Faramir and Eowyn: Was Tolkien just pairing off? - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

Cazoz · 09-18-2002, 04:40 PM

Now whilst I'd like to think of myself as some sort of critic, I'm also a bit of a softie. So I was quite pleased when Eowyn and Faramir got together in RoTK, especially as she pretty much got turned down by Aragorn. But I found this rather sudden. So I pose this:

Do you think Tolkien was trying to accomodate a couple of bereaved characters (they lost Denethor, Boromir, Theoden, romantically Aragorn) by pairing them off?
After the House of Healing and a while bonding in the MT gardens, it just seemed so sudden to me.

I know Tolkien's books were of many contrasts and surprises, for instance he might spend more time describing a tree and certainly including a song than having the full details of a conversation. And thus some things would be drawn out, and others would be sudden and possibly even vague. For this I would use as an example the flight of Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli & co.'s flight down to Pelargir after waking the dead. I know maybe Tolkien's exlcusion of details was representative of the incredible speed in which they accomplished this journey, possibly i.e. if they couldn't spare time to look at the surroundings, why should he describe them.
But I digress, having gone way off on a tangent. So basically, did some find the sudden enamouredness between Faramir and Eowyn as not particularly credible? I think it was credible eventually, but it just seemed like she was settling for seoncd best and he was so buggered from his wounds and grieving for his family that they just ended up together, reliant on each other as emotional crutches. But maybe the more spontaneous relationships have more passion and will prove more unpredictable and interesting? What do you guys think?

(Sorry for going on so long!)

09-18-2002, 04:40 PM	#1
Cazoz Haunting Spirit Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: London, UK Posts: 71	Faramir and Eowyn: Was Tolkien just pairing off? Now whilst I'd like to think of myself as some sort of critic, I'm also a bit of a softie. So I was quite pleased when Eowyn and Faramir got together in RoTK, especially as she pretty much got turned down by Aragorn. But I found this rather sudden. So I pose this: Do you think Tolkien was trying to accomodate a couple of bereaved characters (they lost Denethor, Boromir, Theoden, romantically Aragorn) by pairing them off? After the House of Healing and a while bonding in the MT gardens, it just seemed so sudden to me. I know Tolkien's books were of many contrasts and surprises, for instance he might spend more time describing a tree and certainly including a song than having the full details of a conversation. And thus some things would be drawn out, and others would be sudden and possibly even vague. For this I would use as an example the flight of Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli & co.'s flight down to Pelargir after waking the dead. I know maybe Tolkien's exlcusion of details was representative of the incredible speed in which they accomplished this journey, possibly i.e. if they couldn't spare time to look at the surroundings, why should he describe them. But I digress, having gone way off on a tangent. So basically, did some find the sudden enamouredness between Faramir and Eowyn as not particularly credible? I think it was credible eventually, but it just seemed like she was settling for seoncd best and he was so buggered from his wounds and grieving for his family that they just ended up together, reliant on each other as emotional crutches. But maybe the more spontaneous relationships have more passion and will prove more unpredictable and interesting? What do you guys think? (Sorry for going on so long!)