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TORn Amateur Symposium
Bree
Apr 19 2014, 7:01am
Post #1 of 16
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TORn AMATEUR SYMPOSIUM Day Four: "Aragorn and the Weight of Lineage" by RangerLady23
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Welcome to April 2014 TORn Amateur Symposium, the third TAS!
We are very pleased to present the next essay for TAS3:
Click here to view "Aragorn and the Weight of Lineage" by RangerLady23
Abstract
This essay is based on a conversation I had on Barliman’s Chat about our favorite characters and why we liked them. I find Aragorn to be a fascinating person and really, one of Tolkien’s best written characters overall.
This essay will take you on a trip through the history of Man and discover why there really is more to Aragorn than meets the eye. I will take you through his thought process and his fears about his destiny and who he should really be.
I think you will enjoy this essay and be able to look at the character and maybe yourself, just a little differently at the end.
To view an essay, please click on the link above.
Our authors have written essays and analyses that are concerned, in some way, with the legendarium of John Ronald Reuel Tolkien. These essays may be philosophic opinions, scientific theories, or analytical approaches to understanding or highlighting some facet of Tolkien's writings and world. These pieces are written with the goal of amateur scholarship at their core - thus inspiring our Symposium title. Authors may choose to include citations or footnotes, but they are by no means required. Keeping in mind the dual spirit of enjoyment and inquiry that we believe in (as much as we value cheer and song), and which is of paramount important to both the TAS team and our authors, we fully encourage discussion of the essays presented. We hope you enjoy it as much as we enjoy posting it. The TAS is open for discussion, and any comments, questions or thought you wish to share about this essay can be posted in this response to this thread.
We have quite a full schedule of essays - essays will posted every other day. The schedule can be found here.
So please, go forth and enjoy all of the works we have posted for this 2014 April Session. The entire TAS Team, (Elaen32, Brethil and DanielLB), is both delighted and proud to present the essays our TAS members have crafted, relating their interests and skills to the world of JRRT that we all love; a world most intricately crafted, and one that "takes hold of us, and never let's go."
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noWizardme
Half-elven
Apr 19 2014, 9:11am
Post #2 of 16
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Not your average fantasy hero, to be sure
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Thanks for this very enjoyable and interesting essay, RangerLady 23!
I agree, Aragorn is very different from many a fantasy hero (or indeed fiction hero). He seems more like a real and admirable person than a container for the reader's wish fulfilment.
Another thing I thought when reading this is how little of Aragorn's back story as you present it here (the back-story of his lineage as well as his life personally) is actually told explicitly in the LOTR. This is especially true if one imagines reading it as it published, without access to the appendices until the end!. Nonetheless, his story is told, seemingly as information incidental to the matter of the Ring in such a way that one senses his struggles, even while lacking the history to see them with full clarity.
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"… ever let your aim be to come at truth, not to conquer your opponent. So you never shall be at a loss in losing the argument, and gaining a new discovery.”
Arthur Martine
"nowimë I am in the West, Furincurunir to the Dwarves (or at least, to their best friend) and by other names in other lands. Mostly they just say 'Oh no it's him - look busy!' "
Or "Hold off! unhand me, grey-beard loon!"
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Khim
Bree
Apr 19 2014, 1:33pm
Post #3 of 16
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An excellent assessment of Aragorn, who happens to be an excellent example of the hidden depths of Middle-earth.
I have heard many folks over the years dismiss LOTR for lack of character development, describing it as a simple tale of good and evil. They belong to the "didn't get it" group. I do not condemn them or anything, I am just thankful I belong in a different group. Rangerlady definitely gets it. Aragorn is revealed to us very gradually, and often with mere hints to his past, or only in a brief moment of doubt, or act of kindness. These seemingly small things combine to create a great character. It is tempting to use the common metaphor of the onion, that Aragorn's character is peeled away, each layer revealed exposing another. Only I wish an onion had a strawberry or something in the middle to symbolize how sweet it is to see him finally revealed in all his glory.
The popularity of Tolkien's books show that many many folks "get it." To get it I think requires a willingness to imagine the vast stretches of time, and rich history that Tolkien only reveals in vague glimpses. Only then do you start to feel the weight of Aragorn's long struggles with doubt and destiny, and appreciate his honor, humility, and committment to what is right.
The Wiz brought up a very significant point regarding experiencing Middle-earth without The Silmarillion, or other supplementary material. I read LOTR before The Silmarillion was published, although there were Appendices, and loved it, not sure if I "got it" right away, but I kept at it. And as Rangerlady said each reading revealed more. Many love LOTR without going further in their reading, so I think it works as intended, the brilliant depth and joys of hidden realms can stand alone. But I believe that Tolkien's obsession with invented language and myth, and the fact that so much of that hidden depth had actually been created, contribute immeasurably to LOTR's verisimilitude.
Looking at Aragorn it seems Tolkien painted his portrait on a huge canvas, with a very light brush. If you don't concentrate you miss how brilliant a charcter he is.
I am Khim akin to Mim.
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Brethil
Half-elven
Apr 19 2014, 3:43pm
Post #4 of 16
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The weight that Aragorn carries
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The opposite side of the coin of the waiting King: the heredity of so many flawed and disastrous choices by his ancestors. Statistically then, it is even more unlikely that Aragorn could succeed based on the past. But both full knowledge of what has come before and the acceptance of responsibility for things which are only potentially his faults seem to serve as a guide for Aragorn.
JRRT writes something like that in Letters in relation to how he views justice - that the best one can do is create a higher standard, even one nigh unachievable, for oneself since an individual never knows their ultimate strength and what they can achieve unless they strive for the most distant of goals. It would appear that he applied this ideal of his to Aragorn; though we only get hints of the darker burdens Aragorn carries in the written text. But things like this enhance the reads over and over, as you point out.
Very enjoyable read RangerLady! Thank you! 
The Third TORn Amateur Symposium kicks off this Sunday, April 13th, in the Reading Room. Come and join us for Tolkien-inspired writings!
**CoH Rem. Just sayin' **
(This post was edited by Brethil on Apr 19 2014, 3:43pm)
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RangerLady23
Lorien
Apr 19 2014, 7:57pm
Post #5 of 16
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I agree that he is an example of Middle-earth's complexities
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seems a lot of Tolkien's characters are complex, but Aragorn seems to be a complexity wrapped within an enigma.
Glad to see that my essay is enjoyable!
This is my first year partaking in TAS and so far I am enjoying myself thoroughly and I am glad to see that I didn't just write a big mess that no one understands! 
"Ring-Ding" That moment when you are reading or watching Tolkien and the light bulb goes off that you have found something you've never seen before
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DanielLB
Immortal
Apr 19 2014, 8:19pm
Post #6 of 16
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You can see how much Aragorn grows (personally) throughout The Lord of the Rings.
What I've always found fascinating with Aragorn is that at the end of The Fellowship of the Ring, everyone goes running off into the woods in different directions, and Aragorn can't do a thing to stop them ( "All that I have done today has gone amiss!"). Yet, by the Field of Cormallen he's a completely different person (literally, and metaphorically [Strider -> Aragorn]. It's hard to believe the Strider we meet could be the same Aragorn who showed the power and rulership he did to Sauron in the palantir, or to the Army of the Dead at the Stone of Erech.
Your penultimate sentence sums it up nicely:
The character of Aragorn is a testament to that ability and I see something different in him at each reading. A different person emerges and I am amazed each time.
But I'd emphasise that this applies to *all* the characters. I've only really felt I understood Legolas and Gimli in the last couple of (re-)readings of the book. Gimli has become a particular favourite of mine. Whether he was tending a fire, rambling of the wonders of Moria, slaying Orcs at Helm's Deep, or smoking a relaxing pipe in Isengard, he is always portrayed as a kind and thoughtful character. He never thinks of himself first, but instead the greater task at hand. Examples of this are the Paths of the Dead, and going into Lothlorien despite fears of an Elven witch. All he craves is equality, and understanding, and in turn he risks his very life, as he did when he saved Eomer. (That was a bit off topic ...)
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RangerLady23
Lorien
Apr 19 2014, 8:24pm
Post #7 of 16
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It is amazing to see his growth and I find myself laying down the book towards the end of ROTK and just pondering it, because I can't quite seem to link up Strider the Ranger with the Aragorn of the Black Gate or Cormallen.
In finding his true self, he seems to realize that his inner Aragorn is not the same as the persona he has been wearing for so long. It changes him from one character to another and I find the fact that Tolkien was able to do that is amazing!
"Ring-Ding" That moment when you are reading or watching Tolkien and the light bulb goes off that you have found something you've never seen before
(This post was edited by RangerLady23 on Apr 19 2014, 8:25pm)
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Rembrethil
Tol Eressea
Apr 20 2014, 2:20am
Post #8 of 16
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This truly is a great reminder to us of the aspects of the story that are hidden from sight. The 'Unwritten-but-subtlely-implies-story' might be an un-wieldy name for it!
There really were a lot of things on Aragorn's mind. After Gandalf fell, we are told he is troubled. OK, we know he is troubled, but what by? Your excellent piece shows us some of what lies underneath the text. In the absence of Gandlaf, he had to consider not only the failures of Men, his own upcoming testing, the desire to go to Minas Tirith, his desire for Arwen, his doubts about his own ability, the misgivings he had for Arwen, but now also to add the fate of the Ring and the entire Fellowship. He was really troubled!!
Sometimes it is easy to gloss over the short statements and remarks that can be fraught with deep meaning. Tolkien can't go into page long delineations of the state of each character's mind, so we are left to make our own inferences, and the real mastership is shown in leaving enough for the reader to follow through to the underlying layers, and it seems that he has been successful! RangerLady23, you have had a break through!!!
Call me Rem, and remember, not all who ramble are lost...Uh...where was I?
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noWizardme
Half-elven
Apr 20 2014, 9:12am
Post #10 of 16
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I think Aragorn's troubles are described in the following:
Aragorn was still divided in his mind.
His own plan, while Gandalf remained with them, had been to go with Boromir, and with his sword help to deliver Gondor. For he believed that the message of the dreams was a summons, and that the hour had come at last when the heir of Elendil should come forth and strive with Sauron for the mastery. But in Moria the burden of Gandalf had been laid on him; and he knew that he could not now forsake the Ring, if Frodo refused in the the end to go with Boromir. And yet what help could he or any of the company give to Frodo, save to walk blindly with them into the darkness?'
from Farewell to Lorien, FOTR
It's perhaps characteristic that the dilemma for Aragorn is not resolved by Frodo slipping off, but by the need to rescue Merry and Pippin.
~~~~~~
"… ever let your aim be to come at truth, not to conquer your opponent. So you never shall be at a loss in losing the argument, and gaining a new discovery.”
Arthur Martine
"nowimë I am in the West, Furincurunir to the Dwarves (or at least, to their best friend) and by other names in other lands. Mostly they just say 'Oh no it's him - look busy!' "
Or "Hold off! unhand me, grey-beard loon!"
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noWizardme
Half-elven
Apr 20 2014, 5:06pm
Post #11 of 16
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Frodo is 'meant to have the Ring' : is Aragorn 'meant' to have the throne?
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Or does he succeed without that being his particular fate?
~~~~~~
"… ever let your aim be to come at truth, not to conquer your opponent. So you never shall be at a loss in losing the argument, and gaining a new discovery.”
Arthur Martine
"nowimë I am in the West, Furincurunir to the Dwarves (or at least, to their best friend) and by other names in other lands. Mostly they just say 'Oh no it's him - look busy!' "
Or "Hold off! unhand me, grey-beard loon!"
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Rembrethil
Tol Eressea
Apr 20 2014, 6:12pm
Post #12 of 16
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Also, there is the fact that he does choose to help others (e.g. Merry and Pippin, Theoden, Eomer, and others) rather than follow his own path directly to his goals. It could be very frustrating to be asked to do all these dangerous things for other people, none of it helping you in any way really. It takes a lot of selflessness to do that.
Call me Rem, and remember, not all who ramble are lost...Uh...where was I?
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SirDennisC
Half-elven
Apr 20 2014, 6:27pm
Post #13 of 16
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Maybe. Trailing off *Beowulf's* underlying lament --
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I sometimes wonder if Aragorn didn't want to usher in the Age of Men -- not only for the many weighty reasons you mention -- but also because it would radically change the Middle-earth he loved... the one with Elves and magic in it?
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ajgetway
The Shire
Apr 21 2014, 5:01pm
Post #14 of 16
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Another excellent essay in this Symposium! I too love the character of Aragorn and he is one of Tolkien's most developed characters. I thought your point was valid and you did a great job of giving evidence for it. However, I think you could have delved deeper. Shown what Aragorn did or maybe shown what another character would have done in Aragorn's stead. But, still, a great essay!
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elaen32
Gondor
Apr 21 2014, 8:01pm
Post #15 of 16
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Interesting points RangerLady..
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Sorry to be late in my replies- I've been having a brilliant time at Hobbitcon in Germany for the past four days- more of that later.
I like the way you have portrayed Aragorn's burdens past, present and future. I have to confess that when I first read the book, I was very confused when Aragorn starts talking about his kin as the Fellowship pass the Argonath- who is this guy?? Fortunately I got there before Pippin did !!! He is one of my favourite Tolkien characters, and I don't find him at all one dimensional as some do.
Thanks for your contribution to TAS and I hope we read more from you in the future 
Is there a Tolkien topic that you have wanted to look into more deeply and write about your thoughts on it? If so, we'd like to hear from you for the next TORn Amateur Symposium- coming in April. Happy writing!
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Brethil
Half-elven
Apr 21 2014, 9:32pm
Post #16 of 16
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Thanks for stopping in...since we ALL can't be at Hobbitcon...
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On my first turbo-read, I confess I did a Pippin too, and was a bit puzzled when the reveals peek out about Aragorn's lineage. Upon further reads - as possibly intended by JRRT? - the knowledge feels different.
The Third TORn Amateur Symposium kicks off this Sunday, April 13th, in the Reading Room. Come and join us for Tolkien-inspired writings!
**CoH Rem. Just sayin' **
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