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

[drigel]

Davem, I have always been intrigued by the "Gandalf ‘beheld with the sight that was given to him" paragraph as well. Maia vision or perhaps a touch of omnipresense? Of particular note for me was the sentence before that paragraph:

......and there like a figure carven in white he stood in the new sun and looked out.

The most famous alliterative symbolism rearing its ugly head again.

also

He <Gandalf> lifted up his hand, and in the very stroke, the sword of Denethor flew up and left his grasp and fell behind him in the shadows of the house;...

I wondered why that trick wasn't used on the WK.

[davem]

Denethor's tragedy seems to have its root in his desire for the impossible - whatever happens he will not get what he wants. He wants things to be as they were in the past. Whether Sauron achieves the victory or Aragorn returns in triumph, Denethor loses. As Esty says he has effectively 'painted himself into a corner'. He cannot move, because he has nowhere to go.

Its kind of an 'Elvish' desire - he wants to embalm the past & fix it immobile & unchanging. Only death provides a way out. Symbolically the Elves make the same choice. Once the Rings pass they can no longer hold things in stasis, so they too have no option but to leave the world. Denethor's words could have come from the mouth of any Elf:

'What then would you have,' said Gandalf, 'if your will could have its way?'
'I would have things as they were in all the days of my life,' answered Denethor, 'and in the days of my longfathers before me:

The similarity of Denethor's death with that of Feanor is perhaps deliberate. Both are victims of pride, desirous of absolute control & contemptuous of any who are not with them.

. But if doom denies this to me, then I will have naught: neither life diminished, nor love halved, nor honour abated.'

I can't help thinking 'doom' here is meant to echo the Doom of the Noldor.