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Old 07-11-2004, 10:43 AM   #48
davem
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Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: In the home of lost causes, and forsaken beliefs, and unpopular names,and impossible loyalties
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davem is battling Black Riders on Weathertop.davem is battling Black Riders on Weathertop.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Estelyn
when I was growing up in Midwest US some years ago, we wouldn't have dreamed of calling people our parents' age by their first names - it was Mr. and Mrs., definitely. I know things have changed, with college profs being first-named by their students, but that is a fairly recent development,
And without jumping too far ahead, in the next Chapter, Farmer Maggot is always called so, or Mr Maggot by Frodo, Merry & Pippin. I think its too easy to blow the 'class' system of the Shire out of all proportion. Master was also often used simply as a term of respect (as Bilbo does of Sam's father, Master Hamfast), & a recognition of authority (ie Head master). My own feeling is that Sam was in awe of Frodo, not in subjection to him. Of course, he believed Frodo was 'better' than him, but that's down to Sam, & I can't see Frodo ever turning on him & 'putting him in his place' if he'd 'slipped' & called him simply 'Frodo'.

And, yes, I know he calls the others Mr Merry & Mr Pippin & they call him Sam, but I'd still put that down to the way they were probably introduced to each other. I accept there is an acknowledgement of 'roles' within hobbit society, but I think this is more to do with their love of order. They do have an obsession with having a place for everything & everything in its place. I suspect they were all playing that game. More a case of Mr Bilbo lives at Bag End & Master Hamfast lives in Bagshot Row.

Also, I suspect that when Sam was married with a family of his own he would have been generally referred to as Mr Gamgee by all but his friends.
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