Pippin&Denethor
 

I'm reading the 1st chapter of RotK (I've read it before, just re-reading), and I am completely stumped by the reasons for Pippin's sudden impulse to join Denethor's service. http://www.plauder-smilies.de/tiere/grommit.gif
As far as I can see it was pretty spontaneous, he hadn't had time to plan it beforehand... so why did he do it? http://www.plauder-smilies.de/tiere/grommit.gif

Does anyone have any ideas? Or has a topic on this been posted before? http://www.plauder-smilies.de/tiere/grommit.gif

There are a few clues in what Pippin himself says: I have the impression that Pippin offers himself to Denethor as a substitute for the son who died for his sake.

Had to be respect for Boromir.

I too think it was pretty spontaneous. I don’t have the book in front of me, but if I remember correctly, even Gandalf was surprised by Pippin’s action.

The thing about hobbits, is that even though they appear to be clumsy and bumbling, mere simpletons, on the surface, they possess a hidden wisdom and foreknowledge deep below their love of six meals a day, pipe weed, the hearth, and a good story or song. I suspect that Pippin had one of those moments of hobbit “Ah Ha!” and acted on it without consideration.

I agree it was basically because of respect for Boromir (and the fond memory of him) as the others have said.

But I also think it had a lot to do with Hobbit pride. Pippin had recently been through a lot of humiliating stuff on all different levels, from the Uruk-hai to the disdain of Saruman to the encounter with the Palantír and Sauron, etc. So he was itching to prove that he wasn't the wimpy little bumbling Hobbit everyone thought he was.

And so Pippin (surprise of the ages! [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img] ) acted compulsively. This is somewhat what Bill Ferny said...but I'd have to disagree about it being a result of the hidden wisdom and foreknowledge of Hobbits. It seems to me just to be youth speaking: "Oh yeah?? I'm no rag-tag-tagalong, and I'll prove it to you!"