Book 4, Chapter 7 Summary

The men lead Frodo, Sam and Gollum out of the falls. Faramir requires that Gollum be blindfolded but, rather singling out Gollum, Frodo asks that they all be blindfolded when they leave. Then the hobbits continue to follow Gollum toward Mordor and, as they do, a black cloud covers the entire sky, making the day seem like night.

Eventually, they come to a crossroads where there is a beheaded statue of an ancient king. As the day slowly closes, a ray of light from the sun falls on the king's head as it lies on the ground, crowned with flowers.

Book 4, Chapter 7 Analysis

The events of this chapter begin on the same day that Aragorn enters the Paths of the Dead and Gandalf reaches Minas Tirith. Frodo's decision to have everyone blindfolded so that Gollum will rest easier shows that he...