I get knocked down but I get up again - you're never going to keep me down. - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

Rhod the Red · 05-13-2006, 04:12 AM

I don't see anything wrong with these 'near chances', as one might describe them, of death threatening situations. I doubt it had anything to do with external influences, as Tolkien liked to point out a strong lack of. Like in his synopsis to The Fellowship of the Ring .

Mithalwen · 05-13-2006, 05:40 AM

I have been delighted by the responses so far and they have given me far more to think about than I can fully tackle right now - and I want to look a few things out in HoME.

However, while it has taken me probably more years than Lush has been alive (Grade 8 is about 12 isn't it?)

to realise that there are a lrge number of this instances (and I never claimed my list was exhaustive) -I do remember thinking when I finished the book that it was lucky that only Boromir had died (and stayed dead!) -since I was only twelve and also quite devastated by Halbarad dying (that guy makes quite an impact in about sentences), I didn't regard it as a problem. Frodo's seeming death had been a factor in my giving up on my first attempt to read the book so I think the death say of Legolas would have been just too traumatic - even though he and Gimli are not essential to the plot in ROTK, they are little more than representatives (I like both characters don't get me wrong).

As I grew older, and studied Literature eventually for my degree, I got the feeling that in "serious" literature people die and there are no happy endings. So the relatively few deaths among the main characters may be and overhang from LOTR's origins as a Children's book. Nevertheless I feel that one of the books great strengths is that few characters really getan absolutely happy ending - most have a bittersweet note. Even in the Hobbit which is so very much a children's book, the death of Thorin is extremely powerful and lingers in the memory (first time a book had made me cry since the death of Ginger in "Black Beauty" ).

I do like this idea of Tolkien telling the individual's story and it is one I will return to shortly.

05-13-2006, 04:12 AM	#1
Rhod the Red Shade of Carn Dûm Join Date: May 2006 Location: Melbourne, Australia Posts: 257	I don't see anything wrong with these 'near chances', as one might describe them, of death threatening situations. I doubt it had anything to do with external influences, as Tolkien liked to point out a strong lack of. Like in his synopsis to The Fellowship of the Ring . __________________ Head of the Fifth Order of the Istari Tenure: Fourth Age(Year 1) - Present Currently operating in Melbourne, Australia

05-13-2006, 05:40 AM	#2
Mithalwen Pilgrim Soul Join Date: May 2004 Location: watching the wonga-wonga birds circle... Posts: 9,461	I have been delighted by the responses so far and they have given me far more to think about than I can fully tackle right now - and I want to look a few things out in HoME. However, while it has taken me probably more years than Lush has been alive (Grade 8 is about 12 isn't it?) to realise that there are a lrge number of this instances (and I never claimed my list was exhaustive) -I do remember thinking when I finished the book that it was lucky that only Boromir had died (and stayed dead!) -since I was only twelve and also quite devastated by Halbarad dying (that guy makes quite an impact in about sentences), I didn't regard it as a problem. Frodo's seeming death had been a factor in my giving up on my first attempt to read the book so I think the death say of Legolas would have been just too traumatic - even though he and Gimli are not essential to the plot in ROTK, they are little more than representatives (I like both characters don't get me wrong). As I grew older, and studied Literature eventually for my degree, I got the feeling that in "serious" literature people die and there are no happy endings. So the relatively few deaths among the main characters may be and overhang from LOTR's origins as a Children's book. Nevertheless I feel that one of the books great strengths is that few characters really getan absolutely happy ending - most have a bittersweet note. Even in the Hobbit which is so very much a children's book, the death of Thorin is extremely powerful and lingers in the memory (first time a book had made me cry since the death of Ginger in "Black Beauty" ). I do like this idea of Tolkien telling the individual's story and it is one I will return to shortly. __________________ “But Finrod walks with Finarfin his father beneath the trees in Eldamar.” Christopher Tolkien, Requiescat in pace

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