Would Gandalf ever discipline Hobbits?

[Aaron]

Originally Posted by Gothbogg the Ripper

Would Gandalf ever physically assault a Hobbit?
Yes. He probably would. The man has a horrible temper. Sure, this is outshined by his sage advice and bravery but he doesn't suffer fools gladly.
I can easily imagine a scenario in which he may get carried away. He acts from the heart, not his head.

What world are you living in? Gandalf doesn't really get carried away, he's the embodiment of veiled power. He had many times in which he could have gone totally nutso and yet he retains his composure throughout a great deal of the books.
So no, he wouldn't ever beat up a Hobbit. Probaby because he never thought himself massively superior to them.

[Legolas]

Moving this over to 'Novices & Newcomers' - seems like a question anyone can respond to, and there's no real textual evidence that can be provided.

Unless that chapter was removed from my copies.

[Rumil]

Weeellll,

I'm tempted to say yes (more or less)...

It's shown that Gandalf did 'discipline' hobbits as he made Pippin sit the first watch in Moria as a punishment for foolishness. This does not mean physical chastisement however.

Would Gandalf beat a hobbit black and blue with a stout stick (staff) out of anger? Of course not, he's not that sort of a Maia.

Is there a possible (but unlikely) situation where Gandalf would physically discipline a hobbit? Naturally speculation but...

-A slap on the hand to a hobbit child or 'tween filching fireworks or trying to pick up Glamdring could be possible, more for the child's safety than anything else. Before the days of PC-ness such a thing would likely pass without comment. If I remember in the film G twists Merry and Pippins' ears a bit when he catches them at the fireworks and this seems unremarkable, but technically counts!

I guess that hobbits would use some mild corporal punishment on their children, but if such 'formal' punishment was deserved, then it would be the parents' responsibility, not Gandalf's.

[Nerwen]

Originally Posted by Rumil

Weeellll,

I'm tempted to say yes (more or less)...

It's shown that Gandalf did 'discipline' hobbits as he made Pippin sit the first watch in Moria as a punishment for foolishness. This does not mean physical chastisement however.

Would Gandalf beat a hobbit black and blue with a stout stick (staff) out of anger? Of course not, he's not that sort of a Maia.

But that is the actual question asked in the first post– very specific: "So would Gandalf ever beat a hobbit in the event of sheer anger and frustration?" (my italics).

An act motivated purely by anger is not "discipline" by definition, unless you're using the word as a euphemism. So the thread title and the explanation in the first post are in contradiction.

[Elmo]

The hobbits were small not children. A common mistake to make, I believe Boromir and Denethor made the same. Why not ask the question would he have beaten Boromir or Gimli or even Aragorn as they were adults as well. Would Gandalf have picked on the hobbits just because they were small?

[Kitanna]

No, never. Gandalf would never let his anger get so out of control. EVER.

[Morthoron]

If ever a Hobbit Gandalf struck,
That would be news to me.
So many characters pressed their luck,
Like ol' Butterbur in Bree,
Or silly Pippin in Moria's mine --
He certainly deserved a beating.
Yet Gandalf merely spoke his mind --
violence being self-defeating.
With Gollum he was very rough,
But always, Gandalf did restrain.
And so with this topic I've had enough,
The question was inane.

[Andsigil]

I'm sorry, I'm just really surprised that this question is still being debated at all.

How about some ideas for other threads:

Would Gandalf prefer Dorwinion wine over Bree ale?

If Gandalf had found Tuor's axe instead of Glamdring, would he have used it?

If Sauron had challenged Gandalf to an arm wrestling match to decide the fate of Middle Earth, would Gandalf had taken the challenge? What if it was a riddle contest, instead?

[alatar]

No.

Originally Posted by Morthoron

If ever a Hobbit Gandalf struck,
That would be news to me.
So many characters pressed their luck,
Like ol' Butterbur in Bree,
Or silly Pippin in Moria's mine --
He certainly deserved a beating.
Yet Gandalf merely spoke his mind --
violence being self-defeating.
With Gollum he was very rough,
But always, Gandalf did restrain.
And so with this topic I've had enough,
The question was inane.

We are not talking about Hobbits being bludgeoned to death by Gandalf's staff, just a clip on the ear or two, and words to that affect. Tolkein clearly saw Gandalf as a means of disciplining Hobbits where required. Your riddle and though process above reminds me a lot of Gollum, by the way.

[Strongbow]

I would like to put in that I do not think Gandalf would physically chastize a hobbit. The majority of hobbits have a good deal of base hobbit-sense, and I believe it to be in more in Gandalf's character to appeal in plain terms to this sense, rather than resort to a clip on the ear.

[Morthoron]

Originally Posted by Mansun

We are not talking about Hobbits being bludgeoned to death by Gandalf's staff, just a clip on the ear or two, and words to that affect.

Mansun, it is not my fault that you decided to completely change the context of the discussion because your original question proved farcically problematic. This entire dialogue (or lack thereof) hinges on your first emphatic query statement, and I quote:

Originally Posted by Mansun

So would Gandalf ever beat a hobbit in the event of sheer anger and frustration, much to the likes of the ill-tempered Farmer Maggot?

Beating out of 'sheer anger and frustration' does not indicate a clip on the ear, at least not by any common definition. In any case, the answer remains an unequivocal NO. Again, as has been brought up several times in this thread, Gandalf was dealing with adult Hobbits, not children. One might as well ask if he would beat Aragorn or Gimli. The entire idea is nonsensical, and I refer you to any of the posts in this thread that have refuted such inanity.

Originally Posted by Mansun

Tolkein clearly saw Gandalf as a means of disciplining Hobbits where required. Your riddle and though process above reminds me a lot of Gollum, by the way.

Gandalf was in a leadership role and was rather short with everyone in the Fellowship (a shortness Gimli commented on in a later chapter). He chided anyone he believed acted stupidly. He did not beat, hit, cuff, thwap, smack or pinch anyone in the Fellowship.

The poem reminds us of Gollum, does it Mansun? How's that, precious? Was it crunchable and scrunchable? Mansun makes no sense, no he don't precious. *gollum*