The Importance of Tom Bombadil

I'm starting a brief Wednesday series featuring the papers I wrote for ENGL 3195: The Lord of the Rings at UMD. These six papers were the basis for my entire grade in the class. Keep in mind that when I wrote them, I hadn't read the books for a few years. I really wanted to read them again, but it meant reading 70 pages a night while taking 19 credits.

In 2001, Peter Jackson made a film of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, and one bothersome omission was Tom Bombadil. Tom Bombadil is an important character in the Fellowship of the Ring because he shows the hobbits that even in the gloomiest of places help can be found. Tom Bombadil also arms the hobbits and begins their journey.
In chapter six of the Fellowship of the Ring, the four hobbits wander through the dark and gloomy Old Forest. They stop to rest on an old looking willow tree, and it starts to consume the hobbits. Frodo desperately yells for help, and a bearded man who was passing by and hears their calls and saves them. Throughout the rest of the Lord of the Rings, help always seems to come in the gloomiest places. Take the Prancing Pony in the Fellowship of the Ring for example: it is a dark and gloomy bar full of scary looking people, and inside they find “Strider,” or Aragorn, who guides them to Rivendell and on part of their journey to Mordor. In the Two Towers, Frodo and Sam are found walking in a dark forest by Ithilien when they encounter Faramir. Faramir was unaffected by the temptations of the Ring, and let them continue on their journey with more supplies and rations. Like Aragorn and Faramir, Tom Bombadil is just the first of several helpers along the dark and gloomy journey.
Another reason Tom Bombadil is important is he is the first character to arm the hobbits. Essentially, their journey begins when they are armed and leave the barrow downs. After that, they are no longer helpless and can fight to defend themselves. The Hobbits no longer need to run away from danger, since they can confront it with the weapons Tom gave them, and creating a lasting influence on them throughout the books.
Tom Bombadil is an essential character because of the help he provides the hobbits. He rescues them from the dangers of the Old Forest and the Barrow Downs and then arms them so they can protect themselves. In their quest to destroy the Ring and defeat the forces of Mordor, Tom plays a small but significant role through his lasting contribution.