There are several interesting aspects of Appendix A that we didn’t really look at in our discussion that I wanted to explore. The first is Aragorn having the choice of exactly when he would pass on and doing so despite the fact he would abandon Arwen in Middle-earth. This part caught my attention strongly as I found it very intriguing Tolkien decided to do it that way. Especially with the fact that Aragorn is essentially leaving Arwen behind by doing this, after having caused great emotional turmoil between her and Elrond by staying in Middle-earth to be with Aragorn.
Second, the fact Legolas remains in Middle-earth until Aragorn decided to pass on before going overseas and the fact that he took Gimli with him. This fascinated me because the pull of the sea seemed so strong to Legolas, but his ties to his companions were enough to keep him in Middle-earth until one no longer was in Middle-earth anymore. Inviting Gimli to go West with him when he left also shows his incredibly tight friendship to the Dwarf, that he didn’t want to go without him.
And third, Arwen’s determination that there was no way for her to go West and yet Legolas and Gimli are said to have. This was perhaps some disparity in the story, that these two pieces of this storyline do not match up, but it was kind of a glaring, hold on, wait up moment for me that really struck me. Not entirely sure what to make of it, but it caught my attention.
It’s interesting how the departure of all these characters hinge on Aragorn, as if he’s the glue that held it all together. Tolkien gave these characters the ability to decide when it was finally their time. Very wondersome, given a lot of the events that take place in his stories are hinted at being based on fate. Yet this seems to be a decision not tied to fate.
I feel like Arwen felt she couldn't go West because she had promised she wouldn't. By marrying Aragorn and becoming mortal she gave up that right, so even if she logically could go West and be with her family again it wouldn't be honorable because she had given her word. That part also really stuck out to me because it suggested that Arwen loved Aragorn so much that she couldn't go back on her devotion to him.
ReplyDeleteI always thought it was interesting just who was allowed or able to go West and who wasn't. If it were just elves who could go West, and the elves who gave up their "immortality" to be with a mortal (falling in love with them like Luthien and Beren or Arwen and Aragorn) that would be one thing - but then we get hobbits and dwarves going west as well! It does seem a little disparate that Arwen cannot go West but Gimli can - I wonder if, had Aragorn agreed to go with her, would he and Arwen been able to go West? Would Beren? How exactly does going West connect to eleven immortality/afterlife when we start adding other races into the mix?
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