What about Sam?
We just finished watching all three of the extended movies that make up Lord of the Rings (Directed by Peter Jackson). Understand, we didn’t do a marathon — we watched about half a movie a night and finished tonight. It’s a way to unwind. However, every time I watch, my husband (Hyperion: Poor, poor, pitiful, me!) ends up listening to me rant about how Frodo never would have made it without Sam and he doesn’t get enough credit — so I thought I’d share my pain here.
There’s a bit in movie two when Sam and Frodo are talking about about whether stories will ever be told about their adventure, and if Frodo will become a legend in hobbit history. During the talk, Frodo says, “What about Sam? Frodo wouldn’t have made it very far without Sam?” But, when I read the books as a teenager, I realized that Sam was just as much a hero as Frodo, if not more. Yes, Frodo carried the ring and had the weight of it, and the push of the evil on his shoulders for the whole journey. But it was Sam who kept him going. Sam who gave Frodo the help he needed to keep on track with the quest. He fed him. He watched out for him. He gave him hope and laughter when there was none to be had in what was going on around them. That doesn’t take away from Frodo’s efforts to complete the task set for him — to get to Mordor and destroy the ring. But Frodo couldn’t have done it without Sam.
At the end, if Gollum hadn’t shown up, it would have been Sam who would have had to force the destruction of the ring in spite of Frodo. Sam is the anchor to all that is right and worth saving in Middle Earth. No paragon of virtue, but a good person doing the best he can in bad circumstances. He deserves some credit for his part in the adventure as do Merry and Pippin. They each in their own way advanced the cause to save Middle Earth from darkness.
Jackson gives testimony to this by having the newly crowned Aragorn bow before the Hobbits. He also later (in the books) makes the Shire a protected area to help keep the Hobbits safe from human meddling. But as the Eye disintegrates in the final fall of Sauron, it’s Frodo’s name on everyone’s lips. In my youth, it was “Frodo Lives” on all the buttons, banners, and what not celebrating the books. But what about Sam?
To my mind, Sam is the everyman of the piece. He’s the guy that just does what needs to be done without thinking about glory or duty or any of that. He’s the electrician that goes out in the middle of storms to restore power — because it’s his job and it needs to be done (he in the generic form that includes women). He’s the one that stops to help when you have a flat on the side of the road and can’t find your jack and/or your spare is flat. The person who goes to the gas station and gets you gas when you run out. The person who is there with a helping hand when they could just as easily drive by and go on with their own life.
Sam is the person, we see every day in our lives who goes that extra mile and never asks for anything in return. So, why don’t more people recognize the heroism of Sam, Merry, and Pippin. The ones who are caught up and just do the best they can for what is right in spite of being small and overlooked.
I’m sure if you think about it there have been some Sams in your life. Maybe you are or have been a Sam. Maybe if we were all Sam more often the world wouldn’t be in the mess it is. So, lets have a cheer for Sam. Frodo never could have done it without Sam.