Volume 13 Number 3 Article 6 4-15-1987 "Gandalf, Please, Should Not 'Sputter'" Paul Nolan Hyde Follow this and additional works at: https://dc.swosu.edu/mythlore Part of the Children's and Young Adult Literature Commons Recommended Citation Hyde, Paul Nolan (1987) ""Gandalf, Please, Should Not 'Sputter'"," Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature: Vol. 13 : No. 3 , Article 6. Available at: https://dc.swosu.edu/mythlore/vol13/iss3/6 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Mythopoeic Society at SWOSU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature by an authorized editor of SWOSU Digital Commons. An ADA compliant document is available upon request. For more information, please contact [email protected]. To join the Mythopoeic Society go to: http://www.mythsoc.org/join.htm Mythcon 51: A VIRTUAL “HALFLING” MYTHCON July 31 - August 1, 2021 (Saturday and Sunday) http://www.mythsoc.org/mythcon/mythcon-51.htm Mythcon 52: The Mythic, the Fantastic, and the Alien Albuquerque, New Mexico; July 29 - August 1, 2022 http://www.mythsoc.org/mythcon/mythcon-52.htm Abstract Asks “to what degree does Tolkien consistently use introductory verbs and modifiers ot develop his characters?” Discovered Tolkien was quite consistent in use of both semantically significant (“marked”) and “unmarked” verbs and modifiers ot delineate character. Additional Keywords Tolkien, J.R.R.—Characterization though language; Tolkien, J.R.R.—Use of language; Tolkien, J.R.R.—Use of language—Computer analysis; Tolkien, J.R.R.—Use of language—Modifiers; olkien,T J.R.R.—Use of language—Verbs This article is available in Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature: https://dc.swosu.edu/mythlore/vol13/iss3/6 P a g e 2 0 MYTHLORE 49: Spring 1987 "Gandalf, Please Should Not 'Sputter'" Paul Nolan Hyde Early in the spring of 1958, J.R.R. Tolkien's The Gollum. The following four quotes illustrate the Lord of the Rings was being adapted for an animated te c h n iq u e . film to be produced by an American film company. The producers submitted for Tolkien's commentary a film T r o l l s "story line" w ritten by Morton Grady Zimmerman. On the 8th of April, Tolkien wrote his publisher, Rayner Three very large persons were sitting around U nw in: a very large fire of beech-logs. They were toasting mutton on long spits of wood, and I am entirely ignorant of the process of licking the gravey off their fingers. There producing an 'animated picture' from a book was a fine toothsome smell. Also there was a and of the jargon connected with it. Could barrel of good drink at hand, and they were you let me know exactly what is a drinking out of jugs. But they were trolls. 'story-line', and its function in the Even Bilbo, in spite of his sheltered life, p r o c e s s ? could see that: from the great heavy faces It is not neccessary (or advisable) for of them, and their size, and the shape of me to waste time on mere expressions if their legs, not to mention their language, these are simply directions to picture which was not drawing-room fashion at all, producers. But this document as it stands, a t a l l . is sufficient to give me grave anxiety about "Mutton yesterday, mutton today, and the actual dialog that (I suppose) will be blimey, if it don't look like mutton again used. I should say Zimmerman, the tomorrer," said one of the trolls. constructor of this s-1, is quite incapable "Never a blinking bit of manflesh have of excerpting or adapting the 'spoken words' we had for long enough," said a second. of the book. He is hasty, insensitive, and "What the 'ell William was a-thinkin' of to impertinent. [Letters, p. 266] bring us into these parts at all, beats me — and the drink runnin' short, what's In June of that same year, Tolkien submitted a more," he said jogging the elbow of William, critique of Zimmerman's story-line to Forrest J. who was taking a pull at his jug. Ackerman, one of the film 's promoters. Among other William choked. "Shut yer mouth!" he criticism , Tolkien notes the following regarding the said as soon as he could. "Yer can't expect speech patterns of the characters: folk to stop here forever just to be et by you and Bert. You've et a village and a half The Black riders do not scream, but keep a between yer, since we come down from the more terrifying silence... [Ibid., p. 273] m o u n ta in s . How much m ore d ' y e r w an t? And tim e's been up our way, when yer'd have said The Balrog never speaks or makes any 'thank yer Bill' for a nice piece o' fat vocal sound at all. Above all he does not valley mutton like what this is." He took a laugh or sneer... [Ibid., p. 274] big bite off a sheep's leg he was roasting, and wiped his lips on his sleeve. [H, Gandalf, please should not 'sputter'. p p .4 3 -4 4 ] Though he may seem testy at times, has a sense of humor, and adapts a somewhat S p id e r s avuncular attitude to hobbits, he is a person of high and noble authority, and "It was a sharp struggle, but worth great dignity... [Ibid., p. 271] it," said one. "What nasty thick skins they have to be sure, but I'll wager there is I do earnestly hope that in the good juice inside." assignment of actual speeches to the "Aye, they'll make fine eating, when characters they will be represented as I they've hung a bit," said another. have presented them: in style and sentiment. "Don't hang 'em too long," said a I should resent perversion of the characters third. "They're not as fat as they might be. (and do resent it, so far as it appears in Been feeding none too well of late, I should this sketch) even more than the spoiling of g u e s s . " the plot and the scenery. [Ibid., p. 275] "Kill 'em, I say" hissed a fourth; "kill 'em now and hang 'em dead for a w h i l e . " Of all the criticism s which Tolkien levels at Zimmerman's sketch, the ones that move him the most "They're dead now I'll warrant," said are those directed at the liberties taken with the one f i r s t . character's dialog. Could not this grave concern be "That they are not. I saw one attributable to the fact that Tolkien is writing in a-struggling just now. Just coming around the Fairy Tale mode and that external expression is again, I should say, after a bee-autiful absolutely vital (given Tolkien's capacity for sleep. I'll show you." [Ibid., p. 168] linguistics) to the portrayal and development of the individual characters? Readers of The Hobbit are well Smaug aware of this technique, particulary with regard to the Trolls, the Spiders, the dragon, and, of course, "Well, thief! I smell you and I fell M YTHLORE 49: Spring 1987 P a g e 21 your air. I hear your breath. Come along! was disappointed. "No thank you, 0 Smaug the Help yourself again, there is plenty and to Tremendous!" he replied. "I did not come s p a r e ! " for presents. I only wished to have a look But Bilbo was not quite so unlearned in at you and see if you were truly as great as dragon-lore as all that, and if Smaug the tales say. I did not believe them." hoped to get him to come nearer so easily he "Do you now?" said the dragon somewhat G raph G -l G raph G-3 W iz ard s E lv e s G raph G-2 G raph G-4 H o b b its D w arves P age 2 2 M YTHLORE 49: Spring 1987 flattered, even though he did not believe a There is a noticable difference between the word of it. standard Hobbitish dialog spoken by Bilbo and that of "Truly songs and tales fall utterly Gollum or of the trolls. Tolkien has enhanced his short of the reality, 0 Smaug the Chiefest portrayal of Gollum by literally spelling out the and Greatest of Calam ities," replied Bilbo. creature's accent. The Trolls speak a Cockney dialect "You have nice manners for a thief and which reflects the crudeness of their physical bodies a liar," said the dragon. "You seem fam iliar and, more importantly, the crudeness of their souls. with my name, but I don't seem to remember With regard to the dialog of Smaug and the spiders, smelling you before. Who are you and where however, Tolkien has hinted at an additional parameter do you come from, may I ask?" used to depict character traits: the verbs and "You may indeed! I come from under the adverbal modifiers which introduce the dialog of the h ill, and under the hills and over the hills characters also contribute to the characters' my paths led. And through the air.