Neil Patel: "To Vina Jie-Min Prasad"

        Blog Post Assignment

by Neil Patel

Question: “What work of fiction do you think had an ending that was really well done, and why? What did you like about that ending— what made it work for you, specifically, and what do you think it did right overall? What makes an ending satisfying?”

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Tolkien does a lot of things well. Most focus on his breathtaking worldbuilding or his intricate languages. However, his final chapter to the famous The Lord of the Rings trilogy also deserves praise.

Spoilers ahead. Obviously.

The “Scouring of the Shire” is an amazing ending. Technically, there’s more “ending” material after this chapter, but it all connects together.

It’s realistic.

So the Fellowship has gone hundreds of miles to fight in a war for global dominance. They have seen destruction on a scale they’ve never imagined. Frodo has borne a celestial burden that literally tries to control his mind. Aragorn goes toe to toe with Sauron in a mental struggle for control, and sees the dark plan he has for Middle Earth. It’s safe to say the Lord of the Rings universe has no lack of destruction and strife.

The Shire, the hobbits’ home, is a safe bubble — having seen no war in centuries, and quite isolated from the business of elves, dwarves and men. Yet in this war of global dominance, where Sauron and Saruman have fielded armies of tens of thousands, and displayed technological ingenuity in the context of war, it would seem unlikely that the Shire escapes their touch. War affects everyone. WWI veteran Tolkien would know.

Tolkien recognizes that, and ensures that even the hobbits’ home, after going through so much, must be fought for one final time before the book ends.

2. It was foreshadowed.

In The Fellowship of the Ring, specifically the chapter “The Mirror of Galadriel,” Frodo sees visions of the Shire overrun with orcs, burning fields, et cetera. Sam sees suspicious activity happening— the cutting down of rather prized trees. The former is attributed to: “what happens if Sauron wins.” The latter is ultimately ignored after Frodo decides that he must continue on with his quest.

Yet Sam’s visions do reflect distasteful events in the Shire that directly connect to the events in “The Scouring of the Shire.”

I found this ending satisfying, not simply because it made sense for it to happen, but because I got to see the character development of Frodo, Sam, Merry and Pippin in full fanfare. Gone are the meek hobbits that would fear bullies. Merry and Pippin, sworn guards of the greatest kingdoms of men, fully showing their newfound mental strength. Frodo’s stern, and no-nonsense demeanor, characteristic of a veteran who has seen far worse than a bunch of burly mercenary dudes.

Both of those scenes sent me into a moment of: TAKE THAT [expletive]. It’s immensely satisfying to see characters develop, and its even better when they apply that development as epically as they do in this final chapter.

And to top it all off, the Shire recovers beautifully.

Overall, I don’t think there’s a specific set of criteria that makes an ending satisfying — it really depends on the book in question. Though, I do think that getting to see characters truly embrace and use their growth throughout the story can contribute to an amazing ending for any fiction piece.

Sources: The Lord of the Rings by J.R. R Tolkien