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Originally Posted by Imladris
Well, Frodo, Merry, and Pippin weren't nobility either. I'm not sure Gandalf could be considered of royal lineage either. Boromir was not the prince/king of Gondor, but the son of the steward.
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Aristocracy vs. laboring class:
Frodo, Merry, and Pippin were all members of the wealthy, aristocratic upper class in the Shire. None of them worked for a living. Furthermore Pippin was the heir of The Took, and Merry was the heir of "Master of Brandy Hall". That made them both "ruling class." Frodo for his part was descended from both ancestral lines.
Sam, on the other hand, was the son of a gardener. He gave orders to no-one.
Boromir, Faramir, Eomer, Eowyn, Legolas, Imrahil-- children of the ruling class. Even Strider, long before he stepped forward and began exerting his own inheritance, was the ward of a ruler-- Elrond!
Gandalf was "only" a Maia. *cough*
So how many main characters do we have that are not ruling class?
Sam. And perhaps Gimli; although he is of the 'house of Durin' I don't recall any indication that he was 'ruling class".