eucatastrophe: piercing joy that brings tears - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

mark12_30 · 07-25-2002, 05:45 PM

Selfishness and Altruism lost in Love: to me the embodiment of this one is Aragorn. To oversimplify: He (selfishly) wants Arwen badly enough to (altruistically) roam the countryside protecting countries that don't know he's there, chase Gollum across the world because Gandalf wants him to, and fight an entire war to detract attention from two halflings. And in the end, when he finally takes Arwen's hand, probably thinking at long last she is MINE MINE MINE, none of us resent it in the least. (do we?)

Joy and sorrow reconciled and become one: That one seems harder to me, but I think of those moments that Frodo and Sam have on the journey between Emyn Muil and Mt Doom when they look at each other and discover their ever-deepening friendship has gone yet another level deeper, and that is a great joy; yet, they are immersed in sorrow as they realise it.

Pure eucatastrophe: Sam's glimpse of the star beyond the Ephel Duath.

More: Frodo and Sam meeting Bilbo and the elves in the woods of the Shire at the end of the book-- The joy of Frodo and Bilbo's transcendance against the wrenching sorrow of leaving Sam.

07-25-2002, 05:45 PM	#6
mark12_30 Stormdancer of Doom Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Elvish singing is not a thing to miss, in June under the stars Posts: 4,349	Selfishness and Altruism lost in Love: to me the embodiment of this one is Aragorn. To oversimplify: He (selfishly) wants Arwen badly enough to (altruistically) roam the countryside protecting countries that don't know he's there, chase Gollum across the world because Gandalf wants him to, and fight an entire war to detract attention from two halflings. And in the end, when he finally takes Arwen's hand, probably thinking at long last she is MINE MINE MINE, none of us resent it in the least. (do we?) Joy and sorrow reconciled and become one: That one seems harder to me, but I think of those moments that Frodo and Sam have on the journey between Emyn Muil and Mt Doom when they look at each other and discover their ever-deepening friendship has gone yet another level deeper, and that is a great joy; yet, they are immersed in sorrow as they realise it. Pure eucatastrophe: Sam's glimpse of the star beyond the Ephel Duath. More: Frodo and Sam meeting Bilbo and the elves in the woods of the Shire at the end of the book-- The joy of Frodo and Bilbo's transcendance against the wrenching sorrow of leaving Sam. __________________ ...down to the water to see the elves dance and sing upon the midsummer's eve.