Lord of the Rings Question....?

Question

I understand that the Hobbits all escaped and went back home to the Shire.
I was just wondering why Frodo and the others get onto the ship at the end.
I was thinking that they were floating to their deaths since their rolls were done in life or something like that.
My boyfriend claims that they are already dead and the sunset is a symbol of them dying.
I said that they couldn't be dead yet, because if they were, they would be ghosts like the ones that helped fight and won their freedom.

I was just wondering if someone has read the book and can clarify or maybe someone caught something in the lines of the movie that explains.

I have only seen the Return of the King 1 and a half times (this time, tonight, being the half) , and was unable to pay very close attention this time.
I was just curious who was more correct in their interpretation of the ship.

Answer 1

They were traveling with the elfs. The elfs were leaving that world and life and traveling on to another existiance. The time of man was coming. The time of the elf had ended. All the other Hoobits continued their life in the shire. Bilbo and Frodo were leaving with the elfs. Bilbo because he was a hero of sorts fromhis travels. And Frodo because the bearing of the one ring had "aged" him beyond his normal life. He was weary of this world.

Answer 2

Since they sailed off to the Undying Lands, they can't very well be dead, can they? Elves are immortal except those killed in battle, such as Haldir in The Two Towers and those killed by Sauron in the opening of Fellowship of the Ring. They were not sailing away to die. In the Fellowship of the Ring, Elrond says the time of the elves is over and the time of man is beginning. What that is basically saying is akin to the idea that once people stop believing in "fantasy creatures", they go into hiding and only those who special enough can see them. This is why some people think that dragons and other creatures once walked the earth but when religion took over, people were told to not believe anymore since they were evil and thus the creatures went away into a different world. Also why kids are able to see things that adults can't. Tolkien wrote the stories to be the mythology of Britain as none existed prior.

Frodo joined them on the ship because his life was changed so much from the burden he carried and his experiences in Mordor and en route. Life would be empty and dull for him if he stayed in the Shire, and all the friendship and happiness in the mortal world would never be able to fill that void. Put yourself in his shoes for a second. If you experienced what he did, would you want to go back to the only life you've ever known and "settle" because it's expected of you?

Answer 3

Ok, nobody here has answered this properly, everyone says its "debatable" or "maybe..."

At Amon Sul (Weathertop,) Frodo gets stabbed by the Witchking Of Angmar, who uses a Morgul Blade. A Morgul Blade is made of a delicate steel alloy (according to Tolkien.) As the King stabs Frodo, the blade breaks off (In the book, not the film) and stays inside him. Although Elrond and the Elves are able to repair the damage and heal Frodo to an extent whereby he can travel to Mordor, the wound will NEVER heal.

Frodo gets weaker and weaker during his travels - partly due to the wound, and partly due to the burden of the ring.

When he gets onto the ship at the dock, it is the LAST ship sailing to the Grey Havens, the elvish land of undying life. He would die, if he stayed on mortal soil, for example, the Shire. He has to make the choice, either to stay in The Shire, and die, or leave his friends and travel with the Elves, and live forever.

The Lord Of The Rings was NEVER MEANT TO HAVE A HAPPY ENDING!!!! Frodo abandons his friends and companions, and chooses the greedy option, of living forever. It's not debatable, its written in black and white LOL!!!! Hope this helps.

Answer 4

In the book, they sailed with the elves to the Undying Lands, accessible only by such sailboats. I mean such lands can never be reached by the sailboats made by the humans. There, Frodo lived his life like an immortal (it's not called the Undying Lands for nothing). But the pain of the wound inflicted by the Nazgul in that Weathertop incident remained, which he would feel from time to time. Samwise also went there after his wife died of old age. In his old age, he rejoined his old friend, Frodo in the Undying Lands

Answer 5

It is debatable but most people believe that they are sailing to their death or a very significant change to a new life. The white light often signifies death because the person is said to see a white light at the end of the tunnel, and also Gandolf turned into the White Wizard, which is why it can signify a change to a new life. It's an unanswerable question, done on purpose so the watchers can debate about it and make their own endings that they see fit.

Answer 6

haha hooray for the TNT movie marathon of Lord of the Rings. I saw that too.

I think they got on the ship to leave the rest up to the reader. If they returned to the shire, then it would be a resolved ending. However, I think the author (tolkien) wanted it to be kind of resolved, but still a mystery. What better way to portay that then them heading off into the vast ocean.

Answer 7

well in the book, the elves and Bilbo were leaving middle earth, because their kind could not live there anymore ... I read this a while ago, but I believe that they were going to somewhere far where the elves originated from ... It was an honour for the elves to think of the hobbits and take them along ...

Answer 8

when the movie began they say that there is seven rings to each kind who was at the ship and one ring to rule them all so since the man kind then they have no way to rule the world again so all the masters before have to face the destiny which is death cause the ring was giving them infinity live but you know its an open end so both of you are right

Answer 9

Frodos journey to distroy the ring was to be his last. Your bf was right..The ship was taking Frodo to the land of the dead.

Answer 10

no Frodo lived on and became an old man himself like Bilbo.when they went on the ship they were going on holliday