| What I think about Samwise Gamgee Sam Gamgee is the best friend anyone could have. He is loyal, gentle, kind, and absolutely pure of heart. Being a mild-mannered gardener might make him seem like a simple hobbit, but he really is extraordinary. He knows about a lot of things, including gardening, cooking, poetry, friendship, love, and people. Sam seems to really know people. Of course he knows his master as well as is possible without actually being inside his brain, but he observes others as well. An example is Boromir. In The Two Towers he says to Faramir: �Now I watched Boromir and listened to him, from Rivendell all down the road�looking after my master, as you�ll understand, and not meaning any harm to Boromir�and it�s my opinion that in L�rien he first saw clearly what I guessed sooner: what he wanted. From the moment he first saw it he wanted the Enemy�s Ring!� Book IV chapter 5 Sam may not be the type to seek out dangerous and brave deeds, but when Frodo set out on his quest Sam went along despite the great danger. He was willing to do anything, even if it meant sacrificing his life, to help the master he loves. One of the best examples of Sam showing his devotion and bravery is when Frodo was captured by Shelob. Sam did not wait to wonder what was to be done, or whether he was brave, or loyal, or filled with rage. He sprang forward with a yell, and seized his master�s sword in his left hand. Then he charged. No onslaught more fierce was ever seen in the savage world of beasts, where some desperate small creature armed with little teeth, alone, will spring upon a tower of horn and hide that stands above its fallen mate. Book IV chapter 10 Whatever great things Gandalf, Aragorn, and even the Ringbearer himself had done, it is my opinion that Sam is the real hero of The Lord of the Rings. After all, everything depended on Frodo getting the Ring into the Cracks of Doom, and he would never have gotten close to accomplishing the task without Sam. Sam saved him from the Orcs in Cirith Ungol, gave up most of his share of the food and water, and literally carried Frodo up Mount Doom. It was because of Sam that Middle Earth was saved. Note: This is a separate note I wrote for Sean Astin. To Mr. Sean Astin: I would like to tell you how much I loved your performance as Sam Gamgee in The Lord of the Rings. To me Sam is the ideal picture of goodness and decency, and not every actor could really make the audience perceive that like you did. Your performance seemed real and genuine. When I watched the film I saw who I believed to be Sam Gamgee, as opposed to Sean Astin pretending to be Sam Gamgee. I think you did an excellent job making the character believable. Thank you for your brilliant contribution to a wonderful film experience. |
| The following was done as a contribution to The Red Book Project, which is a brilliant idea from the folks at Bit Of Earth. To lean more about The Red Book Project, or to submit to it, click on one of the links above. |