The Great River

Summary

The journey by boat is uneventful for a few days. They pass barren lands laid waste by Sauron and come across no living things except black swans flying overhead. The company decides to follow Aragorn along the path he recommends. Boromir disagrees, wanting to return to his home with the Ring, because of the dream he had. Aragorn and Legolas go on ahead to find a safe route; they return to tell the company that they must leave the river and go by road for a while.

Not much happens here. The most significant thing is the foreshadowing of the eventual conflict between Boromir and Frodo. Boromir wants to take the Ring back to his people. Clearly, this will not fit in with FrodoÂ’s aim. The tragic consequences of this disagreement will affect everyone.

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