Boromir's Death

[Lalwendë]

Good topic!

Firstly, it wasn't my copy of A Game of Thrones that got flung at the wall, but my copy of A Storm Of Swords. And there was a lot of swearing. Of that, I will comment no more or I might spoil it for anyone looking forward to the next series of it on TV.

Back when I was 12, many years ago, my brother's copy of The Two Towers remained unflung at the death of Boromir but I was shocked and I was quite upset about it. I remember many years ago on here having a discussion about how many of us, when we were youngsters and read the books for the first time, were inspired to draw a picture of Boromir stuck full of arrows and being comforted by Aragorn.

I got the impression, and still do, that Boromir was not to be blamed for what he did, he was to be forgiven. All through the journey to that point there's a growing sense that he has slightly less pure aims than Aragorn, but he doesn't become sinister in any way until he loses his temper with Frodo. And that's how it comes across, as a Man losing his temper. A man full of pride brought down by it. Aragorn reminds us not to blame him for his downfall, and blames himself. Whether this is heartfelt or maybe Aragorn being self-righteous in the extreme, he says:

Now the Company is all in ruin. It is I that have failed. Vain was Gandalf's trust in me. What shall I do now? Boromir has laid it on me to go to Minas Tirith, and my heart desires it; but where are the Ring and the Bearer?

It's interesting to compare him to Eomer, but I think this has a lot to do with cultural difference. At one point in his tussle with Frodo, Boromir reminds him of his lineage:

If any mortals have claim to the
Ring, it is the men of Numenor, and not Halflings.

Boromir has been raised to be proud, he is descended from Numenoreans, and he was effectively going to be the ruler of Minas Tirith - until he saw that Aragorn was back. He probably genuinely thinks he has the strength and right to decide on what happens to the Ring, and furthermore is driven by either jealousy or a need to 'prove' himself against Aragorn (who might seem quite smugly 'perfect' to him, let's admit ). Eomer on the other hand is from a different background, raised to be a captain, a soldier. Rohan does not have the same 'high' history, and the people are less likely to be impressed by or interested in things such as 'magic Rings'. They are interested in their horses and their land.

As a side point, my take on Ned Stark is that he put too much stock in his precious 'honour' and as a result left his own children vulnerable - he's not the heroic figure he is often thought to be, but stubborn.