Tolkien lived through both the 1914-18 and 1939-45 wars. He saw that relationships could develope very quickly at times of great stress, when the future was so uncertain.
Tolkien, like everyone else, expected a German invasion in 1940 and must have wondered whether he and his family would survive. He put Eowyn and Faramir in the same situation. You tend to make up you mind quickly when you don't know if you'll be around tomorrow.
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