How Is Tom Bombadil Presented In Fellowship Of The Ring

In J.R.R. Tolkien’s Fellowship of the Ring, Tolkien introduces the character of Tom Bombadil to portray a hope and peace in the midst of danger and peril. Tom Bombadil, a mysterious character, brings about a new way to show his power and control over the Old Forest through song. Tom is vaguely described by Tolkien, however the stories of the Old Forest and Old Man Willow, give insight on the character of Tom Bombadil in The Fellowship of the Ring.
When Tom Bombadil appears in this story he is presented in a supernatural sense, when he seems to arrive at just the right time and place to rescue Frodo and his companions from Old Man Willow. While Tom may have just been in the right place at the right time, the authority in which he commands Old Man Willow to leave the hobbits alone is astonishing. “‘You let them out again, Old Man Willow!’ he said. ‘What be you a-thinking

While Tom Bombadil has no army to fight back Old Man Willow, he uses song as his means of conveying his message to all who are in the Old Forest. Though they seem unimportant, songs are quite a powerful means of communication. When Tom Bombadil is singing back the Barrow-wights, he sings at the end of his song, “His songs are stronger songs, and his feet are faster” (Tolkien. 142). While the lyrics in his songs do hold power, the fact that the songs are related to Tom Bombadil himself makes them even more powerful. This is what makes Tom’s songs stronger than those of the Barrow-wights. Tom is inherently strong and powerful and the Barrow-wights simply are not in comparison to Tom. Tom Bombadil is the master of that area, thus he has authority over all things in that area. Songs are simply Tom’s means of manifesting that authority over his dominion. Thus, while some rule with the sword and by force, others, like Tom, use songs to show their