A Most Unusual Dwarf

[Lobelia]

Originally Posted by eowyntje

...looking at the Lotr itself, I'd say it is very likely that Gimli was no ordinary dwarf, for the simple reason that all members o the fellowship were different from their own race in a way.
All 4 the hobbits were more adventurous then normal hobbits, Aragorn is nothing like normal humans, Boromir represents the humans weak side, but is nothing like the other humans describred in Lotr. Gandalf turns out to be no ordinary wizard, and as for legolas, he's quite normal in the beginning but changes when he befriends with a dwarf.

Nice thought, very true - they were all different from other members of their races - mind you, I don't think there were any "ordinary" wizards! I think that any growth on Gimli's part is posible because he was, from the beginning, very unlike the dwarves in TH. Gloin at Rivendell had grown from the Gloin in TH. And more - the dwarves who sent Sauron's representative packing were very brave and not at all greedy for gold. I think of dwarves in general as brave and feisty like Gimli the orc-killer! I suspect the ones in the HOME books are more like the ones in Norse myth and not to be compared with our lovely Gimli.

[drigel]

I think the nature of the mission for the 9 walkers was such that it placed Gimli the dwarf in a most unusual position. Here at the onset, he was not just a representative of his kingdom, but a representative of his entire race. I see him at the beginning seeing himself as almost the appointed ambassador to the United Nations, and the stakes are such that if he fails, then all dwarves would fall one by one, along with the rest of the free peoples. A highly monumental task that didnt include finding and procuring gold / wealth for himself, his family, or his lord.

I also see the character developing with the authors view of dwarves all along LOTR, especially in the relationship with Legolas. The early works show a more raw approach to dwarves, but perhaps that is congruent. That was an earlier time in ME, where relationships with elves and men being rougher and the blood in those dwarvish veins running hotter. Its a nice way to tap into those earlier times by using the bonding of Gimli and Legolas to regain a trust that was lost millenia ago...

[Nimrodel_9]

I've always liked to think that the hobbits' cheeriness kind of rubbed off on him.