishes he could turn back and tell Faramir to shoot, but Gollum has “a claim on him” as his servant. When Frodo gets close enough, he calls Gollum “Sméagol,” trying to draw him over, and Gollum approaches after a brief delay. Gollum wants them to escape together into the trees, but Frodo asks Gollum to trust him and come up to the top of the waterfall to fetch Sam first.
Like Sam, Frodo wishes he didn’t have to travel with Gollum. But he’s made a commitment to Gollum that—like his duty to destroy the Ring—he can’t abandon just because he’d like to or because his path is difficult.
Themes
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Frodo fears that, if Faramir ties Gollum up, Frodo’s efforts to bring Gollum inside will look to Gollum like treachery. Still, he doesn’t know how else to save Gollum’s life. Gollum smells something that’s not a hobbit and turns back, enraged, reaching for Frodo and calling him wicked and false. Anborn pins Gollum down and ties him up, and Frodo begs him to be gentle, trying to calm Gollum down as he cries. Gollum spits at him.
Frodo has worked hard to gain Gollum’s trust, which now appears to be broken as Gollum attempts to attack Frodo. Even so, Frodo is Gollum’s defender, both out of pity and responsibility.
Themes
Gollum is brought to speak to Faramir and begs to be released, whining that he’s “done nothing.” Faramir asks if he’s really never done anything worthy of punishment and interrogates him. Gollum claims he is lost, with no name and no “Precious”—he’s only hungry. Faramir allows Frodo to cut the ropes and free Gollum. When Gollum swears to never return or lead anyone back, Faramir returns him to Frodo’s care.
Faramir guesses, as Frodo did in his conversation with Gandalf, that Gollum has done quite a lot worthy of punishment. Still, it’s not Faramir’s place to provide that punishment, even if it’s just. Gollum is under Frodo’s care—if it’s anyone’s place, it’s Frodo’s, and Frodo has declined that power.
Themes
Faramir also declares Sam and Frodo free in Gondor as long as they don’t return to the Window of the Sunset without invitation. He adds that they and anyone under their protection will be protected by himself and Gondor. Frodo takes Gollum under his protection, which makes Sam sigh. Faramir tells Gollum that he is safe as long as he stays with Frodo and wishes death on him if he doesn’t serve Frodo well. He asks where Gollum is leading Frodo, and Frodo answers for him, explaining about the Black Gate and the path near Minas Ithil. Faramir knows the name of the pass, Cirith Ungol, and has Anborn take Gollum away and watch him.
Frodo’s decision to show Gollum mercy is proven to be a radical one; both Sam and Faramir seem willing to kill Gollum as a threat to Frodo. Faramir has chosen to follow his conscience rather than the strict rules of the Window of the Sunset and is forced to respect Frodo’s judgement of Gollum, even if he disagrees. Following Frodo’s lead, he uses his power to offer Gollum protection rather than punishment.
Themes
Faramir tells Frodo that his intended path is unwise and that Gollum is wicked. He offers to give Gollum safe passage to the border of Gondor if Frodo will leave him behind, but Frodo declines, since he promised to protect Gollum. Faramir thinks it would be better to counsel Frodo to break his word than let him walk into danger. Faramir has heard tales of a “dark terror” that lives in the pass above Minas Morgul, “a place of sleepless malice” which has been taken over by the enemy. Frodo argues that he has no way to get into Mordor besides Cirith Ungol and asks if Faramir would prefer he bring the Ring to Gondor to corrupt Minas Tirith.
Faramir’s warning is another glaring indication that Gollum is leading Sam and Frodo into danger. He advises Frodo to do the dishonorable thing by breaking his word and abandoning his duty to Gollum rather than follow him to his death. However, Frodo has no other path to take into Mordor. His hope of success lies in Gollum’s loyalty to him, a loyalty which both Faramir and Sam strongly doubt. Frodo’s answer is firm, and if Faramir protests too vehemently and questions Frodo too much, he risks sounding like Boromir—potentially susceptible to the Ring’s corruption.
Themes
Faramir doesn’t know what Frodo should do, only that he doesn’t want Frodo to walk to his death in Cirith Ungol. He doesn’t think Gandalf would have wanted it, but Frodo replies that Gandalf is gone. Faramir asks that Frodo at least remember his warnings and be wary of Gollum, who has certainly killed before. Faramir says he doesn’t think he’ll ever see Frodo again after the hobbits leave but gives Frodo his blessing and urges him to rest more. He promises that they’ll tell each other stories together again if Frodo miraculously survives his quest.
Without the Fellowship, Frodo is the leader of his own quest. What Gandalf might or might not counsel him to do is no longer important; Frodo can only do what he believes is right, and nothing else. Still, Faramir is a wise counselor, and Frodo’s disregard of his advice is concerning, even if there truly is no other way into Mordor.
Themes
