The Black Gate Is Closed [Two Towers, Ch.14]

Discussion of The Two Towers, Book Four, Chapter Three Join Cam and Maggie for a strange little detour through Frodo’s mind. This chapter pauses the narrative as our sterling (and possibly insane) leader mulls over the choice to trust Gollum and take his alternative route into Mordor (which we have dubbed Shelob Boulevard). There is much discussion of “fate” in these pages, and we come out on very different sides of the debate. Frodo’s signature line here is “What good lay in choice?” and that question sparks a spirited conversation about free will and Frodo’s relationship with choice / fate. We also discuss Sam’s weird little Winnie-the-Pooh song about elephants and his unsinkable positivity, as well as the possibility that Sauron is allowing Frodo / Sam / Gollum to march into Mordor and just deliver him the Ring before killing them. In our Second Breakfast, we consider whether or not any work of art can be called “honest”. We examine concepts like performativity, the ultimately unknowable power of mediation possessed by artists, and why some art feels authentic even if it’s impossible or fantastical. Cam compares the “honesty” of confessional works like A Monster Calls and Ricky Gervais’ After Life, which leads us into a larger discussion about authenticity in art, universal human truths, separating the art from the artist, and the possibility that non-fiction simply does not exist. * Our first guest appearance on That’s What I’m Tolkien About was released this week, check it out here: https://feed.podbean.com/tolkienaboutpod/feed.xml * Instagram: @secondbreakfastpod Feedback & Theories: [email protected] Illustrated YouTube clips channel: https://bit.ly/2OT6RP3