Gandalf a "steward?"

[Rhod the Red]

"Whether he accepted Aragorn's command because he recognised his right as King, because he accepted him as de facto leader of the Fellowship or because he himself felt it was the right thing to do matters not. The fact is that he undertook to guard the two young Hobbits and they were lost while under his protection."

Hear, hear!

[tom bombariffic]

I agree.

Also, forgive me if this is a little obvious, but...

Oricinally posted by Formendacil:
Finally, the majority is not always right. If Gandalf, as Head of the Istari- and thus representative of Manwë, Vicegerent of Ilúvatar, says that Aragorn's claim to the throne is Right, then it is Right- whether you want to accept it or no. And I am not arguing here that Boromir accepted it, but that it was Right for him to have accepted it- assuming he did

None of the fellowship, or anyone in a position of influence of Gondor, would have realised that Gandalf was a representative of Manwe. I understand you may have been arguing that we as readers should accept it as right, given our knowledge, but I'm not so sure...in the situation, Gandalf can not wield the authority of Valinor, because authority depends on others' belief in it. If his identity is hidden, his authority vanishes with it. Thus his divine right to appoint a king is revoked, in my opinion.

bombariffic

[Rhod the Red]

The Istari didn't have authority either. They were prohibitted by the Valar from persuing it, in case they sought to dominate the inhabitants of Middle-earth.

[Lalwendë]

I don't see any point where Boromir acknowledges Aragorn as rightful King of Gondor on that journey from Rivendell to Amon Hen. On the contrary, Boromir's actions and speech whenever he is with Aragorn seem quite strained and conflicting at times. They argue and Boromir is on more than one occasion silenced by Aragorn who he does accept, on the surface at least, as leader of this fellowship, but not as his King.

If Boromir is following anyone, then he is following Frodo. He makes a point of asking what the Ringbearer thinks about one choice, and there is this very revealing passage:

Boromir held out long against this choice; but when it became plain that Frodo would follow Aragorn, wherever he went, he gave in. 'It is not the way of the Men of Minas Tirith to desert their friends at need,' he said, 'and you will need my strength, if ever you are to reach the Tindrock. To the tall isle I will go, but no further. There I shall turn to my home, alone if my help has not earned the reward of any companionship.'

Here Boromir also reveals his feelings towards the rest of the fellowship. He says he is their friend and would not desert them for that reason, but then says something about how he perceives their friendship: alone if my help has not earned the reward of any companionship. He starts off speaking in a high minded tone of honour but ends on a rather sad note. Boromir seems to feel he has no real friends in this Fellowship. Does he truly have no friends? Or are his own goals very much on his mind, driving his actions and speech? That goal, at this point, is to stay with Frodo and to endeavour to persuade Frodo to come to Minas Tirith. Boromir's efforts of persuasion have been subtle, but have been growing ever stronger, mere questioning of their path has passed from moaning and into doomsaying by the time they leave the river. Of course his efforts will culminate in his desperate measures at Amon Hen, when he takes advantage of a wekness in Aragorn's leadership, his indecision.

I think Aragorn knows or at least suspects what Boromir is up to; his efforts at persuasion are growing increasingly less subtle. And I also think that this is causing the relationship between the two men to come under increasing strain.

"Farewell, Aragorn! Go to Minas Tirith and save my people! I have failed."

This is also revealing. Boromir, even in death, issues an order. He expects that now Frodo and the Ring have gone, that Aragorn ought to go right away to Minas Tirith. He also calls those people my people. Not our people, let alone, your people, but my people. He has faith in Aragorn at this point, but as King?

Tolkien of course reveals to the reader early on that Aragorn is this rightful King by blood. He also shows us Aragorn's failings and how much he has to learn on his way to the throne e.g. respect for lesser Kings. Likewise he spends most of three books gradually revealing the proofs that Aragorn needs to claim this Kingship, whether symbolic (Palantiri, healing hands etc.) or in his skills as a leader. We have the benefit of knowing Aragorn's destiny, the people he meets, however, do not. In a very real sense he earns his Kingship through merit, and that makes him a better King.

[The 1,000 Reader]

To stay on topic, I always thought Gandalf's quote was simple to understand. When Gandalf was sent back as Gandalf the White, he was apparently granted more power and authority. Since Eru had little to do with Middle-Earth at that time, and since Manwe wasn't doing too much either, Gandalf, in his sent back state, was the "caretaker" of Middle-Earth at the time. In fact, he was the steward of the steward (Manwe) and Eru was the "king."

[Rhod the Red]

"he was apparently granted more power and authority" What makes you say that?

"Gandalf, in his sent back state, was the "caretaker" of Middle-Earth at the time." No he wasn't, the Istari aren't meant to govern Middle-earth, but influence their inhabbitants to resist Sauron.

"he was the steward of the steward" I think you're taking his statement literally, Gandalf was merely speaking in the context of having responsibility for others, to Denethor.

[tom bombariffic]

That's a very good point, 1,000 reader. Of course the only thing was that he was a steward without anyone knowing it, which meant that other big cheeses like Denethor did not recognise him as such.

And yet that is the role that he plays anyway, undercover as it were. Which I think is what Rhod is getting at, saying that they should influence, not govern. But taking everything into account, even if he's not supposed to govern, he effectively does. As I said he does it subtlely, but at various points in the book he does straight out order people around in the defence against Sauron - who could argue that he didn't govern the defence of Minas Tirith?

In the case of great people like Aragorn, Gandalf's help tends to be more of a shove in the right direction, but at points of emergency he is not afraid to take control. In this way he is a steward, or caretaker, whose policy (and duty) is to guide rather than dictate, but who sometimes is forced to take a more governing role out of necessity.

bombariffic

[edit: underlining is good. It clarifies things.]

[narfforc]

I think what The 1,000th Reader alludes to is written in Letters 156 and 181, where Tolkien states that Gandalf returned with enhanced power. Tolkien also wrote this revealing passage:

So Gandalf sacrificed himself, was accepted, and enhanced, and returned. 'Yes that was my name. I was Gandalf.' Of course he remained similar in personality and idiosyncracy, but both his wisdom and power are much greater.
The authority was given to subdue Saruman.

In The Lord of the Rings Companion Note 758 has this interesting comment:

Gandalf's rejoiner.....carries a great many implications in a few words. He is reminding Denethor that he [Gandalf] is a representative of a higher authority than Denethor is (i.e., The Valar and/or Iluvatar). He is reproving Denethor: 'You are answerable to a higher authority.' He is implying that Gondor is part of his own stewardship too, and finally he is pointing out that Gondor is only part of a larger battle.
[Romenna Meeting Report, p.2].

In Letter 286 Tolkien writes: There are no 'Gods', properly so-called, in the mythological background in my stories. Their place is taken by persons referred to as the Valar (or Powers): angelic created beings appointed to the govenment of the world.

In Letter 325 Tolkien writes: The angelic immortals (incarnate only at their will), the Valar or regents under God.........

The meaning of the word regent I take to be thus:
Regent: Ruler of a kingdom during the absence of its Monarch.

I therefore believe that Gandalf/Olorin is a steward of Eru.