Thrice shall pay for... what? - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

Boromir88 · 01-05-2010, 03:40 PM

It could just be a literary red-herring (hmm...is that a term?

) used by Tolkien to justify the Eagles insertion into the story. Tolkien calls the Eagles "dangerous machines" that have to be used sparingly, because they are servants of Manwe, and having the Eagles constantly get Gandalf out of tough situations is cheap writing.

Maybe Tolkien just wrote an unexplained "debt" Gwaihir owed Gandalf, to somehow justify Gwaihir's timely appearances and rescues?

01-05-2010, 03:40 PM	#10
Boromir88 Laconic Loreman Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: USA Posts: 7,521	It could just be a literary red-herring (hmm...is that a term? ) used by Tolkien to justify the Eagles insertion into the story. Tolkien calls the Eagles "dangerous machines" that have to be used sparingly, because they are servants of Manwe, and having the Eagles constantly get Gandalf out of tough situations is cheap writing. Maybe Tolkien just wrote an unexplained "debt" Gwaihir owed Gandalf, to somehow justify Gwaihir's timely appearances and rescues? __________________ Fenris Penguin