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CuriousG
Half-elven
Oct 18 2012, 8:13pm
Views: 994
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And superb quote too. While I think it's true that all fiction & poetry occur only "somewhere in our hearts," (except for really bad writing, which fouls our bowels), I think that quote is especially true regarding Tolkien's fans. It's an emotional, personal story to each of us, and that competes with our analytical thought. So we forgive and overlook some things, the way you do with a friend, and pick on other things, the way you do with the same friend. Hence for me, this isn't a goof, or even inconsistent, since I hold to the view that Aragorn wasn't omniscient and wasn't supposed to be, and was speaking generally, not categorically, and I move happily along as a reader with the little bit I've learned that Sauron may want everyone in Middle-earth to obey him, but he doesn't want any slaves on a first-name basis with him. Others, obviously, see it as a crack in the foundation of Tolkien's constructed universe. I'm not sure we can all reach agreement on this. That leads me back to your question, where I would answer that the author is mostly the deity, but every author makes mistakes that they overlook, and then readers assume a position of power, in a way, because they become "right" when they spot it. I can't think of anything off the bat, but let's say Tolkien wrote in one spot, "But the hobbits dreaded to return to the valley of Rivendell, which had forever been the home of orcs." Then the reader would be right to call it a goof, and Tolkien would be wrong. And of course he'd correct if it was pointed out to him. It would be a gray/grey zone to decide who's the deity if Tolkien wrote "Boromir looked upon Galadriel, and he was filled with great dread." A reader could argue that Tolkien had mistakenly made her "dreadful" as if she were evil, and the reader now disliked Galadriel, who's supposed to be good, though the author could argue back that the intent was that Boromir's dread arose from having Galadriel perceive the corruption that was gnawing at his heart, and that it was Galadriel's goodness that exposed the problem. So the argument could go either way there. Which means I'm playing Elf today, because if you come to me for an opinion, I will say yes and no.
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Subject
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User
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Time
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A so called "inconsistency"
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aruman
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Oct 11 2012, 12:54pm
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Your conclusion is what I've always thought myself.
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CuriousG
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Oct 11 2012, 4:28pm
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Thanks...
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aruman
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Oct 11 2012, 6:04pm
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Inconsistency is as inconsistency does
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squire
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Oct 11 2012, 6:41pm
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Inconsistency vs. complexity
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CuriousG
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Oct 11 2012, 8:13pm
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Exactly
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aruman
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Oct 12 2012, 1:34am
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That's not what I would call complexity.
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sador
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Oct 12 2012, 12:41pm
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"No doubt?" Really?
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aruman
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Oct 12 2012, 3:33pm
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Plenty of doubt, when you think about it
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CuriousG
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Oct 12 2012, 7:10pm
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technically, runes versus letters...
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Elthir
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Oct 13 2012, 10:24pm
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Thank you!
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aruman
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Oct 14 2012, 4:51pm
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What reason would Sauron have at that point...
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mandel
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Oct 11 2012, 11:56pm
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Maybe
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aruman
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Oct 12 2012, 1:30am
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From Parma Eldalamberon 17, Saura (Quenya) = foul, vile...
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Tweezers of Thu
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Oct 12 2012, 12:49pm
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So, it's not his real name.
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Elizabeth
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Oct 12 2012, 8:47pm
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By Jove, er, Jupiter, I mean...Zeus!
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Tweezers of Thu
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Oct 12 2012, 10:08pm
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My take...
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Morthoron
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Oct 13 2012, 1:45am
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This...
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Tweezers of Thu
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Oct 13 2012, 3:57pm
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A Dark Lord by any other name...
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Elthir
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Oct 13 2012, 10:48pm
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You might be right, i.e., . . .
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Tweezers of Thu
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Oct 15 2012, 1:25pm
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My take on it as well and what is Aragorn's "real" name anyway?
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telain
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Oct 19 2012, 1:19pm
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S is for Sauron
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Elthir
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Oct 19 2012, 6:09pm
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true, true!
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telain
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Oct 20 2012, 11:25am
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The meaning 'disgusting, foul, vile'...
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Elthir
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Oct 13 2012, 10:30pm
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Thanks for the correction!
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Tweezers of Thu
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Oct 13 2012, 10:46pm
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Another distinction
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Phibbus
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Oct 18 2012, 3:47am
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Why do you assume the MoS was permitted to use the name?
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Noel Q. von Schneiffel
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Oct 20 2012, 12:49pm
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Perhaps there is consistency
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Plurmo
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Oct 12 2012, 4:27am
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I think you've hit the nail on the head.
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FarFromHome
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Oct 12 2012, 10:35am
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It could have been
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ElendilTheShort
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Oct 13 2012, 8:36am
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That would be me...
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FarFromHome
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Oct 14 2012, 11:58am
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Can one be "willing" or "unwilling" when one no longer has a will?
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squire
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Oct 14 2012, 1:35pm
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Good point
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FarFromHome
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Oct 14 2012, 8:21pm
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I'm of the opinion loyalty must be a willing choice
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ElendilTheShort
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Oct 15 2012, 6:52am
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A couple great points here
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aruman
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Oct 14 2012, 5:10pm
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Question
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aruman
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Oct 14 2012, 5:19pm
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Excellent question
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CuriousG
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Oct 18 2012, 8:13pm
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The Difficulty of having a Lord one can't name...
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Morthoron
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Oct 19 2012, 3:49am
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Very nice!
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sador
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Oct 21 2012, 8:25am
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