But I Can Carry You! - The Selfless Masculinity of Samwise Gamgee
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- Опубліковано 1 вер 2023
- Well, this is it. This is my magnum opus. This is the reason this entire channel exists. Maybe I'll shut it all down after this one.
I mean, probably not.
It was only a matter of time before I produced a video about Samwise Gamgee. You know I had to. He is arguably the greatest character in all of fiction and one of the best examples of masculinity. And not only that, his example is actually quite relatable and far closer to attainable than are the examples of Iroh, Aragorn, Theoden, Luke Skywalker, and the like. Sam isn't a hero because he was born to be a king and accepted his birthright with humility and grace. He isn't a hero because he was chosen to overcome impossible odds and stare down evil. He is a hero because he loves and serves to the fullest extent possible. We can do that, too.
#lotr
#masculinity - Фільми й анімація
Lol with the name of this channel, this video is the epitome of the Obama giving Obama a medal meme.
Lol!
LMAO
Or when Obama said, "Thanks, Obama."
A medal well deserved non the less.
Master Sam wise, Thank you.
"It is better to be a warrior in a garden, than a gardener in a war."
Sam Gamgee: "Hold my beer."
@Jamoni1 underrated😂
A warrior in a garden will soon starve as he doesn't know how to tend it.
This is a short-sighted expression.
If the warrior can learn to garden, the gardener can become a great warrior.
@@mobbs6426 don't over think it, bro. It's just a joke about a hobbit.
Bro pulls out the legendary weapon Boink, Iron Pan and gets to work
@@mobbs6426what makes you think the warrior cant twnd his own garden? The point is to be ready to defend what you love. Thats what that quote means.
Sam's resistance to the ring is hilarious to me. Sam gives the ring so little to work with in its corruption the ring essentially goes "uh, well, how about a massive garden?"
ikr, his only "desire for power" was making mordor into a garden. but then he was like "oh shut up sam"
@@user-by9lg6tu2zit’s kind of a testament to the fact that he just wants a simple life.
ye
@@celestialspartan1176with that it makes even more sense why hobbits would bear the burden of the ring than other races
@@resurgam_jsc hobbits (yes it's is kind of an allegory I know) is what would be human in the bible if we resisted tempation.
flawed people, but morally good people inherently.
Reject "Ryan Gosling is literally me"
Embrace "I aspire to be like Sam"
Call me a bisexual, because I'm about to do both
Both can be true... I bet Ryan aspires to be sam too
*"I can't carry it for you. But i can carry you !"*
That line never fails to bring a tear to my eyes whenever i rewatch the movies.
It really never fails. Doesn't hurt that the score is just incredible.
So many moments in that movie bring tears to my eyes.
"My friends, you bow to no one." That line gets me. Every. Single. Time.
@@master_samwise Howard Shore is fantastic. I wish he composed opera, too. Almost all the great composers today write for film and games, and the ones who write opera are, well... mostly meh. The last truly great opera composer was probably Britten.
I‘m crying everytime. The shire music and talk, then frodos sad answer, sams eagerness, the score, the visuals. This is such an incredible scene
Everybody says "I wish there were more people like Sam", but nobody asks "How can I be more like Sam?"
We just gotta ask them “why don’t you want to be like Sam?”
Nobody wants to be Sam, they want to use him as a wingman for their own ends without giving him the respect, rewards, attention and support he deserves.
That is why men like Sam are so rare in real life.
Everyone is quick to point out that no man is entitled to anything for being amazing or good. But slow to admit that they are not entitled to others being good nor should they expect it at all.
So yeah, men like Sam will always be rare. Nobody wants to be the hard working poor dude that does not get a raise for they see his virtue as weakness, be the guy that women do not sleep with for he is “too nice,” be the dude who is respected and listened to, etc.
Nothing wrong with this. But that is why men like Sam is and will always be rare.
People become what we want them to be.
@Mrfinch9999 this is exactly right, it's hard in this day and age to be a sam or even find a sam.
“Masculinity and femininity are not divided by what virtues they have, but rather how they express those virtues.”
Well said
I just paused the video so I could write down that quote! I wish more people understood this about gender roles.
@@Weyland_PunaniI think it's the opposite of meaningless. Everyone already knows this to be true, people just choose to act like it isn't
@@Weyland_Punani just noticed you name btw. Dig it😆
@@Weyland_Punani I wonder if you're able to apply this same principle to your own thoughts
Wrong. Good men are dominant, good women are submissive. Dominance and submission are different virtues. This isn't complicated unless you're a lib who thinks that men and women are interchangeable cogs.
I really love the scene where the Ring tries to tempt Sam and Sam briefly considers it, then goes "nah, my own garden is enough for me".
It's absolutely one of my favorite scenes in the whole book.
There's nothing wrong with being simple.
@jasonmaclean719
There is everything right with being simple.
@@jasonmaclean719 So true Sam the Gardner. And the ring, well that could well be the aspirations of many people today in their search at all costs for material wealth & influence.
@jasonmaclean719, "There is a simple honor in poverty," Uncle Iroh
"What are you his bodyguard?"
"I'm his gardner."
One of my favorite lines. The answer should mean sam is no threat but the way he says it makes it clear that he is his gardner who will mess you up for frodo.
One of my favorite moments about Sam is when, in the RotK book, he realizes that himself and Frodo won't survive the Quest. Instead of succumbing to despair, he feels more resolute, more able to go on. Truly admirable, this mix of pragmatism and devotion.
It echoes Aragorn's resolution when they approach the black gate. Both characters are resigned to their fate, but they can either choose to push forward (do SOMETHING) or hide and wait for the inevitable doom (do NOTHING), and both choose something over nothing, action over inaction.
It's like he realizes that he doesn't have to carry himself and frodo out of there afterward and that basically halves the trip.
It reminds me of the firefighters climbing the first tower on 9/11 as they heard people jumping off the upper floors and landing around them. They knew they probably wouldnt be coming back down, bit their tongue and started the climb to rescue as many as they could on the way
It's the antithesis to nihilism.
@@boggeddown778agreed! and an example of something Gandalf said in the same book; "It is not our part to master all the tides of the world, but to do what is in us for those years wherein we are set, uprooting the evil in the fields that we know, so that those who live after may have clean earth to till. What weather they shall have is not ours to rule.” he knows that his death, whilst meaning the end of his journey, doesn't mark the end of THE journey, it is still within his power to uproot the evil from the soil he knows, regardless of whether or not he lives to see what weather it is tilled beneath.
“And ring showed him a vast garden, greater than any other… and Sam said I already have a garden”
After this video went live, I learned that Professor Tolkien passed away 50 years ago today. I had no idea; this wasn’t planned. Nonetheless I, consider it providential, and consider this video my tribute, such as it is, to the man who discovered Middle Earth and gave us so many characters who have remain beloved for decades.
One of those good coincidences.
@@HishamA.N_Comicbroe As we say in Middle-earth...
Can you do another video on Sam, this time focusing on Sam’s character flaws and how these flaws can make him engaging to the audience?
I would offer a mild counterpoint to your topic raised at the end. About men being more naturally inclined to be protectors and women not. Yes 'and' no. I don't think you could swap Sam out to Samantha without changing the character somewhat, but I think you could make it work if you did.
For example, if you were to change the archetype to a mother. What lengths wouldn't a mother go to, to protect her child? Think Aliens, with Ripley, and Newt. Physical limitations simply wouldn't enter the equation there, when weighed against that natural maternal instinct.
Not a criticism, just something you actually made me think about that I hadn't considered before.
@@Laurelin70 Chance, if chance you call it. I call it Providence.
I also really, really like how he described The Professor as discovering, not inventing, Middle-Earth, as any good reader of Leaf by Niggle or On Fairy-Stories would
In the system of male archetypes Sam represents the Lover (the others are Warrior, King, Magician). Sam loves Frodo, he cares for living things - a garden, Bill the Pony -, he enjoys simple pleasures like food and drink and poetry. He gets his just reward in the end - the books make a point of him being "whole", even when Frodo leaves at last. He has his beloved Rosie, his family, and a place in society, he's at peace with himself and the world. It's beautiful.
Yes! Sam simply having his life back is just about the happiest ending one could hope for.
I feel like Tolkien wrote the character of Samwise to represent his ideal self, how he strived to be. The character of Frodo representing his actual self or aspects of himself, that could never live up to his ideal self due to his own Morgul blade wounds that never fully healed.
@@LiveFreeOrDie2AAFAIK, Faramir fulfills that role in the story
Bill the Ponie MVP
Despite being a universally moving moment, in the film, when Sam carries Frodo, very few people can actually imagine 'being Sam' in that moment. The modern mind has been long encouraged to eschew loyalty and duty and self-sacrifice. Indeed, it is an oft overlooked point that Sam did in fact wield the Ring and also voluntarily surrendered it when reunited with Frodo. Which is also why he eventually sails West. That renunciation of the Ring alone sets him among the greatest of the age. Who among us could refuse the Ring?
That is a great point (one of the many) about Sam that I wasn’t able to fit into the video. Only he and Bilbo voluntarily surrender the Ring, and Bilbo only with significant help from Gandalf (though he certainly was more attached to it than Sam was).
@@master_samwise Bilbo had it for 60 years, Frodo had it for, what, 18 or so years, and both used it on numerous occasions, and Sam only wore it once for a few minutes and bore it not much longer.
Your point about 'Providence' is oft overlooked. It underlies every conceptual aspect of the entirety of the Lengendarium, all being essentially the result of the Music of the Ainur itself all given life and foreseen to its uttermost conclusion in its inception by Eru Iluvatar.
Nothing happens that was not known to be going to happen from the first note in the the Outer Void.
The very deepest of lore
If people eschew those things maybe think they actually have a reason to do so? It's a reaction to circumstances
@@painunending4610 '' .. long encouraged..'' , not '' chose to eschew ..'' in a vacuum
@@LordEriolTolkien They were long encouraged because those traits perfectly serve the elite. People rightfully hate the elite and are rejecting them more and more
I've read The Lord of the Rings a few times in my life...
at 11: Aragorn is the Hero.
at 21: Gandalf is the Hero.
at 31: Sam is the Hero.
at 41: Sam is the Hero.
at 51: Sam is the Hero.
Lesson is, it takes some time and confidence to recognize exactly what you pointed out in your excellent video. Thank you for another great one.
Hahaha I love this so much. They are all heroes, but none more than Sam.
Personally I think Sauron is the hero
Well said. It took me until my 30s to truly appreciate LotR
@@painunending4610Sauron is the hero in his twisted mind and from this perspective. He wants order, love and respect by force and command of those he rules over
Frodo carried pure evil in its active form around his neck for over a year and he only "failed" at the point where everyone else would be doomed to fail as well. Not to take anything away from Sam but if a struggle is what makes a hero then Sam's heroism pales in comparison to Frodo's whose struggle was endless for every month, every day and every hour of his journey. And when all was said and done he didn't even get to enjoy the fruits of his sacrifices. He gave his all not for himself but so that others may enjoy a better life. All this to say that personally, I'm now at the point where I consider Frodo to be the Hero.
I believe being compared to Sam is probably the most honorable thing in life
that is why i strive to be a Sam for someone
In fact, we should all become Sam, be the Sam in someone's life
*I appreciate the likes from y'all, and the recognition from the Master himself
But I had to make an edit cuz I meant to say "the most honorable" instead of "the honorable"
It ain't much to it and none of y'all even point it out but I think it's served better this way
Still I also appreciate that none of y'all flamed me off for this weird sentence. Yet quite the opposite, y'all appreciated it
I just wanna say I thank you all for this ❤
100% agree
100%
Sam is to Lord of the Rings what R2-D2 is to StarWars! The Supremely Humble, Heroic, UnCrowned MVP!!!
🤯😎❤️🔥
If everyone's Sam then who's Frodo?
Personally I don't think all people should be the same. Sounds HELLA boring
@@painunending4610 that is en excellent point. Being like Sam is probably more easily achievable for many of us. But everyone is called to different things. We absolutely need Frodos and Aragorns, Gandalfs and Eowyn.
"Well done, thou good and faithful servant."
That’s what I really want to hear eventually
Amen
The weak master others to tear them down.
The strong master themselves to lift others up.
Beautiful!
When I was a kid, my dad sat me down for half an hour every night and we'd take turns reading LOTR and The Hobbit. I'll always be grateful he did that - not just because it gave me a lifelong passion for books and storytelling, but because it meant I grew up with heroes like Aragorn and Sam. I can point to specific incidents from various points in my life that prove LOTR made me a stronger person and a better man.
Stories are powerful, guys. Expose your kids to the right ones.
That's awesome! I'm so excited to share The Hobbit and LOTR with my kids once they're old enough.
I think that's the beauty of LotR: there are warriors and everymen/women worthy of admiration. Each character has traits and attributes that we can and should strive to bring forth from those pages.
Yep, that is definitely what makes the book so special. Some characters have tremendous growth, others are already incredibly noble and virtuous, but they all have something to teach us.
Tolkien made it pretty clear that the team secured the win--each person gave what they could and sometimes (like Boromir, or Frodo) the fullest measure they could, physically or spiritually. Sure, we have favorites, but without the individual contributions of so many, the team goal of defeating Sauron never would have succeeded.
Except for Maeglin
“Masculinity is the glad assumption of sacrificial responsibility.”
This was Tolkien's intention all along with the hobbits as a whole. They represented the average people who like to live a simple life in peace and quiet and Sam was meant to be the peak of average. Then these people were forced by circumstances to get into a situation where legendary heroes and wizards gathered to fight for the fate of the world against a dark lord and even though they were out of place among them, they still accepted the burden and responsibility to do the right thing... to not turn back when the chance presented itself but push on towards a worthy goal, which is what makes a hero.
Exactly!
Tolkien and Lewis were decidedly upper class, well educated men who brushed elbows with powerful men all the time. And they both repeatedly made the point in their books that the normal and lower class people could be, and often were, more heroic than the nobles and heroes of most stories or even real life. Contentedness is far more desirable than greed, sacrifice is more desirable than selfishness.
"I gave my word Mister Frodo" or whatever after he almost drowns is what kills me to this day
As a father if my sons could be like any fictional character, I hope it's Sam. Trustworthy, kind and willing to defend a friend, the true definition of servant leader.
Raise him as a christian and you get what you desire. Tolkien was a devout christian and wrote Sam as the ultimate follower of Christ. Frodo is written as Christ 1st coming taken all Evil of the world on him, Aragorn 2nd Coming of christ: coming with the sword to be King, raise the dead and heal the Mentally ill.
Way ahead of you man. 😉
This is truly noble, to have such a great ambition for your sons.
@@misternibbles7426 Good for you
@@firebirdcasTolkien left out religion in the story so don't imagine it in. Hobbits with 6 meals a day are idealized British in their home sweet home they had to leave.
Serving is not humiliating. It is actually being a master of somethin you're responsible for
"The Lord God took the man and placed him in the garden of Eden to work it and watch over it."
I cried like a baby reading the scene of Sam leaving Frodo behind. I was curled up in my school auditorium, reading this big hard cover copy of Two Towers and weeping. Man, I might have to reread them again pretty soon.
Also, fun fact. Sean Aston really got into his role as Sam. He ran around and did a lot of stuff for Elijah while they were filming. He wanted to really exude that vibe that Sam has in the books and the camaraderie that they shared.
Very good video, and Sean Astin plays him so well. "Share the loooaaaddd"
Sam is what used to be called in the UK "below stairs class", usually despised by the gentry. Tolkien saw the reality when he served in the trenches.
My grandfather, also a Sam, was an NCO in Tolkien's regiment, Lancashire Fusiliers. A working class printer from Liverpool who rang the local church bells on a Sunday. A quiet and gentle man. He was at the Somme and led trench raiding parties killing in hand to hand combat with medieval weapons. Like entering Moria or Angband. It terrifies me when I try to imagine what he experienced.
I'm not for a second claiming that Tolkien based Sam on my grandfather but definitely that kind of man. Will literally go through hell for you.
I always think of him when it gets to the Dead Marshes.
I think that Sam and Aragorn are two sides of the same coin in this respect. Sam is the humble servant who, generally, stays to his locale and personal sphere, choosing to serve that. Aragorn, however, has a much more broad sense of service, looking to serve the lowest among us (he protected the Shire with Dunedain) and then eventually served to the most pressing matters of the time (the war of the ring). The point is, they both serve and play necessary, integral roles to the story and I think that Tolkien shows us that service, grand or small, plays a major role when making the world better.
I completely agree!
During a competition, we had a team the exact same number of members in the Fellowship, so we all gave each other one of the fellowship members name. I hadn't recieved a name yet by the end so I asked my friend who I was. "Oh no question, your the Sam of the group." I couldn't have been more happier to have that title.
Who was Bill the Pony?
@@brendangolledge8312 How did we forget best boy bill?! Nooool!
@@brendangolledge8312 Bill the pony was the very smart, very brave pack pony loaned to them by Thom Bombadil whom they had to release when the going got too tough. (was it at the door to Moria or trying the mountain pass? Haven't read it in many years.) He was sent back to Thom. The movie left out the Thom Bombadil section because it was too much and did not add greatly to the story.
With your channel name, I've just been waiting for this exact video. It did not disappoint.
I’m glad you liked it! It’s been a long time coming.
Sam is a personification of the true meaning of love, and thus, he is the antithesis of the Ring’s twisted, corrupted idea of love that it forces on Gollum and tries to force on Frodo in order to make each of them keep it. True love is not selfish, possessive or controlling. It’s selfless. It’s compassionate. It’s understanding. It’s empathetic. It’s a helping hand. It’s encouragement. It’s eyes that see and accept one for one’s own true self. It’s an ear always willing to listen. It’s a touch always there to provide comfort and safety. It’s support. It’s hope. It’s strength. It’s sacrifice. All of which Sam conveys in his devotion to Frodo.
I always attributed Sam’s heroism to the fact that he was obviously afraid of the situations and monsters he was faced with, but he never once hesitated to square up and meet them head on… you can’t be brave without fear
Sam actually did achieve great fame after his quest, though not immediately. By planting the seeds that Galadriel gave him he became extremely popular in the Shire and eventually got elected as mayor for 49 years in a row. The one who truly didn't get any fame or glory after the quest, or even a peaceful life in the Shire, was Frodo, who was largely overlooked by the Shire while the other three were hailed as heroes and needed to leave the Shire for the Undying Lands
I am sitting awake late at night with a very pregnant wife (with twins!) and I cannot think of a better video to be recommended. I've always loved Sam, he is one of my favorite characters in all fiction, and you really laid out exactly why in a much clearer way than I ever could.
First off, congratulations times two!
Second, I am so glad you liked the video!
Are you naming your twins Merry and Pippin, Boromir and Faramir, Bofur and Bombur, Dori and Nori/Ori, or Kili and Fili?
As I grow older I appreciate more and more how wonderful these characters are.
Speaking of virtues, your passion for your videos is definitely your greatest virtue.
Lol I don’t know about greatest, but thank you!
@@master_samwisei mean, this user is not wrong, but i have to point out that even you have slightly fallen from the peak of this virtue, and chosen guantity over guality with your latest videos, your iroh video had everything, music, wise insight, good structure and well made storytelling, but most videos you made after that mostly contain your wise insight and little if any of the other things that make a video greate
I'm sorry you feel that way. I've dropped music from my videos mostly because I suck at picking it out. As far as structure, Iroh's was more organized into categories but I can't say I've noticed my storytelling change that much more.
@@master_samwisei agree, the storytelling is still good, but i do think that the structuring into more organised categories could have been possible with the other videos as well, tho i admit it would have been significantly harder to make that for character growth video compared to character greateness video
"What makes a man is not his strength, nor his bluster. It is not his skill. Nor his wit. It is his ability to set all that aside in the name of what *must* be done."
"Never think a servant cannot fight alongside you,
Never think those who serve cannot be heroes, too.
Never think a servant cannot stand up for their right,
Never think that those who serve can't also stand and fight!"
- "Song of the Hertasi Water Killers" by Mercedes Lackey
The concept of Brotherly and Sisterly love is sadly an alien concept to too many these days.
There are few things in this world as good as serving under a leader who has your best interests in mind.
Frodo is a martyr. But he would never make it without Sam. And while Sam gets a happy ending, Frodo goes to -Haven- Heaven. Tolkien knew what he was talking about when describing friendship, loyalty and selfsacrifice... Unlike so many wannabes trying polluting something that is great.
Frodo’s story is definitely somewhat overlooked. To be clear, though, Valinor isn’t heaven. It is a place free from the pains of Middle Earth, but it is still part of Arda and thus will end when the world does. The fate of men (including Hobbits) after death isn’t known in Tolkien’s legendariym as far as I know.
Sam was also a ringbearer and he sailed across the sea to be united with Frodo after Rosie Gamgee died.
@@master_samwise For some reason I can't see my response to you, I'll try to it again, maybe a bit shorter.
Sure we do not know exactly what comes after passing but there where hints in the books that Frodo was leaving phisical realm and becoming more like Maiar. It's my head canon so I am not pretending for any legitimacy.
First you have Gandalf noticing an aura emmanating from Frodo while he was recovering from his Morgul-knife wound at the tower. Then you have a hint that Frodo can read the minds of all remaining ring bearers (Galadriel, Elrond and Gandalf) while they were trading thoughts on the way back from Minas Tirith. And third one, Saruman tells Frodo that he became "wise", which was out of spite, but means he acknowledged Frodo as one of his own
@@matkahenkilo8554 ?
@@vespenegas261 in the books Appendix B it says on the timeline of the 4th age that in the year 1482 (Shire reckoning) master Samwise passed over the sea, last of the ring-bearers.
Your videos are fantastic. I started homeschooling my kids this year, with a focus on literature and storytelling. I've decided to incorporate your videos into our lessons. Thank you!
Wow that is high praise. Best of luck with your homeschooling endeavor! I was homeschooled and absolutely loved it.
Yay homeschoolers!!
It is so refreshing to see a video in praise of Samwise which is not at Frodo's expense. Well done all around, and thank you!
"Are men and women interchangeable? Of course not."
Please don't cancel this man 😢
M-man?! I'm calling the police
@@screwgoogle4993 W-Womennnnn?! I'm gonna hide and bitch about them in the safety of my cave about how they're the evil gender!!!!!!!! /s
I’ll personally hunt down the mob should they try anything
I don't think anyone would get mad at that statement (then again, I am an optimist). I don't 100% agree with it, but it's just one perspective.
It certainly depends on the situation. Some situations require a man and a man only. Some situations require a woman. Some situations are trivial and it doesn't matter who is getting the job done.
What would Sam do? has become a standard question in our family.
"The greatest among you will be your servant"
- Matthew 23:11
"Love me friend, love me drink, love me garden. Simple as."
-Samwise "the legend" Gamgee
I watched the movies when a child and in RoK thought Sam was the coolest Hobbit and also the humblest... I read the books later and it has layers of layers of how good natured Sam is
Sam embodies John 15:13. While he doesn't die in the story, his self sacrifices embodies this single verse to its fullest degree.
He's put himself in numerous cases of mortal danger just to save his friend.
❤❤
Heroism doesn’t depend on others being in mortal trouble so that you can die for them. And you’re probably not going to walk into such a situation anyway. “Small” acts of kindness, like cooking a free meal, define a hero more than “large” acts of kindness.
@@williamfinch9858 I don't see how that changes what I said, as John 15:13 is about love. Doing something for someone else with no desire or expecting of a reward is a form of love. It be cooking someone a meal because that someone needs it, or laying down one's life protecting another.
@@williamfinch9858 Cooking a meal for someone is hardly the same as sacrificing one's life to save them. Good Lord.
@@catherinelw9365 “It is the small everyday deeds of ordinary folk that keep the darkness at bay. Small acts of kindness and love.”-Gandalf.
"Are men and women interchangeable? No, of course not."
As a man, I feel this deeply. I don't want my wife to take my responsibilities - they're mine, as a man. I feel the same love, fall into the same 'servant' role for her, as Sam does for Frodo. Anything else would be Wrong.
Men and women are interchangeable. We are equal. Any responsibilities a man has can also be done by a woman and vice versa. They're a man's responsibility because YOU say so. Only place that doesn't apply is pregnancy
Name literally anything Sam did that he couldn't have done if he were a woman
Who says that a man must be the servant and protector? Don't judge women purely based on their smaller frame and think that they don't have enough strenght to carry the same burden of responsabilities that you do. There's no predetermined role, because we do not live in the wild anymore. A woman can choose whatever role she wants, and in her freedom a man isn't diminished, and remains a man.
gender bioessentialism and its consequences have been a disaster to the human race
But a woman can very easily take up many if not all the responsibilities a man could. Even protector. Men and women arent monoliths. There are too many distictions between every individual that you cant really say that all men should be this and all women should be that
Ignore all the cringeworthy replies, your comment is 100% correct. Man and women are different and have different specific roles to fill that are not by any means interchangeable. The abandoning of these roles is what partially lead society to this catastrophe we live in. Full of narcissistic, inconsiderate women and weak willed simps, beta providers and male feminists (sorry i just said the same thing three times)
Modern western society creates and illusion of the main character and leaves people searching for a role in life they will never find. Society should be built around finding members of it a place they can be content, even happy with. We must reject the ideation of main characters and build structures that value contributing to the bigger picture, contributing for everyone. And by doing so, find everyone a role in society that suits their skills, abilities and background.
People should not only be happy as a gardner, but take pride in it and understand that it's just as important a job as being king or a farmer or a shoemaker or baker or any number of other jobs that are actually critical for society to function.
I grew up believing I needed to be the sole hero in my story.
I met the most incredible woman, with abilities beyond literally all of us mere mortals. She has had such a difficult education/career path for over 10 years now.
I can confidently say I have been her Sam. At first this made me feel “less”. Now that we are approaching the end of this part of our journey, I see the strength and resilience this path has taught me. I can confidently say VERY few men or women could have supported her as well I have. My head is held quite high, chest out, ready to handle whatever comes our way.
I love that woman. I love myself. I love Sam and your tribute to him. Thank you for this.
Well spoken, sir....
I grieve for a dear friend of mine, a combat veteran who remarried after being homeless.
He loved the woman he met and married. He would've been her Samwise - but she wanted Dobby...
Fantastic video. I just finished reading the LOTR trilogy to my daughter. Sam may not gain power or wealth at the end of the story, but he does get the last word in the book. And that's not nothing.
I cannot wait to read LOTR to my kids! I love that it is still happening so many years after the books were published.
I read the trilogy ever autumn, when the leaves would start falling. Before the movies. Sam was always my favorite character.
Great analysis. But, can I offer one little suggestion: I thought Frodo wanted to leave the Fellowship at Amon Hen, not because he thought it was too large to move unseen into Mordor. He left because he knew the ring would corrupt them one-by-one, like it did Boromir. He broke the Fellowship because he cared about its other members and he didn't want to see them fall under the corruption of the ring. He was sacrificing his own chances of success to save others.
I Agree. My recollection as well.
"Nothing, and yet everything"
This cannot be understated, the profundity of aught rooted in true love
Sam and Rosie's love story is also great
It’s much better in the book than in the movies. In the book, they grew up together and know each other inside and out, and have a sweet, teasing, witty repartee that we get brief glimpses of. It’s clear that they’re a good, comfortable match, and they both have known that for many years. But in the movie, the screenwriters, for some reason, took away that bit of depth and just made Rosie someone who Sam has been lusting after from afar for years but never really talked to, and then only works up the courage to ask her out after the Quest, which is an extremely shallow relationship compared to their relationship in the book.
"Love needs to be free to be true." Oh I am sooooo stealing that
One last part of Sam, he was a historian who finished and read from the Red Book "so that people will remember the Great Danger and so love their beloved land all the more".
Honestly, the thing that makes some of these characters so great is their understanding that their lives are best used serving others. While Sam does this on a more micro scale, dedicating his life to a single individual throughout most TLotR, we also have Aragorn doing the same on a more macro scale: using his strength and power to serve a nation/people. I'd argue that the more heroic a character is considered can be directly linked to their willingness to set aside their own ego in the service of others.
At the end of the day we all serve someone or something: a spouse, a friend, family, children, a cause or ideal or even just ourselves (though most would probably argue this last one does not usually make for a very compelling hero).
While there are few things in our lives that are actually within our own control, who or what we serve is one of the few choices that is squarely in our hands.
Sam was and is my childhood hero. I still tear up every time he says "but I can carry you" Sean Astin did such an amazing job and he should be extremely proud. I got his autograph on a picture of Sam and I love it. Sam's selflessness is inspiring
How was the channels namesake not the first in the 'masculinity' line of character vids? Well done as always.
If only we could all be as humble and selfless and brave as Samwise, the world would be a much better place
Real
I may not be a master swordsman or master tactician, but I am MASTER GARDENER GOOD SIR!
just finished rewatching the films after so many years, and Samwise's character stood out to me the most. This video greatly describes the traits of this character and why I, and so many others love him
Next do a video on why Bill the Pony is the bestest boi, please.
EDIT: I forgot my manners
Yes!
can you do a video about Eowyn? I always found her story arc interesting and there aren't that many videos about her, at least in terms of her journey as a character
I am planning on it for sure
@@master_samwise nice 🙂
I second this request!!
YES! This, thrice! Eowyn's story arc has always struck a primal chord with me!
Seconded from here as well!
The fact that sam who can’t swim went in the water for Frodo, whose parents died in this exact situation allegedly, makes me legitimately tear up every time I see it.
I find it fascinating how over the years of watching the movies/reading and re-reading the books my role model from these stories has slowly changed. When I was a kid and a teen I wanted to be strong, stoic and brave like Aragorn or Boromir. And slowly as I got older and got a family of my own, I realized I wanted to give my everything to it much like Sam did for Frodo.
I would LOVE to see you talk about the women in the LOTR. I think they are undervalued a lot. Such a great video by the way
As I've always seen it, Sam and Frodo didn't have the dynamic of a quaestor and his batman (servant), but that of lifelong friends. Grew up together in the Shire, probably got into more scrapes than two young hobbits by rights ought to have, and mellowed as adulthood and responsibility to their community took precedence in their lives. But they stayed good friends, brothers almost. And then the trilogy happened.
To me it's always been more a demonstration of true brotherhood than anything - not by blood relation, but by mutual companionship. Because if you're willing to carry a man the last mile to the finish line, who can he be but your brother? Your friend? Who can you be but his?
The modern day makes a joke of the idea of friendship. The word friend has become so diluted that most don't even have the intellectual capacity to distinguish between an actual friend, an acquaintance, or a request on their social media account. But I know the difference. I know what friendship is. It's brotherhood. It's sisterhood. It's having forged a bond equal to that of family - nay, even stronger. Because family can be taken for granted. But true friendship cannot, because it had to be made. It is iron, and unbreakable.
That's how I've always seem Sam and Frodo. Not as a master and servant, not as good buddies, not as anything but two true companions. Friends. Brothers.
Because if you're willing to lay down your life for a man, who can he be but your brother? Who can you be but his?
When I was a young child I liked Legolas the most because he was cool...But when I understood the story as a late teen I realized Samwise is the best.
The ”But i can carry you” scene might’ve been the first time I ever cried to a movie
Your closing section here truly sets this video apart
Just curious, in what way?
@@master_samwise
Your perspective. It's incredibly rare to hear someone who can engage with that argument and still stay rooted.
Love your work.
Btw, do you know what happened to the Breath of the Wild streams? I can't find the vods anywhere anymore, and those were such a fun time.
@@EthanMalloneecompletely agree!
What argument, exactly? Not sure if you're talking about masculinity/femininity or just the very, very end when I talk about fantasy affecting us.
I think the VODs are currently unlisted on my second channel. I have been lax about deciding what exactly I want to do with streaming. I'll probably make them public again soon. I do want to do a weekly(ish) game stream but haven't decided when.
That conclusion was AWESOME.
Thank you!
Sam truly bows to no one. He gets the best reward out of the Fellowship, he gets the girl, he gets the home he cared for. Not a kingdom to rule over (I don't find that too appealing) or spirited away from the place that he calls home, just a good simple life to call his own. He is truly my favorite fictional character, he is strong in every way that matters, he is kind, curious, protective, and most of all loving.
It makes me chuckle thinking about the One Ring on Sams finger, just being raked through mud and manure to build the best garden the world has ever seen. "I have come for your land. No! not to conquer! It looks nasty I have come with seeds and soil, you will not stop me!"
Your examination of the morals, philosophy and inspiration found in these movies is beautiful-and they are themes that seem to be very lacking in more recent movies and television. Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts, because you very effectively articulate what many of us viewers have felt on merely an intuitive level. Which is why your videos resonate with us so much. Thanks again, looking forward to your future content 🙏🏽🔥💪🏽
What a detailed video into the one and only Samwise Gamgee. Your insights, good sir, are a breath of fresh air in this me-me-me world.
“But I *can* marry you!” - Sam to Rosie
The books and movies are full of fantastic role models for both men and women. Even someone as unassuming as Sam has excellent qualities that everyone should try to emulate.
A lovely, loving, and thoughtful diatribe. Most welcome. I love the positivity these discussions bring. Please, keep it up
Thank you! I'm so glad you enjoyed the video, and I will do my best to keep them coming.
This may be the best one yet! Thank you for articulating these characters and virtues so well, Samwise!
In the book, Sam's heroism and virtue was also honored in the end in that he used the gifts of Galadriel to restore ruined lands of the Shire and to plant the only mallorn tree (the elvish tree of the undying lands) to exist between the mountains and the sea, which would become famous throughout the region, and could be seen as a symbol of virtue.
This is top tier content and commentary, keep at it man!
Thank you, that is the plan!
You should do why Gandalf is the epitome of true wisdom
That is a great idea.
Dude your videos are phenomenal, and this video was no exception. Great job!
Thank you! I’m glad you enjoyed it because I really loved making it.
I am so defenseless against the emotional onslaught that is Sam’s line “I can’t carry it for you, but I can carry you!” line.
blows my mind that I came across “well, we’re in a Dell.” From band of brothers in an LOTR channel.
Makes me feel so at home.
We all hope Lt. Welsch is hanging tough.
I watched The Return of the King with my 8yo son for the first time the other night, and that poor boy burst into tears when Sam lifted Frodo and carried him up the mountain. Myself, i have to hold the tears back. It's such a beautiful moment that makes me emotional every single time.
I think one issue is all the baggage the word "servant" carries. (Pun intended.) It recalls images of classism and oppression, and we humans love to throw the baby out with the bathwater. This baggage isn't absent from Tolkien's work either. (Hardly surprising given the culture he came from.)
If asked if I want to be a "servant" my knee jerk reaction is negative.
If asked if I want to be of service, there is zero hesitation. Yes.
I think that's a fair distinction.
You make a great point that the text of the book actually highlights at one point. Frodo introduces Sam to Faramir as “a hobbit in my service.” He NEVER calls Sam his servant. Not once. He makes the same key distinction as you do, and I think it goes a long way in making their relationship healthy despite the class difference and the Ring preventing Frodo from expressing himself as he wants to; Sam’s low opinion of himself as an inferior is a notion that the class system itself has drilled into his mind (and likely his Gaffer too, since he tells Sam not to “get mixed up with his betters”). But it is NOT a notion that Frodo himself has ever put into Sam’s head; he doesn’t think of himself as above Sam, or Sam as below him.
This! Sam and Frodo are the characters I always point to for examples of Philia, I'm glad to hear you speak on that directly in this video. Wonderful points and well spoken.
Thank you! Filial love gets overlooked so much in today's day and age, and that (in my opinion) a huge contributor to the endemic loneliness especially common in young men.
@@master_samwise 100% agree, also I've made the argument that the conflation with Philia and homosexuality(as often happens with Sam and Frodo) has feed into a lot of the growth of "toxic masculinity".
I was just thinking about this last night, and behold, the first video recommended to me this morning is this one! Great analysis. Thank you.
Sam is the real hero he represents the best friends that make us better. Each time i see sam i see my brother and friends that help us be better than we are.
I wish I could be half the Friend Sam is and I can only hope that I can have a friend that is half as great as Sam. Sam Gamgee is the hero of the LOTR, even Tolkien said he was.
This video earned you a new sub, good job.
"Let the greatest among you be a servant to all."
"He emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, a man like us in all things but sin.
Sams line of I can’t carry the ring, but I can carry you, is probably top five best moments in lord of the rings hands down😮💨
Thank you for this. Humans are very social creatures, predisposed to service. That service is determined by the needs of those we love and draws the best of us forward. The refusal to serve our community and conscience leaves us to serve ourselves, revealing our most Base insecurities.
You are helping to make good people. Keep up the good work.
The tendency to turn inward, even with all the "connections" that we have available to us, seems to me to be more and more prevalent. People seem to have the attitude that "no one cares about me so I won't care about anyone else, and I'll just look out for #1", and no one wants to take the first step to be truly vulnerable, to serve, to offer themselves. It's truly sad.
Sam IS the hero of the story. Tolkien said it himself.
The Mount Doom scene, in the theater I was in, the crowd burst into applause and cheers. Just thinking about it has mme tearing up.
Thank you, bro. You are the first person I've ever heard verbalize this, and it's very encouraging to hear. The world would be a better place with more 'Sams' in it.