The importance of Tolkien's minor characters - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

doug*platypus · 04-05-2004, 06:10 PM

What about those often overlooked miner characters, the Dwarves? Just because the account we receive of the events at the end of the Third Age is so elfophilic, doesn't mean that the stunted children of Aulë were any less important!!

A very good point has been made that minor characters may be there often out of convenience. Still, that's far better than using major characters all the time. Modern stories (movies, etc.) tend to overvalue the major players, and give them all the credit. Nothing riles me more than a non-speaking extra who should have been allowed to say a few words.

Tolkien takes the time to show the rich tapestry that is humanity and our everday lives. Certain individuals (the hobbits, Gandalf, Aragorn) were the focus of the Lord of the Rings, but Tolkien seldom makes minor characters fade into the obscurity of the background. They are present more often than not, even unnecessary characters such as:

the rider of Rohan who doubts Gandalf will return
Mablung and Damrod
the Healer
Lindir
Rúmil, brother of Haldir

These characters aren't solely there to accomplish plot devices. They fill out the story and make the world much more believable. And yeah, as pointed out, most of them saved the universe as well.

Osse · 04-05-2004, 11:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by doug*platypus

What about those often overlooked miner characters, the Dwarves?

MINER characters... dwarves HARF HARF HARF

04-05-2004, 06:10 PM	#1
doug*platypus Delver in the Deep Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Aotearoa Posts: 960	What about those often overlooked miner characters, the Dwarves? Just because the account we receive of the events at the end of the Third Age is so elfophilic, doesn't mean that the stunted children of Aulë were any less important!! A very good point has been made that minor characters may be there often out of convenience. Still, that's far better than using major characters all the time. Modern stories (movies, etc.) tend to overvalue the major players, and give them all the credit. Nothing riles me more than a non-speaking extra who should have been allowed to say a few words. Tolkien takes the time to show the rich tapestry that is humanity and our everday lives. Certain individuals (the hobbits, Gandalf, Aragorn) were the focus of the Lord of the Rings, but Tolkien seldom makes minor characters fade into the obscurity of the background. They are present more often than not, even unnecessary characters such as: the rider of Rohan who doubts Gandalf will return Mablung and Damrod the Healer Lindir Rúmil, brother of Haldir These characters aren't solely there to accomplish plot devices. They fill out the story and make the world much more believable. And yeah, as pointed out, most of them saved the universe as well.