Hurin and despair - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

Morwen Tindomerel · 05-16-2003, 12:46 PM

If I've given the impression I don't think Turin was a good, or at least well meaning person, I apologize. Of course he was. But the Curse of Morgoth worked by exacerbating his failings, (hot temper, lack of proportion, impulsiveness, etc.) IMO Turin could have mastered the Curse by working on his self control and cultivating a habit of rational decision making, which basically is what Melian counselled him to do. Unfortunately he never seems to have made any serious effort to follow her advice and so failed to master his doom.

For all Turin's basic kindness he shows a notable insensitivity to others and a history of failure in human, and other, relations. He forgets completely the Elf maiden who raised him. Not only fails to resolve or even control the tensions between his Human outlaws, the Dwarf Mim, and his friend Beleg but seems almost unaware they exist. Misreads both Gwindor and Finduilas in Nargothrond. Makes unecessary trouble for everybody in Dor-Lomin. And manages to stir up all kinds of rivalries and tensions in Brethil, (dispite a real effort to amend his behavior).

He is kind yes, I mean he even shows sympathy to Mim! but he doesn't *think*. It never occurs to him to *talk* to his various followers and work on reconciling them to one another. The contrast between Turin and his father's experience with outlaws is interesting. Hurin, dispite being half crazed, has no trouble at all with his chance found companions.

Now maybe Hurin's outlaws were just a better class of Men, or maybe he was lucky in having an able lieutenant like Asgon, but it seems equally likely that he just knew how to handle Men on an almost instinctive level, thanks to his years as Lord of Dor-Lomin, and those skills kicked in automatically out of sheer habit as soon as he picked up some companions.

05-16-2003, 12:46 PM	#11
Morwen Tindomerel Wight Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Minas Anor or Annuminas the Golden Posts: 187	If I've given the impression I don't think Turin was a good, or at least well meaning person, I apologize. Of course he was. But the Curse of Morgoth worked by exacerbating his failings, (hot temper, lack of proportion, impulsiveness, etc.) IMO Turin could have mastered the Curse by working on his self control and cultivating a habit of rational decision making, which basically is what Melian counselled him to do. Unfortunately he never seems to have made any serious effort to follow her advice and so failed to master his doom. For all Turin's basic kindness he shows a notable insensitivity to others and a history of failure in human, and other, relations. He forgets completely the Elf maiden who raised him. Not only fails to resolve or even control the tensions between his Human outlaws, the Dwarf Mim, and his friend Beleg but seems almost unaware they exist. Misreads both Gwindor and Finduilas in Nargothrond. Makes unecessary trouble for everybody in Dor-Lomin. And manages to stir up all kinds of rivalries and tensions in Brethil, (dispite a real effort to amend his behavior). He is kind yes, I mean he even shows sympathy to Mim! but he doesn't think. It never occurs to him to talk to his various followers and work on reconciling them to one another. The contrast between Turin and his father's experience with outlaws is interesting. Hurin, dispite being half crazed, has no trouble at all with his chance found companions. Now maybe Hurin's outlaws were just a better class of Men, or maybe he was lucky in having an able lieutenant like Asgon, but it seems equally likely that he just knew how to handle Men on an almost instinctive level, thanks to his years as Lord of Dor-Lomin, and those skills kicked in automatically out of sheer habit as soon as he picked up some companions.