LotR --- Appendix A: I, (v) -- The Tale of Aragorn and Arwen

[Lalwendë]

Originally Posted by Bethberry

To me, the great passionate interest of A Part of the Tale of Aragorn and Arwen lies in Aragorn's and Arwen's role as mythic characters. What we learn of them here is less dependent upon their psychological interaction and personalities and far more dependent upon what they epitomise.

Originally Posted by Bethberry

Perhaps all of this is a long winded way of saying Aragorn and Arwen belong far more to faerie than to verisimilitude.

When Tolkien has Death as portrayed through Aragorn as something noble and correct, as something which makes the body even more beautiful, he seems to be telling us that it is better to bow out at the height of our powers rather than to become diminished. The hero never becomes decrepit, he remains the hero until he dies and afterwards.

Contrast how the Eldar finally leaving Middle-earth are diminished, with this kind of death, which only serves to enoble Aragorn even more. The power of the Eldar has waned and their time and usefulness are over so they seek to leave, possibly to a Valinor in which they will also be diminished in comparison to those who remained there. They seem to be quite literally worn out. But Aragorn in choosing the 'gift' of death will never be any lesser than he was at the moment of his coronation. In Tolkien's view a truly noble king does not carry on until he is so old he has to be helped, nor does he abdicate and retire - he quits while he's ahead.

In Tolkien's own life so many of those he cared about were also taken in their 'prime' - parents and friends. But in contrast, Tolkien never gave up; he may have retired but his work continued up to the end. Did he follow his own ideals in that respect? I'm personally glad that he did not.

This is also is a wonderfully subtle love story, just the kind that I prefer, without too much detail, but with the kind of detail that reveals just enough to demonstrate the love between the characters. Tolkien is able to do this - his tale of Eowyn and Faramir is also subtle, leaving plenty to the imagination which is where the best stories are constructed. Strangely, given that during the BBC's Big Read poll many Austen fans were vocal in their hatred of Tolkien, he shares with Jane a mastery of the subtle love story.