Even MORE Reasons to Like Samwise Gamgee

Every time I read The Lord of the Rings, I find more literary treasures to enjoy, hidden within the prose, the setting, and the characters. When I reread the series this past January, I particularly noticed qualities in the loyal hobbit Samwise Gamgee which made me like him even more than I already had. If you’ve read the books or seen the movies, you know that Sam is very important to the great quest to destroy the ring. Basically, Frodo would have failed without him. However, the following quotes show how great Sam is even apart from the fact that he pretty much saved Middle Earth single-handed.

“So why are you just now publishing this post?” you might ask. Well, I don’t rightly know. Half way through reading The Fellowship of the Ring, I began copying down Samwise quotes, and after finishing The Return of the King, I typed up the quotes immediately. That was back in February. Apparently, something–or many things–distracted me for about seven months. But I’m back now for a belated celebration of Hobbit Day, which was on the 22nd. 🙂

Now that I’ve babbled for a sufficient amount of time, I present to you several quotes which should make you like Samwise Gamgee even more than you already do:

Quote #1:

“Snow’s all right on a fine morning, but I like to be in bed while it’s falling.”

You might not see the beauty in this quote, but–for me–these words spoken by Samwise himself show that Sam has a completely accurate view of winter. I’m not a huge fan of winter myself, so I’m glad to know that Sam is on my side.

Quote #2:

“But Sam did not answer: he was staring back up the cliff. ‘Ninnyhammers!’ he said. ‘Noodles! My beautiful rope!'”

Sam just used the words “ninnyhammers” and “noodles” as exclamations. Any more explanation needed? I think not.

Quote #3: 

“‘Good night, Captain, my lord,’ he said. ‘You took the chance, sir.’

‘Did I so?’ said Faramir.

‘Yes sir, and showed your quality: the very highest.'”

This quote might not seem like much to you, but to me, it looks an awful lot like Sam just complimented one of my favorite characters from the book, Faramir.

Quotes #4 and #5:

“It’s the job that’s never started as takes longest to finish, as my old gaffer used to say.”

and

“‘Maybe,’ said Sam; ‘but where there’s life there’s hope, as my Gaffer used to say.'”

Throughout the books, Sam is always quoting his old gaffer. And you know what–everything his old gaffer says sure does make a lot of sense.

Quote #6:

“Far above the Ephel Duath in the West the night-sky was still dim and pale. There, peeping among the cloud-wrack above a dark tor high up in the mountains, Sam saw a white star twinkle for a while. The beauty of it smote his heart, as he looked up out of the forsaken land, and hope returned to him. For like a shaft, clear and cold, the thought pierced him that in the end the Shadow was only a small and passing thing: there was light and high beauty for ever beyond its reach.”

Sam finds hope in any situation. He sees the bigger picture, and he’s no Debbie Downer!

Quote #7:

“But even as hope died in Sam, or seemed to die, it was turned to a new strength. Sam’s plain hobbit-face grew stern, almost grim, as the will hardened in him, and he felt through all his limbs a thrill, as if he was turning into some creature of stone and steel that neither despair nor weariness nor endless barren miles could subdue.”

Nothing stops Sam! If I were in Sam’s place, I would have been out of the picture a looong time ago. I’m not even sure I would have made it out of the Shire.

Quote #8:

“‘But if it’s to be a flower-name, then I don’t trouble about the length: it must be a beautiful flower, because, you see, I think she is very beautiful, and is going to be beautifuller still.'”

Sam sure is sweet in this quote as he’s trying to think of a name for his daughter. Plus, he can use the word “beautifuller” and get away with it. Not anyone can do that.

~~~

References

Tolkien, J.R.R. 1987. The Lord of the Rings. Boston: Houton Mifflin Company.