LotR -- Book 5 - Chapter 07 - The Pyre of Denethor

[Estelyn Telcontar]

An excellent lecture on "The Good, the Bad, and the Static: Wise Wanderers and Tired Travellers in Middle-earth" by Marjorie Willetts at 'Tolkien 2005' last week prompted me to think more deeply about Denethor's "I would have things as they were" speech in this chapter.

I know we've had past discussions about the theme of change in Tolkien's works. The events of the LotR ring in the Fourth Age, a major change in the history of Middle-earth. "Stopping change is stopping growth", Ms. Willett said, and I'm sure Tolkien would have agreed. In the context of this discussion, I will limit myself to the Steward and his failure - and/or unwillingness - to change.

Change has both a physical aspect (wandering, leaving the place where one is to go to another) and a psychological/spiritual aspect (being able to see from a different viewpoint, open to new experiences). Denethor identified himself so strongly with the one role he had to play as Steward that he was unwilling to change that role, fearing to jeopardize his identity in doing so. As so often happens, tragically, he accomplished precisely what he didn't want to - he jeopardized himself to the point of taking his own life rather than to change.

He stayed in one place, not even willing to leave his fortified city for the sake of battle. That gave him a very limited point of view - though the palantír gave him an additional one, unfortunately biased and twisted. He was not willing to see another point of view, in this case, that of Gandalf, which was the realistic one - he could have changed, could have gone out and fought. Gandalf says:

your part is to go out to the battle of your City
(my emphasis)

But he denied himself that option. Despair resulted from his decision to remain static, though there could have been hope. (In contrast, Théoden arose, went out, and looked from a different viewpoint - and gained hope and purpose!) Choosing to stay rather than to move resulted in 'nothingness', a personal Void; he says:

But if doom denies this to me, then I will have naught

Denethor prides himself on the knowledge he has, but knowledge is not enough. Without the experience and wisdom that comes from growth and change, he cannot profit from it.

Not only that, he takes it upon himself to make the same decision for his son Faramir! He will not allow him to make any changes. Gandalf's words are wonderful here:

at the least you shall not rob your son of his choice

Later on, we see that Faramir decided to allow for change in his life and his office as Steward, and in doing so, he retained his identity and his task, achieving growth and wisdom.

Denethor stands in sharp contrast to Gandalf, the ultimate wanderer of Middle-earth, who has gained wisdom and experience, has a balanced point of view, and is willing to change even to the point of leaving Middle-earth when his task there is fulfilled.


PS - davem's signature quote is quite appropriate to this discussion!

'The man who never alters his opinion is like standing water & breeds reptiles of the mind'...William Blake