Let’s confess that Lord of the Rings is one of the best movies made of all time, but that doesn’t make it any less problematic. There are several things like the lack of female main characters and every other character being sexist that make the whole trilogy problematic and controversial. But amongst these problematic things sits one such thing that we can’t seem to ignore. It’s the hierarchy, the difference between characters which irks us. This also brings us to the question of the day: Why does Sam call Frodo “Mr. Frodo”?
Well, it hurts to think that Sam and Frodo never really had a real friendship. Time and time again, Frodo has proved to be ignorant of Sam’s hard work and devotion to him. But, despite their friendship or lack thereof, there’s another reason behind him referring to Frodo as “Mr.”
Let’s Take A Look Into Who Was Sam?
Sam or Samwise Gamgee was a Hobbit of the Shire. The Shire is based in the rural English Midlands that existed in the late 19th century. Sam, the youngest son of his parents, lived with his father, Hamfast Gamgee, and mother, Bell Goodchild. He was a gardener by trade. A physically and emotionally strong man, he was one of the main characters and Frodo’s sidekick.
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How Did Sam Meet Frodo?
Sam, Frodo’s gardener, was found eavesdropping on a conversation between Gandalf and Frodo about the One Ring by Gandalf. For his act, he was punished by Gandalf, who chose him to be Frodo’s companion on his journey to Rivendell. He wouldn’t have been a part of this adventure had Gandalf not caught him like that. On the journey to destroy the ring with Frodo, Sam was seen saving Frodo’s life on countless occasions, going as far as carrying him when he couldn’t walk. Sam even accompanied Frodo all the way to Mount Doom. This quest to destroy the ring would have failed miserably without him since Sam had to save Frodo repeatedly to continue their journey.
Apart from being his gardener, Sam is often regarded as Frodo’s Batman in the trilogy. We’ll come back to that later but let’s first see the other relationship between Sam and Frodo. Sam was Frodo’s gardener who had inherited his position from his father. Frodo was Sam’s employer. That means Sam and Frodo have an employer-employee relationship. Now, coming back to that Batman side of their relationship. In England, officers were an upper class who would be assigned an officer to take care of them. This soldier servant who is assigned to an officer is called Batman. His job was to do anything he was ordered and carry it out for their master, which Sam is witnessed doing in these films.
But Why Did Sam Refer To Frodo As “Mr. Frodo”?
It is believed that “Mister” is a rustic or unaccented variant of “Master”. Sam, an employee of Frodo, refers to him as “Master Frodo” or “Mister Frodo” to show respect to his employer. This shows Sam’s way of being respectful and polite to his master while also acknowledging Frodo’s station. No doubt, there was a friendship and warmth between the both of them, but a certain British distance always lurked there. Frodo represented the landed gentry while Sam belonged to the servant class. Their relationship was never one of the equals. These class distinctions were quite prevalent at the time when the books were written. Nevertheless, Sam became close to Frodo and devoted to him. He was Frodo’s closest and most dependable companion. And when the time came, he proved to be loyal to the Fellowship Of The Ring and played an essential role in destroying the One Ring along with protecting Frodo.
Also Read: Lord Of The Rings Anime Adaptation Release Date
Where To Watch Lord Of The Rings Trilogy?
Lord Of The Rings is available on Netflix and Amazon Prime Video.
