Imagine No Redemption

[Galadriel55]

Originally Posted by Nogrod

I must admit I have never thought of this, but reading your posts this one thing really strikes me: all who are redempted in one way or another achieve their redemption by death.

The case of Lobelia is a telling one. Why did she have to die as soon she had changed her ways? Why was it not possible for her to change her views and then live happily as a redeemed person in her community?

Personally, I like it this way since it makes the story more profound. If a character who said "I'm sorry", even genuinely, would just live happily ever after, it would not be Tolkien, it would be a Disney story.

Thorin dies right after redemption because the epiphany comes when he is on the deathbed. So here the "cause and effect" are reversed. Boromir dies because the price of his redemption was to fight the orcs - and being shot multiple times is but a consequece of a consequence. And Lobelia dies because she's quite old, even for a hobbit, and I would imagine her health would not be at its best after the Lockholes. So her death is neither direct cause nor effect of repentance. (I mean there's the domino efect that had she not been thrusting that umbrella in the Ruffian's face... but that's not a direct link)

But the deaths make the story deeper and not "Disney happily ever after the end".