LotR -- Book 5 - Chapter 01 - Minas Tirith

[Hookbill the Goomba]

Minas Tirith has a special place in my Tolkien filled heart. This is because it was the first thing I read of ANY Tolkien related things. And thus it didn't make a lot of sense, but I enjoyed it intensely and it encouraged me to read further.
The opening to this Chapter is what remains in my mind the most.

Originally Posted by Tolkien

Pippin looked out from the shelter of Gandalf's cloak. He wondered if he was awake of still sleeping, still in the swift-moving dream in which he had been wrapped so long since the great ride began. The dark world was rushing by and the wind sang loudly in his ears. He could see nothing but the wheeling of the stars and away to his right vast shadows against the sky where the mountains of the south marched past. Sleepily he tried to reckon the times and stages of their journey, but his memory was drowsy and uncertain.

The Return of the King: Chapter one, Minas Tirith

It always reminds me of why I enjoyed Tolkien. I think this whole chapter, in essence, shows why Tolkien decided to make Gandalf take Pippin along. As I think I mentioned in an earlier chapter, With any imaginary world, there needs to be an ignorant party. Pippin fits this description perfectly. Rather than let Tolkien describe it all in long hand, he allows Pippin to ask all the questions one would in a strange new country, questions like "What is this place", "What is its significance" and of course, "where can we get food".

This is made clear right away from Pippin's first words;
"Where are we, Gandalf?" Allowing Gandalf to explain, rather than the narrative. I was personally amused by Pippins presumption "are there Dragons in this land?" As we all know, a fantasy story is not complete until there are dragons. This made me think back to The Hobbit, and more specifically, its importance on the story. It is obvious that Bilbo's story had had an effect on Pippin, we know that Merry was the only one (besides Bilbo and Frodo) who had seen the manuscript and read it, I assume, Pippin knew the story already and Merry had told him all the extra bits he had read.

I'll think of more to say later.