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

davem · 06-01-2004, 12:47 PM

Thing is, it would have made sense if he'd said, 'In me she loves a light & a thought', but he says she loves a shadow & a thought.

Why would she love a 'shadow'? That's what I find confusing. Its such an odd statement, given, as I said, the way Tolkien has imbued 'shadow' with such negativity. And Tolkien has stated that he chose every word carefully. So, she finds a 'shadow' in Aragorn - whether its really there or not, & its that shadow that she 'loves'.

So what's he saying about her - & how come Aragorn realises that what she sees & loves in him is a 'shadow'? What makes him see her so clearly, & what does he mean by it? Would she have called what she finds in him a 'shadow'? Probably not, but he sees it as that.

The 'shadow' is evil - her desire to die in battle, & he will provide her with the opportunity to achieve that desire. Is that what she loves in him - does she see him as heading inevitably for death? Is she so without hope that he symbolises an escape, the only escape?

And is there something of that shadow about him? Is there something which strikes a chord in her? Does she love him in the sense of wanting to live with him, or does she want to die with him? Is he her way to life, or to death?

Death does hang around Aragorn - literally in the Paths of the Dead. The dead serve him - is this the shadow she loves & recognises?

Is it something Tolkien himself saw in the soldiers around him on the Somme, a false love of death, a desire to kill & be killed. Eowyn's great confrontation is with Death personified, & she doesn't seek to flle it, but to face it, even though the conflict seems hopeless, & death inevitable?

06-01-2004, 12:47 PM	#8
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	Thing is, it would have made sense if he'd said, 'In me she loves a light & a thought', but he says she loves a shadow & a thought. Why would she love a 'shadow'? That's what I find confusing. Its such an odd statement, given, as I said, the way Tolkien has imbued 'shadow' with such negativity. And Tolkien has stated that he chose every word carefully. So, she finds a 'shadow' in Aragorn - whether its really there or not, & its that shadow that she 'loves'. So what's he saying about her - & how come Aragorn realises that what she sees & loves in him is a 'shadow'? What makes him see her so clearly, & what does he mean by it? Would she have called what she finds in him a 'shadow'? Probably not, but he sees it as that. The 'shadow' is evil - her desire to die in battle, & he will provide her with the opportunity to achieve that desire. Is that what she loves in him - does she see him as heading inevitably for death? Is she so without hope that he symbolises an escape, the only escape? And is there something of that shadow about him? Is there something which strikes a chord in her? Does she love him in the sense of wanting to live with him, or does she want to die with him? Is he her way to life, or to death? Death does hang around Aragorn - literally in the Paths of the Dead. The dead serve him - is this the shadow she loves & recognises? Is it something Tolkien himself saw in the soldiers around him on the Somme, a false love of death, a desire to kill & be killed. Eowyn's great confrontation is with Death personified, & she doesn't seek to flle it, but to face it, even though the conflict seems hopeless, & death inevitable? __________________ “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."