Life or Honor? - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

littlemanpoet · 07-03-2006, 09:26 AM

So between the three of your responses (thank you very much!), it would seem that Honor, by virtue of its link to Pride, is only something to be strived for by those characters who cannot attain sacrificial heroism.

Only after Boromir's failure did he attain to the latter; Faramir did so through the entirety of LotR (not just while he was "in" the story); Gandalf consistently attained to it.

Perhaps it would be safe to say that Hobbits, by and large, are deeply concerned with Reputation (rather than Honor), which they construe in slightly different terms than the Eorlingas or Gondorians. A good reputation consists of, for example, in wealth, not having adventures, and having a large family (and hairy toes).

Two follow-up questions:

1. Is Honor always, necessarily linked to Pride?

2. Tolkien has said in his Letters that Faramir and Gandalf speak most clearly for his own view. What do they say and do that gives us an indication as to what he thought (granted this question has already been answered to a large degree in terms of Gandalf)?

07-03-2006, 09:26 AM	#5
littlemanpoet Itinerant Songster Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: The Edge of Faerie Posts: 7,066	So between the three of your responses (thank you very much!), it would seem that Honor, by virtue of its link to Pride, is only something to be strived for by those characters who cannot attain sacrificial heroism. Only after Boromir's failure did he attain to the latter; Faramir did so through the entirety of LotR (not just while he was "in" the story); Gandalf consistently attained to it. Perhaps it would be safe to say that Hobbits, by and large, are deeply concerned with Reputation (rather than Honor), which they construe in slightly different terms than the Eorlingas or Gondorians. A good reputation consists of, for example, in wealth, not having adventures, and having a large family (and hairy toes). Two follow-up questions: 1. Is Honor always, necessarily linked to Pride? 2. Tolkien has said in his Letters that Faramir and Gandalf speak most clearly for his own view. What do they say and do that gives us an indication as to what he thought (granted this question has already been answered to a large degree in terms of Gandalf)?