FotR Book 2 Chapter 6 Reactions

[perpetual]

Aragorn kicks us off with the most depressing pep talk of all time, which is also incidentally one of my favorite lines. Hear me out: In most stories, the inspiration you want to receive once things appear to have reached rock bottom is that there's still hope. Because otherwise what's the point, right

Comments

[hamsterwoman]

where I felt more sympathetic towards Gimli's perspective than I thought I would. Yeah, it would have been easier for everyone if he had just complied right away so the others could walk with their eyes open, but that rule is crazy insulting and an honest man shouldn't meekly allow himself to be treated as a criminal.

I'm very much with Gimli on this whole issue -- the Lorien elves are xenophobic jerks :P (But that aside, I would love to visit and see the mallorn trees and the telain and all the things. Just on a purely visual level, I think the images we get in the Lorien chapter have stuck with me more than almost anything else in the book, the sole exception that has even Lorien beat out being Minas Tirith.)

[perpetual]

Yeah I feel like Tolkien put extra effort into the Lorien descriptions. Sam pinned it down pretty well noting how he thought Elves were all about stars and night but that this kind of majesty was a purely daylight thing. I wish mallorn trees were real.

[taaroko]

I bet that carry on without hope idea comes from Tolkien's WWI experience, in which most of his friends died. Sobering.

Was Tolkien before before the idea of opposing historical narratives really caught on? If so, it's fascinating to see the elves and dwarves exemplifying that idea. They have very different ideas of the past that they are super convinced are completely true, and to an outside observer it's just kind of annoying.

Heh, yeah, Gimli shouldn't have to put up with that kind of species profiling. Aragorn's solution was a good one, and Gimli's suggestion that he'd be cool with it if only Legolas was blindfolded too was pretty funny.

The hobbits being wary of the trees was sweet. They're not very tall; heights are always a new and frightening experience. I want to hug them.

What's the name of Sam's future kid? I don't remember.

How about that ropes course to cross the river? I would be a very bad companion on this quest.

[perpetual]

Wouldn't ordinarily point out a typo but I want to be sure I know what you meant in Was Tolkien before before the idea of opposing historical narratives really caught on? Just, whether or not he wrote this before it was popular to say "History is written by the winners"? Either way, I'm sure you're right about his WWI, and wow, that makes that part even sadder.

I don't think it's mentioned in the movies so I reiterate my spoiler warning, but Sam names his daughter Elenor after the flowers, at Frodo's suggestion.

How about that ropes course to cross the river? I would be a very bad companion on this quest.

I'm not saying I'd be a good one, but I would love to try the ropes course. So proud of the hobbits for that.