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12-16-2003, 03:56 PM | #1 | ||
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Accomplishments and Personal Growth of All Members of the Fellowship
In Hector's spirit of keeping the Book forum alive, I start a new and interesting thread.
I believe Tolkien described Legolas as the least important, or perhaps the one who accomplished the least of the Fellowship. (If someone knows that actual quote that would be appreciated.) What did each member of the Fellowship accomplish that was important? Frodo carried the Ring, a terrible burden, to Mount Doom, where he helped destroy it. He also resisted a poisonned knife wound from a Nazgul. In the thread, we can discuss important feats of Frodo and the Fellowship.
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"I can add some more, if you'd like it. Calling your Chief Names, Wishing to Punch his Pimply Face, and Thinking you Shirriffs look a lot of Tom-fools." - Sam Gamgee, p. 340, Return of the King Quote:
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12-16-2003, 04:46 PM | #2 |
Alasailon
Join Date: Apr 2003
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Well we all knew how the Hobbits grew. Merry and Pippin becoming soldiers in the Mark and Gondor and becoming great captains within the Shire. Frodo and Sam of course fulfilled the quest. Aragorn came into his own. Gimli eventually set up his own kingdom in the Glittering Caves as did Legolas nearby for as long as Gimli was around. Gandalf of course could go back to the West after completing his mission.
I do agree though that in all Legolas "evolved" the least because right from the beginning of the story we pretty much knew where he was headed. He would eventually go with the rest of his people into the West. All of his exploits were at best equal to a good supporting role. To me he is the only one that never really took center stage at some point in the story.
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"and then this hobbit was walking, and then this elf jumped out of a bush and totally flipped out on him while wailing on his guitar." "Anglorfin was tall and straight; his hair was of shining gold, his face fair and young and fearless and full of anger; his eyes were bright and keen, and his voice like music; on his brow sat wisdom, and in his hand was great skill." |
12-19-2003, 03:28 PM | #3 |
"The Bomb"
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I believe Gimli to be the least important. After all, Legolas was the connection to the fellowship who got them into Lorien, and Gimli was only a setback here. He was setback through much of the book actually, as the slowest of the Three Hunters, the most stubborn (but cool) member of the Fellowship, and arguably (I shoud stress arguably) the cause for Gandalf's "delay", since he was so persistent in going through Moria.
Please correct me kindly if I'm wrong, but the only significant growth I saw in Gimli was the reversal of his hate for the Elves. NOTE: By NO means at all do I mean to saw that Gimli isn't important, or that he isn't the most downright badass character, because he definately is. It's just impossible to ignore his stubborness and slowness.
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12-19-2003, 03:49 PM | #4 | |
Cyber Elf Lord
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I think you are slightly incorrect about Moria. Given a choice between Moria or the pass of Caradhas, Gimli chose Moria. The Fellowship went to Moria only after trying to go through the pass of Caradhas. If I had to choose it probably would be Legolas, Boromir or Gimli (with me leaning towards Gimli) only by default. I think the Other members of the fellowship did more. I will need to think more in choosing between the three above.
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Sincerely, Anthony 'Many are my names in many countries,' he said. 'Mithrandir among the Elves, Tharkûn to the Drarves; Olórin I was in my youth in the West that is forgotten, in the South Incánus, in the North Gandalf; to the East I go not.' Faramir What nobler employment, or more valuable to the state, than that of the man who instructs the rising generation? Cicero (106BC-43BC) |
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12-19-2003, 04:55 PM | #5 | |
High King of Númenórë
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'Et Eärello Endorenna utúlien. Sinome maruvan ar Hildinyar tenn' Ambar-metta!' - And those were the words that Elendil spoke when he came up out of the Sea on the wings of the wind: 'Out of the Great Sea to Middle-earth I am come. In this place will I abide, and my heirs, unto the ending of the world.' 'Then Tuor arrayed himself in the hauberk, and set the helm upon his head, and he girt himself with the sword; black were sheath and belt with clasps of silver. Thus armed he went forth from Turgon's hall, and stood upon the high terraces of Taras in the red light of the sun. None were there to see him, as he gazed westward, gleaming in silver and gold, and he knew not that in that hour he appeared as one of the Mighty of the West, and fit to be father of the kings of the Kings of Men beyond the Sea, as it was indeed his doom to be; but in the taking of those arms a change came upon Tuor son of Huor, and his heart grew great within him. And as he stepped down from the doors the swans did him reverence, and plucking each a great feather from their wings they proffered them to him, laying their long necks upon the stone before his feet; and he took the seven feathers and set them in the crest of his helm, and straightway the swans arose and flew north in the sunset, and Tuor saw them no more.' -Of Tuor and his Coming to Gondolin "Oh. Forgive me, fairest of all males of Entmoot...Back down, all ye other wannabe fairest males! Dunedain is the fairest!" --Linaewen |
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12-19-2003, 05:23 PM | #6 | |
Sapling
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Only in the movies does it appear that Gimli is clumsy, slow, and easily runs out of breath. I believe that the director did this to give the movie some comic relief because, before Gollum, there was no funny characters in the movie. Last edited by Silmo : 12-19-2003 at 05:26 PM. |
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12-21-2003, 09:57 PM | #7 |
The Redneck Elf
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If importance doesn't necesarily mean being good, then Boromir was definately important. He saved Merry and Pippin, and was kind of reponsible for Sam and Frodo going to Mordor alone. Towards the end of his life he change dhis veiws on the Ring and how it should be used. He definately developed. (If I am getting the books confused with the movies, please correct me. I'm planning to reread them soon.)
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12-22-2003, 12:06 AM | #8 | |
"The Bomb"
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I believe they could have made it through the Pass [that I don't want to spell] more easily than Moria, and with a better result, I might add. They'd have no way of knowing that though.
Say what you want, but Gimli stayed the same in my eyes. Although, Anglorfin, I do see your point, in that Legolas was already an angel in the beginning. He stayed the same too. Quote:
At some point, he must have, or at least should have, known that the Ring had to be destroyed and not used. But he was obviously corrupted by the Ring. Later, of course, he overcomes this and fights for Frodo, but he didn't actually learn or develop anything new. He probably could have, but it's that damn Ring!
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12-23-2003, 10:30 PM | #9 |
Elf Lord
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From a Michael Martinez Suite101 article:
"Tolkien at one point said of Legolas that, of all the members of the Fellowship, the Elf had achieved the least. Many people have disagreed with Tolkien about that assessment. After all, Gimli didn't bring down any flying Nazgul. Nor, for that matter, did Aragorn or Boromir. Even Meriadoc only earned honorable mention for sneaking up behind the Lord of the Nazgul and stabbing him in the rear of the leg. Of course, Legolas didn't kill the Nazgul (he was dead already) -- just the flying steed." _______________________________________ 1) I know I've seen the observation by Tolkien about Legolas achieving the least somewhere ("Letters"?) but can't find it. Agh!!! 2) It seems to me that book Boromir achieved less and grew less, and next least, achieving wise, was Gimli. But the remarkable forging of friendship between Legolas and Gimli was alone a great achievement (must have been some great tales and songs made of it when the two arrived over Sea, perhaps finally writing finis to that nasty bit involving the two races in Beleriand). Oh, and why wasn't Gimli more ticked off at Treebeard, given the ents helping Beren at Sarn Athrad? an accomplishment rating? 1--- Frodo (well, duh) 2--- Gandalf 3--- Aragorn 4--- Sam 5--- Merry 6--- Pippin 7--- Legolas 8--- Gimli 9--- Boromir While I put Sam at "4", I've also thought that it would have been interesting if JRRT had actually had Frodo be killed by Shelob or the orcs and then have Sam and Gollum go on. That would have been an interesting dynamic. _____________________________________ Also, in consideration of Aragorn's importance in the Fellowship, how about the Top Ten list below (theonering.net) showing his superiority over L. Skywalker MOON LETTERS : TOOKISH TICKLERS Top Ten Reasons Aragorn is cooler than Luke Skywalker - Lord of the Dance 10 Aragorn's two side kicks are way cooler than the druids. 9 Aragorn gets a girl. 8 Aragorn does not whine. 7 Aragorn's mystical mentor comes back to life for real. 6 Aragorn's father is really dead. 5 Aragorn disappears and comes back leading an army, Luke disappears and comes back wearing a cloak. 4 Aragorn never had a thing for his sister. 3 The little people that Aragorn hangs out with are only furry on their feet. 2 At the end of his trilogy, Aragorn gets to be a king. …And the number one reason that Aragorn is cooler than Luke Skywalker 1. Aragorn's sword does not need batteries.
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11-15-2005, 09:01 PM | #10 | ||
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*thread reviving*
I think Boromir did grow a lot as a person. He went from resenting Aragorn to respecting him. I think this shows maturity - he didn't just hold a grudge. He also fought off about thirty Uruk-Hai single-handedly until finally succumbing to horrible wounds. I also think Sam deserves the #2 spot. He rescued Frodo from a tower guarded by those horrible sentries, and by hundreds of Orcs. He carried Frodo up Mount Doom. How is that not worthy of number 2? Granted, Gandalf defeated a Balrog and Aragorn reclaimed a lost throne and was instrumental in winning Pelennor Fields, but Sam, also a Ringbearer, earns #2 in my mind. It is hard to compare each individual's accomplishments. Each member of the company did such great deeds, they are hard to contrast with each other.
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"I can add some more, if you'd like it. Calling your Chief Names, Wishing to Punch his Pimply Face, and Thinking you Shirriffs look a lot of Tom-fools." - Sam Gamgee, p. 340, Return of the King Quote:
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11-16-2005, 12:23 AM | #11 |
Fenway Ranger, Lord of Red Sox Nation
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Boromir really doesn't deserve last spot. He goes about 3 or 4 I think...he was a key member of the Fellowship all along.
1. Frodo 2. Sam 3. Gandalf 4. Aragorn 5. Boromir 6. Merry 7. Pippin 8. Gimli 9. Legolas It's too bad Merry and Pippin end up 6 and 7...it's just 1-5 do such impressive stuff...
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Adventure...betrayal...heroism... Atharon: where heroes are born. My wife once said to me—when I'd been writing for ten or fifteen years—that I could always go back to being a nuclear engineer. And I said to her, 'Harriet, would you let someone who quit his job to go write fantasy anywhere near your nuclear reactor? I wouldn't!' (Robert Jordan) |
11-18-2005, 12:55 AM | #12 | ||
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I agree with you about Boromir Curubethion, but does Legolas deserve the last spot?
Maybe we should "rank" accomplishments differently and allow for ties. 1. Frodo 2. Sam 3. Aragorn, Gandalf 4. Boromir, Gimli, Legolas, Merry, Pippin ?
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"I can add some more, if you'd like it. Calling your Chief Names, Wishing to Punch his Pimply Face, and Thinking you Shirriffs look a lot of Tom-fools." - Sam Gamgee, p. 340, Return of the King Quote:
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11-18-2005, 04:57 PM | #13 |
Warrior of the House of Hador
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I would say that Boromir accomplished alot, and should be oint second with Sam and Aragorn. He was corrupted by the ring but overcame it, and regained honour in death. That for me is a great accomplishment.
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Then Huor spoke and said: "Yet if it stands but a little while, then out of your house shall come the hope of Elves and Men. This I say to you, lord, with the eyes of death: though we part here for ever, and I shall not look on your white walls again, from you and me a new star shall arise. Farewell!" The Silmarillion, Nirnaeth Arnoediad, Page 230 |
11-18-2005, 08:26 PM | #14 | |
Fenway Ranger, Lord of Red Sox Nation
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Adventure...betrayal...heroism... Atharon: where heroes are born. My wife once said to me—when I'd been writing for ten or fifteen years—that I could always go back to being a nuclear engineer. And I said to her, 'Harriet, would you let someone who quit his job to go write fantasy anywhere near your nuclear reactor? I wouldn't!' (Robert Jordan) |
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