|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The One Ring Forums:
Tolkien Topics: Reading Room:
***Merry discussion of growth in Return of the King* A New Kind of Courage"***:
Edit Log
|
|
elentari3018
Nargothrond
Mar 1, 4:45am
Views: 9366
|
|
***Merry discussion of growth in Return of the King* A New Kind of Courage"***
|
|
|
Sorry this is so late. RL really got me in a whirl. Well I'm back.
Hope that this can get discussion going with Merry.
Merrily we roll along!
Merry discussion of growth in Return of the King* A New Kind of Courage
To state that Merry had grown is an understatement. Even in Two Towers, we had seen him deal with the orcs, get through the battle at Isengard and still be able to adapt pretty well with Pippin by his side.
Now things have changed in Return of the King, where we see him sundered by Pippin. For the first time, we do not see them together. How does Merry fare without his best friend? How does he fare without Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli when they chose to go to the Paths of the Dead?
Being Left Behind
One of the most interesting things I love to read about is the fact that Merry was left behind from the Fellowship and he kept on mentioning that he did not want to be left behind.
”Don’t leave me behind! I have not been of much use yet; but I don’t want to be laid aside, like baggage to be called for when all is over. “
All the same he had been lonely, and never more so than now at the day’s end. He wondered where in all this strange world PIppin had got to; and what would become of Aragorn and Legolas and Gimli. Then suddenly like a cold touch on his heart he thought of Frodo and Sam. ‘I am forgetting them!’ he said to himself reproachfully. ‘And yet they are more important than all the rest of us. And I came to help them; but now they must be hundreds of miles away, if they are still alive.” He shivered.”
I bring this quote up because it’s the first time Tolkien mentioned the characters thinking about other characters. Sam did so at the beginning of Book 6, Tower of Cirith Ungol, but i like to touch on this passage because Merry’s thoughts are on everyone. We do not have any character being introspective like that. Is that part of his “left behind” feelings that we get a slice of what he is thinking and missing of the other characters. Tolkien usually leaves the narration to the one who is observing the most. Is Tolkien using Merry to observe all the other characters?
We do see him being left behind but fortunately had great company with Theoden and Eowyn. Merry was so glad that the King paid attention to him and gave him a pony that he swore service to the King. Theoden mentioned that he be his esquire and Merry “filled with love for this old man, knelt on one knee, and took his hand and kissed it.” “Receive my service if you will”
We read that Pippin also swore allegiance to Denethor- why do you think Tolkien would see the importance that the hobbits align their interest in this way? How do Pippin and Merry know the importance of aligning their interests with these two great countries?
Discuss a little about Eowyn and Merry’s similarities of being left behind and the ways that we underestimate them. IN what ways have they been “left behind” and how does that affect their motivations to join the war in Gondor?
The ultimate act of courage
One of the climaxes of Return of the King is no doubt the slaying of the Witchking by Merry and Eowyn. It is a great moment where Eowyn stands up to the Nazgul “But no living man am I! You look upon a woman.You stand between me and my lord and kin. Begone, if you be not deathless! For living or dark undead, I will smite you, if you touch him.”
And Eowyn did give the last deathly blow and with MErry piercing the Nazgul’s knee and together they fought off one of the deadliest foes of Middle-earth.
This quote illustrates Merry’s change in courage because he had been so fearful up till now.
Pity filled his heart and great wonder, and suddenly the slow-kindled courage of his race awoke. He clenched hi shand. SHe should not die, so fair, ans so desperate! At least she should not die alone, unaided.”
We often hear about hobbits’ courage slowly being kindled. IN what other instances in the book do we hear this? Would there be another way in which Merry would be motivated to help?
Unlike the movies, we hear Merry say the last words to King Theoden. How powerful was this moving last lines with Theoden and how did it cement the relationship that the hobbits have with Rohan?
Tolkien always writes with purpose. How fitting was it that the sword of the Dunedain which battled the North-kingdom was used to kill the Witchking here after all the years of battle that was done?
Houses of Healing
Merry in the Houses of Healing says some wise things once he is awake. I always find this quote the wisest he’s ever been.
"It is best to love first what you are fitted to love, I suppose: you must start somewhere and have some roots, and the soil of the SHire is deep. Still there are things deeper and higher; and not a gaffer could tend his garden in what he calls peace but for them, whether he knows about them or not. I am glad that I know about them a little." -Merry
What accounts for his change after being healed by Aragorn? What are your thoughts on this quote and what does it mean?
Merry is again left behind as Pippin gets a chance to fight at the Black Gate. He has other ways to shine as he attempts to heal Faramir and Eowyn emotionally. Some may say that he moved the ball forward with getting Faramir more interested and vice versa.
Do you think Tolkien meant for Merry to be there to heal Eowyn and Faramir especially since all three were inflicted with the Black Breath? In what ways did they heal together?
The Scouring of the Shire
The most important way in which we see Merry grow is what he did when he returned to the Shire. It was described that Merry was the real leader in making change happen and to rally the hobbits for the Battle of Bywater.
What ways did Merry help move the hobbits to action? How do you think he could do so instead of Frodo who seemed like he did not want any part to give blows to others? Why was Frodo all right to take the backseat and let Merry take charge?
“But if there are many of these ruffians, it will certainly mean fighting. You can’t rescue Lotho, or the Shire, just by being shocked and sad, my dear Frodo.”
In what ways was Merry most suitable to organize and rally the hobbits in the stand against Saruman and the ruffians? How has his growth throughout the Quest prepared him for this moment? From his laying out his plans, to rallying the hobbits, to getting the ruffians in a trap and finally fighting off the largest ruffian, we see Merry at his best and bravest.
Later, Merry goes on to the Master of Buckland and also the authors of Herblore of the Shire and known for his Reckoning of Years in which he discusses the relation of the calendars of the Shire and Bree and those of Rivendell, Gondor and Rohan. He also wrote Old Words and Names in the Shire. He represents the Shire in the wider world along with Pippin. Do you think he may have used this Quest to flex his organizing and also leadership skills?
There is a reason why Merry and Pippin went on this Quest and also were the heirs to their respective powerful hobbit families and their wisdom and growth is very evident. What do you think of their influence and power? Is it suitable that since Frodo was too hurt from the Quest to stay that his kinsmen can continue to make sure that the Shirefolk stay relevant in the Fourth Age?
Merry also had strong bonds with Eowyn and Eomer in Rohan, Eowyn frequently sending gifts over to him. We do also hear that Merry and Pippin are buried alongside Aragorn in the future. THerefore, the Shire gets full protection from the King and of course, held in high respect in all of Middle-earth.
The influence of Merry is fairly obvious and we can see even from the beginning in “A Conspiracy Unmasked “ with him helping Frodo organize his departure from the Shire, to helping the Shire rid themselves of Saruman’s ruffians, to healing the Shire with Sam, he is one of the most important and influential hobbits. His growth and maturity is evident from being left behind from the Fellowship and needing to adapt to that, to helping Eowyn slay the Witch-king. He is eventually the Master of Buckland but also author of a lot of books and this goes to show us how “Magnificent” he really is.
"By Elbereth and Luthien the fair, you shall have neither the Ring nor me!" ~Frodo
"And then Gandalf arose and bid all men rise, and they rose, and he said: 'Here is a last hail ere the feast endeth. Last but not least. For I name now those who shall not be forgotten and without whose valour nought else that was done would have availed; and I name before you all Frodo of the Shire and Samwise his servant. And the bards and the minstrels should give them new names: Bronwe athan Harthad and Harthad Uluithiad , Endurance beyond Hope and Hope Unquenchable.." ~Gandalf, The End of the Third Age , from The History of Middle Earth series
"He knew now why Beregond spoke his name with love. He was a captain that men would follow, that he would follow, even under the shadow of the black wings."- Siege of Gondor, RotK
(This post was edited by elentari3018 on Mar 1, 4:48am)
|
|
|
Edit Log:
|
|
Post edited by elentari3018
(Nargothrond) on Mar 1, 4:48am
|
|
Post edited by elentari3018
(Nargothrond) on Mar 1, 4:48am
|
|
|
|
