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sador
Half-elven
Apr 5 2008, 9:58pm
Views: 1044
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A. If Frodo was prevented from going, who does Merry think should go instead?
Nobody.
I mean, if you point out an option is wrong, you don't really need to offer a substitute immediately. Politicians love asking the opposition: "What alternative do you suggest?" But often, the alternative could be just rethinking your whole strategy, and seeing if it is correct. It MIGHT be - but only after having clarified that, you must think of other tactics.
Why is Merry suddenly rethinking the decision of much older and wiser people than he when he agreed with it before?
Celeborn considered Gandalf's going through Moria as folly. And even though Galadreil rebuked him, her one knight among the fellowship, was not convinced (from the end of 'The Riders of Rohan'):
'But Gandalf chose to come himself, and he was the first to be lost' answered Gimli. 'His foresight failed him'. Older and wiser people might be wrong, and Gandalf himself admits to quite a few mistakes. Apart of that, Merry did share a boat with Boromir for ten days - he must have been influenced a bit.
B. Why didn’t anyone else notice Boromir wasn’t there? Wouldn’t somebody have noticed an absence of hints suggesting Gondor?
For the same reason Sam didn't bother anybody with news of Gollum in the previous chapter: everybody minds his own business. Only Sam spies on Boromir (and possibly on others as well) out of concern for Frodo, and needs to apologise for it (in 'The Window on the West' - although he might have been apologising for the presumtion to discuss Boromir with his brother).
C. If it’s not their job to help Frodo decide, why were they about to try a vote a few minutes ago to help him decide?
Answered already by others.
But I would like to point out that Aragorn's allowing Frodo to make up his mind alone, and waiting for his decision, is one of his choices who he sees as bad ("Since we passed through the Argonath my choices have gone amiss" - 'The Riders of Rohan'), but ultimately are correct, providing the Curious-Jackson solution of decoy.
Aragorn's refraining from enforcing his own counsel on Frodo, are another case in LOTR of following your heart rather than your brains, and another case in which such a choice is justified.
D. When was Boromir planning on telling them the full story, if not now? He knew he would have to eventually, so why doesn’t he do it now?
Did he know that? But he needed time for himself, to process his own thoughts (he was wandering since, not knowing how much time has passed, since Frodo left him); and he was clearly ashamed.
One should notice that Boromir hasn't actually lied, but he hasn't told the full truth (as Sam says later). He still is himself, and not really corrupted; but he hasn't confessed, which is a neccessary step towards redemption (as a devout Catholic, like Tolkien, would see it). Two threads ago, you've asked whether Boromir has truly repented - and I believe his words now (and his professed intention to confess later) are critical to that question.
E. Why does a sudden panic or madness fall on the Company? Merry has just pointed out that Frodo would have taken off the Ring anyway, but everyone runs off.
Could it be the Eye?
But I would compare it to Turin's running wildly, at the end of 'The Children of Hurin', when he hears 'the feet of his doom overtaking him'. The Fellowship as such, has met its doom, and only when they are scattered they might recuperate.
"For many long years I have pondered" - Galadriel
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User
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Time
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Breaking of the Fellowship part 5
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Milady
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Apr 5 2008, 12:47am
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Ok, I'll try a few of these...
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Laerasëa
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Apr 5 2008, 4:03am
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Thoughts.
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Curious
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Apr 5 2008, 3:12pm
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I'm reminded of
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Modtheow
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Apr 5 2008, 7:49pm
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This council, however, is incomplete.
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Curious
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Apr 5 2008, 8:11pm
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a variation on a theme, maybe
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Modtheow
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Apr 6 2008, 1:47pm
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Contrasting variations, then.
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Curious
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Apr 7 2008, 1:02pm
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By definition
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Modtheow
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Apr 8 2008, 5:17pm
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I agree.
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Curious
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Apr 8 2008, 7:40pm
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Nice point about the “Big Picture”. //
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N.E. Brigand
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Mar 22 2009, 9:03am
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That's interesting
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Milady
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Apr 5 2008, 10:08pm
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Collapse
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sador
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Apr 5 2008, 9:58pm
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Panic in the Ranks
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Dreamdeer
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Apr 6 2008, 11:58pm
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One thing
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FarFromHome
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Apr 7 2008, 4:51pm
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Well
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Darkstone
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Apr 8 2008, 6:12pm
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