Quote:
Originally Posted by Huinesoron
If the Curse is the sole reason for Turin's misfortune, then he would never have left Doriath, so you'd be back to Nellas.
I see Turin's path as one of bad decisions which other people might get lucky and avoid the consequences of, but which he will always be hit by. A prisoner who wakes up to find someone leaning over them with a sword might attack, or might recognise that the Orcs wouldn't kill them quietly in the night; only for Turin would the attack always be both successful and lethal. A new Captain of Nargothrond might take the city on an all-out attack, or might trust in the secrecy that has served it so well; only for Turin would breaking that secrecy necessarily lead to total destruction. &c &c.
But when Turin makes decent decisions, things don't go wrong. Rescuing Nienor was a good decision, and led to a period of peace (one of the few he had). Even marrying her didn't actually lead to any negative consequences, though it potentially would have later on. Attacking Glaurung was extraordinarily successful - but then he decided to approach and taunt a mind-controlling Worm that wasn't actually dead, to recover an actually Cursed sword. That led directly to his death, Nienor's, and that of the Lord of the Haladin.
hS
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I agree very much with your interpretation of the Curse, but I would argue that there
is no good choice for Turin - or very few. He tries to save a woman from rape (good, right?), ends up killing his captain (maybe not much of a loss, but still bad). He rescues Niniel (good, who would leave a woman in that state?), but marries his sister (bad! - and she would have remembered anyways when Glaurung died, regardless of how he died, I think that's implied in the text).
I think Turin's fate is also in part due to his inability to keep his head down; he cannot be a lesser man than he is. He tries to start fresh time and time again, but he cannot be less than what he can. Did he have a position or an honour that he didn't deserve? No. He really deserved all, he was that good, and he couldn't suppress the effort in himself. All he had to do was be second best, settle down, let someone else make the calls. But he had to fight to his full potential, had to live to his full potential, take charge of his own life - Master his Fate, be the one who makes the calls of his life rather than letting it flow where it would by the choices of other men. Only with the Curse, as you said, do all your efforts - which are
good efforts! - turn everything around them sour. Turin's choices and behaviours aren't always great, but they often make a lot of sense in the context of what he knows. There are many other people who also aren't your perfect goody-two-shoes, but no one is as unlucky as Turin.
I'll tell you about Finduilas when I get to that chapter in COH.
