|
In reading back through the thread I see that the idea of sacrifice, which I mentioned in passing in the first post, has not really been addressed yet -- and I think it might be helpful to do so.
Can we say that the one thing which concretely differentiates Boromir and Eowyn from Gollum is that B and E willingly sacrifice themselves in defense of people whom they are duty-bound to protect, while Gollum is unwillingly sacrificed by Providence after he harms the person he is duty-bound to protect?
The idea of sacrifice is an important one in the story: Frodo, most obviously, has to sacrifice everything he has; Arwen, too, has to sacrifice her immortal life (and Elrond has to share in this); Sam is willing to sacrifice everything, and does give up a year of his life in which he had, as it turns out, been planning on getting married. Even Aragorn sacrifices something: he is, of course, willing to sacrifice himself (and his entire army!) to help Frodo get to Mount Doom, but even after this success he does have to give up his name and the identity that he's had for his whole life in order to fulfil a prophecy and a Providential role over which he has no control. . .
Herm. . .a new thought. . .
Boromir, Eowyn and Gollum are linked in that they all of them pursue their own desires in direct contravention to what is needed or required of them by the Story, but redemption comes about for them through sacrifice. But then, this raises the even stickier notion of free will: if they hadn't gone out on their own, then would things have turned out well? Are their sacrifices required (that is, do they have to choose to make them) or are they part and parcel of what's just going to happen (they are doomed to sacrifice themselves or be sacrificed).
__________________
Scribbling scrabbling.
|