eucatastrophe: piercing joy that brings tears

[littlemanpoet]

I have a hunch, Helen, that the "wonder" to which I refer and the "revelation" to which you refer are two closely related instances of recovery. Wonder brings me JOY, and glimpses of truth do the same for you. Are we talking about two sides of the same coin? Perhaps the same thing exactly? Is wonder the feeling, and the glimpse of truth the spiritual sister to it? As you can see, I'm very uncertain about this, it's just a hunch. Perhaps applying it to LotR might help.

...Sam's glimpse of the star beyond the Ephel Duath.

This brings tears to my eyes every time I read it, for here we have hope in the face of despair. There, that ties the wonder to the revelation, right? While I do not call this eucatastrophe, because although a singular event, it is not a sudden reversal, but points to the one that will come.

Oh, and here's one on the character level: Boromir's death. Is it a personal eucatastrophe for Boromir that he died well? It certainly brings wonder to me, especially the way Aragron, Legolas and Gimli honor him. And then Faramir sees Boromir's bier as if in a dream - wondrous. A glimpse of truth? I say yes, for the river takes on the quality of myth and the hereafter in the dream, and Boromir is again seen to be honored, having died well. Is that the glimpse of truth, that he is somehow redeemed by dying in the defense of Merry and Pippin? As recompense for having tried to take the Ring? What a complicated weaving of threads! Okay, I'll be quiet now.