Quote:
Originally Posted by William Cloud Hicklin
From Letter No. 151
* It is not made explicit how [Arwen] could arrange this. She could not of course just transfer her ticket on the boat like that! For any except those of Elvish race ‘sailing West’ was not permitted, and any exception required ‘authority’, and she was not in direct communication with the Valar, especially not since her choice to become ‘mortal’. What is meant is that it was Arwen who first thought of sending Frodo into the West, and put in a plea for him to Gandalf (direct or through Galadriel, or both), and she used her own renunciation of the right to go West as an argument. Her renunciation and suffering were related to and enmeshed with Frodo’s : both were parts of a plan for the regeneration of the state of Men. Her prayer might therefore be specially effective, and her plan have a certain equity of exchange. No doubt it was Gandalf who was the authority that accepted her plea. The Appendices show clearly that he was an emissary of the Valar, and virtually their plenipotentiary in accomplishing the plan against Sauron. As for Elladan and Elrohir, they certainly remained for a certain time after Elrond sailed; Tolkien wrote (can't find the cite) that after Galadriel left, and Lothlorien started to fade, Celeborn went to Rivendell to live with them, for a while.
The impression I get is that here as with so many other matters around the edges Tolkien never really made up his mind, and even his 'definitive' statements may conceal complexity when expressed elliptically or briefly. Suffice it to say that Elrond's children got to make the Choice at some point, but it's unclear when. |
That letter given even more to my question (in another thread) about just how Gimli gets the right to go sail west (or for that matter Sam if the family rumors are true) At that point there is NO one who could give that sort of authrority still in ME (unless you believe that Radagast, even though he failed and is not going back himself, still has, as an emmisary of the Valar, enough authority to give others that permission. Not likely).
And another question that arises, how much of Elronds bloodline to you have to be to keep the choice. Elrond himself chooses to stay immortal, and his children all get to keep the choice, so obviously the choice he made did not effect his children (i.e. he chose immortality, so they were stuck with it). But if that was the case, why was the choice not given to Elros's children. The moment Elros chooses a mortal life as Tar-Minyutar, it seems that his choice applies not only to him, but his decendents (i.e. we never hear of any of his sons being informed that they could choose to be immortal). Granted it may have something to do with bloodlines (Elronds kids are 3/4 elf while Elros's are only 1/4) or Elros's sons may have considered living a mortal life as Kings of Numenor as preferable to an immortal one as a mere elf noble, but it does seem a little unfair to them (especially if Elros was never told his choice would so affect them, which I don't think he was).