The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum - View Single Post - Pippins Stone that started the Avalanche, or did it

Diamond18 · 12-11-2002, 01:09 AM

He was a Took. Just look back at "The Hobbit"...every time Bilbo displays his Tookish side, he's doing something daring, brave, foolhardy, etc. By saying "Fool of a Took" Gandalf was, I think, saying "I should have known!"

So, yes, Pippin is more susceptable by nature to contrainess...it's in his blood. Tooks are the "not quite hobbitlike" hobbits, who are attracted to adventures and the like. So Pippin is attracted to the strange, forbidden and mysterious things in life.

Plus he's still in those irresponsible tween years (and Tolkien was talking about Frodo when he mentioned that...you can triple it for a Took!) so yes there's that great deal of childishness in him. Gosh, I know a few teenage boys who would do anything to get people to look at them. I think of Pippin as the teenager of the group.

The things Pippin learns in the course of the book is how to curb and properly channel his nature. This isn't something that he can learn in one lesson...I think it really took that "Interview with the Dark Lord" to make him realize the dangers of following every compulsion. Hard-headed little hobbit that he was, these lessons had to be learned the hard way and hammered through that thick skull. [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img]

But as to the original question of whether or not the stone throw really caused the mess with the orcs and the balrog...it's hard to say. I think that by Tolkien even putting that in the story, it must mean that it did. Why bother with it otherwise? Just to develop Pippin's character? Maybe, but....

On the other hand, what's a little stone, anyway? It wasn't like the movie in which the skeleton and the chain and the armour made a lot of noise for a long time. A stone going "plink" could very well just be a fellow orc walking along a passage. Why gather an army and go looking for something that probably isn't even there?

Ah, I fear in the end it's just one of those mysteries that Tolkien liked to leave unanswered. It makes his books more real when there are certain questions that just can't be answered, IMHO.

I could talk all night about Pippin. I wish I was a Took! [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img]

12-11-2002, 01:09 AM	#7
Diamond18 Eidolon of a Took Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: my own private fantasy world Posts: 3,460	He was a Took. Just look back at "The Hobbit"...every time Bilbo displays his Tookish side, he's doing something daring, brave, foolhardy, etc. By saying "Fool of a Took" Gandalf was, I think, saying "I should have known!" So, yes, Pippin is more susceptable by nature to contrainess...it's in his blood. Tooks are the "not quite hobbitlike" hobbits, who are attracted to adventures and the like. So Pippin is attracted to the strange, forbidden and mysterious things in life. Plus he's still in those irresponsible tween years (and Tolkien was talking about Frodo when he mentioned that...you can triple it for a Took!) so yes there's that great deal of childishness in him. Gosh, I know a few teenage boys who would do anything to get people to look at them. I think of Pippin as the teenager of the group. The things Pippin learns in the course of the book is how to curb and properly channel his nature. This isn't something that he can learn in one lesson...I think it really took that "Interview with the Dark Lord" to make him realize the dangers of following every compulsion. Hard-headed little hobbit that he was, these lessons had to be learned the hard way and hammered through that thick skull. [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img] But as to the original question of whether or not the stone throw really caused the mess with the orcs and the balrog...it's hard to say. I think that by Tolkien even putting that in the story, it must mean that it did. Why bother with it otherwise? Just to develop Pippin's character? Maybe, but.... On the other hand, what's a little stone, anyway? It wasn't like the movie in which the skeleton and the chain and the armour made a lot of noise for a long time. A stone going "plink" could very well just be a fellow orc walking along a passage. Why gather an army and go looking for something that probably isn't even there? Ah, I fear in the end it's just one of those mysteries that Tolkien liked to leave unanswered. It makes his books more real when there are certain questions that just can't be answered, IMHO. I could talk all night about Pippin. I wish I was a Took! [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img] __________________ All shall be rather fond of me and suffer from mild depression.