[Sophia the Thunder Mistress]

I've always found the separation of Merry and Pippin to be one of the crucial elements for the develoment of the rest of the story. From a sense of strict practicality, it's a clever move by Tolkien to get them both to the heat of battle in Gondor, while if they had remained behind together I think they would have been much less likely to get to Minas Tirith at all.

Consider, Gandalf would not have borne Pippin South on Shadowfax had he not been in imminent danger; though he would, I think, have gone there straightaway had he (or Aragorn) looked into the Palantir instead of Pippin. With Gandalf gone alone and Aragorn gone on the Paths of the Dead, it is unlikely (read: almost impossible) that anyone else would have made a case for including the hobbits in the Rohirrim army. Eowyn as Dernhelm managed to get Merry there in secret, because between the two of them they only made the bulk of a normal rider; but she would not have been able to take them both, nor was there anyone else willing or able to hide Pippin. So the separation of the two was really one of the only feasible strategies for making sure both of the hobbits made it into the thick of things.

As far as the character development goes, I agree with all that has been said about the benefits of seeing the hobbits independently and the way this sharpens the distinctions between their personalities. I think the change of company actually has more effect on Merry's characterization than on Pippin's. Pippin's lovable-recklessness has been evident since before leaving the Shire (his antics in the bath spring immediately to mind), and I think Merry is rather overshadowed by him because he is a much less flamboyant character. When separated from Pippin we get to see what he is like with a little, just a little, responsibility removed from him. His real love for and loyalty to Theoden, our acquaintance with his interest in history (and old ties between men and hobbits), and his somewhat rash decision to go with Eowyn to the battle are things that likely would have been different if Pippin had been there. He almost certainly wouldn't have had to become so involved in Rohan's culture if he had had one of his own countrymen to associate with.

But I'm getting somewhat ahead of this chapter.

Thanks davem, for the references to "Peredur"/Perceval. I've always been somewhat curious about ties between the Grail legends and Tolkien, even though they are later than the "truly British" myths he wanted to draw from.

Sophia