"A shadow & a thought" - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

davem · 06-01-2004, 09:49 AM

Something occurs: I can't help wondering whether Aragorn is stating there is some 'shadow' in him that Eowyn 'loves', & is saying that she is 'wrong' to love it, or whether he's saying that the 'shadow' she loves is actually the 'ranger' & that its the 'ranger' who is the 'shadow' of Elessar. So he's saying 'what she loves is not me, the heir of Elendil, Elessar, with all the responsibilities that that implies, & which would lead her to feel just as trapped if she married me as if she remained caring for Theoden, but Strider the ranger, who seems to offer freedom & adventure'.

But why would Aragorn refer to the ranger as his 'shadow' - so I'm not sure that works.

But doesn't she say to Faramir after the fall of Barad Dur something about standing 'in Minas Anor, & behold, the 'shadow' has passed' (quoting from memory, so may be wrong) - is that the 'shadow' of Sauron, or the 'shadow' she loves in Aragorn, or are they the same thing on some level?

06-01-2004, 09:49 AM	#7
davem Illustrious Ulair Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: In the home of lost causes, and forsaken beliefs, and unpopular names,and impossible loyalties Posts: 4,240	Something occurs: I can't help wondering whether Aragorn is stating there is some 'shadow' in him that Eowyn 'loves', & is saying that she is 'wrong' to love it, or whether he's saying that the 'shadow' she loves is actually the 'ranger' & that its the 'ranger' who is the 'shadow' of Elessar. So he's saying 'what she loves is not me, the heir of Elendil, Elessar, with all the responsibilities that that implies, & which would lead her to feel just as trapped if she married me as if she remained caring for Theoden, but Strider the ranger, who seems to offer freedom & adventure'. But why would Aragorn refer to the ranger as his 'shadow' - so I'm not sure that works. But doesn't she say to Faramir after the fall of Barad Dur something about standing 'in Minas Anor, & behold, the 'shadow' has passed' (quoting from memory, so may be wrong) - is that the 'shadow' of Sauron, or the 'shadow' she loves in Aragorn, or are they the same thing on some level? __________________ “Everything was an object. If you killed a dwarf you could use it as a weapon – it was no different to other large heavy objects."