Elen Sila lumenn omentielvo

Aaye Mellonamin! I am Sariefina Elselandwyn of Elenolos, but you can call me Sarie, or Seraphine. I just joined the community today and I hope to find good friends and nice conversations here.

ANyway, who of you likes Merry and Pippin? I did a character compare and contrast for them and here it is...

Have fun reading!

"Meriadoc Brandybuck and Peregrine Took, I might have known." These were the words of Gandalf the Grey as he took both hobbits by the ear and punished them for stealing the Smaug Dragon Firework from his carriage, lighting it and scaring the guests at Bilbo Baggin's birthday party. That humorous scene from the movie adaptation of The Lord of the Rings, introduced Merry Brandybuck and Pippin Took as a pair of mischievous trouble- makers. This impression was further emphasized by the scene where they got in trouble by stealing vegetables from the crop of the strict and frugal Farmer Maggot. Some people found this scene endearing and funny, and longed to see more misadventures from Merry and Pippin. Others think that the comedic characters of Merry and Pippin from J.R. R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings were but a waste of paper and ink; both were insignificant and could be merged into one character. And though it is true that Merry and Pippin are similar in a lot of ways, they are also individuals with unique qualities that make them classic and immortal characters.
Merry and Pippin share a love for practical jokes, mischief and a good laugh that earned them a reputation of bringing trouble wherever they go. But that is not all, both hobbits hail from prominent families from the Shire and are both related to Frodo Baggins. Merry is a paternal cousin of Frodo and Pippin is his cousin from his mother's side. Physically, they also look very alike; both have curly brownish looking hair, round faces and rosy cheeks like all hobbits do. They both proved to be brave and loyal, as they did not let Frodo go out of the Shire alone. Merry and Pippin both changed their carefree ways, matured over time, and became what they admire. The pair didn't only help Frodo in his journey to get the Ring of Doom out of the Shire to Rivendell, they also both pledged their swords in service of the Mighty Kings of Man : Merry to the Great King Theoden and Pippin to the Steward of Gondor, and also played an important part in the rousing of the Ents and the destruction of Isengard. However, though it seems that both hobbits are like two peas in a pod, they have contrasting qualities that set them apart from each other.
Meriadoc Brandybuck is the son of the Master of Buckland that hails from a prominent, respected, long and warlike bloodline. His family is one of the first of the Shire. He is a smart fellow, having good geographical knowledge of the Shire and the lands about it. He is also old enough to have a bit of sense, but not wary enough to run away when he hears about the trouble that Frodo bears. He has good people skills, which proved to be helpful when they came into the town of Bree after their escape from the Black Riders. His character is deep, sensible, quiet and consistent. His character evolution is less obvious, compared to those of Sam, Frodo and Pippin. He seems less vital at first and remains mainly in the background. He plays very silent yet significant role in the adventures of the hobbits. It was he who provided ponies for their flight, led them to the Old Forest and Buckleberry Ferry, and after the attack on Weathertop, it is consistently and logically him on whom Aragorn calls for help to bring the hobbits quietly, and without credit through dangers when Frodo was wounded and too burdened, Sam too hostile and absorbed in serving his Master Frodo, and Pippin too irresponsible. Merry has the role of the neglected good child of the story, and resents the kindness shown to the naughty one who draws attention to himself. He is a loving character, who offers the service of his sword to King Theoden out of compassion for the old man. He is also very stubborn as shown when he was ordered to be left behind when King Theoden went to war. He disobeys the Kings command in connivance with Eowyn, the King's Daughter who is disguised as the soldier Dernhelm. They follow him and together, they slay the Black Riders, both striking an enemy far beyond their strength for the love of a father. Merry is a very good supporting character - complex enough to intrigue the readers into getting to know him, and firm enough to support the protagonist's characteristics and decisions.
On the other hand, Peregrine Took is another story. He hails from the Tooks of the Shire which is a large, boisterous yet venerable family that has a reputation for being queerness and a love of adventure. His character is the spoiled youngest child as opposed to Merry's character. He is 29 years old, four years short for the "coming of age" for a hobbit and is the teenager among the four who left the Shire. He is young, na?ve, spontaneous and inquisitive. He is very immature, curious and impulsive - characteristics which gets him into a heap of trouble. He is very childish and is literally treated as a child as shown in the sequence of the Great Ride, when Gandalf flees on the wings of the wind of war, he bears Pippin with him on Shadowfax quite literally as a small child: "Aragorn lifted Pippin and set him in Gandalf's arms, wrapped in cloak and blanket." (Book II, the Two Towers verses 201). He is a "naughty rebel" who desires attention and gets it. He is the chief mischief-maker and is always singled out by Gandalf for a testy rebuke. The naughty hobbit showed this several times in the story. First was when he throws a stone in the waters in the Mines of Moria and tipped off the orcs of their whereabouts. Second, was when he stole the Palantir from Gandalf while the wizard was asleep. This foolishness earned him the title "Fool of a Took", which Gandalf had given him. Yet despite his foolishness, Pippin has his virtues. He is known to have a keen sense of how to survive in any crisis not made by him. He is an individual, independent and firm in his decisions. Being a proud hobbit as he is, he enters service for Denethor, the Steward of Gondor as a payment of his debt to Boromir who was slain defending him. His character is deeper and complex and is not only there to be a comic relief of the story. Peregrine Took is an important character that is unique and essential to the plot.
Meriadoc Brandybuck and Peregrine Took are both essential and important characters to The Lord of the Rings and are not just a waste of paper and ink. They are very unique characters that have deep qualities and virtues that make them stand out in the minds of the readers. Merry and Pippin may have a lot of superficial similarities, but they also bear contrasting personalities that make them full, interesting characters that are classic and memorable to all readers.