LotR -- Book 5 - Chapter 01 - Minas Tirith

[Lalwendë]

Originally Posted by davem

Ingold doesn’t want ‘foreigners’ around unless they can fight, & even then, he doesn’t trust them.

This is another example of how the ordinary Gondorians have become insular. Ingold's insularity surfaces in suspicion of strangers while Beregond's surfaces in the wonder he expresses at Pippin's story. Ingold referring to Pippin as a 'thing' may be explained by this insularity; such men would possibly only have experience of other Men or of Orcs, so a Hobbit might seem a very peculiar looking person. When Eomer first hears of Hobbits it seems he has heard tales of them, but Ingold's reaction suggests that he has not even heard those.

Faramir is stationed relatively far from Minas Tirith, and though he seems much less insular, I wonder what experience he himself can have had of people from outside Gondor? I can imagine that Men from the areas to the south such as Dol Amroth would have visited Gondor, but there can have only been limited opportunity to meet with 'foreigners'. Maybe this serves to underline Faramir's character, that he is more open to the Hobbits when he meets them?