The Breaking of the Fellowship

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The Breaking of the Fellowship
Chapter of The Fellowship of the Ring
Number22
Synopsis
EventFrodo and Samwise split off from the Company and continue on their journey to Mordor; the rest are divided by the sudden attack of an Orc-pack.
Date26 February 3019
LocationAmon Hen and the River Anduin
PerspectiveFrodo and Samwise
Navigation
<  The Great River
The Departure of Boromir  >

The Breaking of the Fellowship is the tenth and final chapter of the second book in The Fellowship of the Ring.

Summary[edit | edit source]

That night the company rested on the West-bank of the river at the foot of Amon Hen. The next day, the task of choosing the path was laid on Frodo's shoulders. He had to decide whether to return with Boromir to Gondor and defeat Sauron, or proceed with the plan to destroy the Ring.

Frodo took a walk in order clear his mind and further consider the issue. Boromir followed him and tried to persuade him to return with the ring to Gondor. Frodo refused and said that if he did not take the difficult path to Mount Doom and destroy the Ring, every good battle would ultimately be lost.

In desperation, Boromir tried to seize the Ring from him. Frodo slipped it on and escaped Boromir, who then came to his senses and realized what he had done.

Frodo was aware that the others were looking for him. He put on the Ring again and went toward the foot of the Amon Hen, realizing that he must proceed alone to avoid further complications. The company learned from Boromir part of what had happened and in chaos they ran off to find him. Merry and Peregrin ran off in one direction, as Legolas and Gimli searched for him in another. On a hunch, Sam went to the river where he saw a supposedly empty boat floating. He jumped towards it, but missed and nearly drowned in the water. Frodo took off his Ring and helped Sam ashore, thus saving him. After some arguing, Frodo agreed that Sam should accompany him and the two of them continued the journey toward the Land of Shadow.

Composition[edit | edit source]

Events of this chapter were already concidered in outlines while Tolkien was still writing the chapters set in Lothlórien, that is, probably fall of 1941.

The initial title of this chapter was "The Scattering of the Company" and included the sailing along the Anduin, ultimately divided, and the first portion formed the previous, different chapter. The chapter, along with Book II as a whole, was probably completed at the end of that year.[1]

References