Q&A meme answers Jan 15
Jan. 15th, 2015 11:57 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
cairistionaJanuary 15: 
lindahoyland Your favourite Aragorn moment in LOTR.
I suppose it would be cheating to say, "All of them!"
I'm going to address the book and the movies separately, I think, because some of my favorite movie moments aren't in the books.
In the movies: It's a toss-up between seeing him in the Prancing Pony for the first time...
vs his speech at the Black Gates...
They're sort of bookend pieces, really, because in the first we see him as a stranger, for all we (and the hobbits) know a villain, and that's exactly how the Rangers were looked upon, so kudos to the film there. By the march on the Black Gates, we know who is in all ways: noble, brave, self sacrificing, and moreover an inspiring leader of men. Much as I also love the "for Frodo" moment, to me the speech is the "Ahhhhh" moment for me.
In the books, I love the entire Strider chapter in FOTR.
In this chapter, we get a really rather deep glimpse into the man, despite a lot of information about his true identity not coming until later chapters (like what we learn at the Council of Elrond). Grand nobility and royalty revelations are still to come, but there's nonetheless something very impressive about this ragged stranger sitting in the corner, and when he finally does get a chance to chat with the hobbits, he becomes even more impressive. The line, "I hoped you would take to me for my own sake. A hunted man sometimes wearies of distrust and longs for friendship. But here, I believe my looks are against me" is so telling. He's a hunted man, but by what we're not sure at this point, and he nonetheless wants friends, even though he apparently doesn't have many. He's also rather self-effacing in his humor--I imagine him saying that bit about his looks with a wry twinkle in his eye. He's just frightening enough to leave us feeling he must be a fighter, maybe even a vicious one and maybe not for the good, but he's just kind enough to assure us that, despite the initial feeling of distrust his looks gave us, the hobbits will be in good hands... so long as they can also push past his looks-foul appearance and trust that here is a fair man who will be a staunch companion.
And too, this is the chapter where we get the wonderful poem about him:
"All that is gold does not glitter,
Not all those who wander are lost;
The old that is strong does not wither,
Deep roots are not reached by the frost.
From the ashes a fire shall be woken,
A light from the shadows shall spring;
Renewed shall be blade that was broken,
The crownless again shall be king."
Analysizing him line-by-line could fill volumes! That entire chapter is just fascinating as a character intruduction, because it's both misleading and revealing all at the same time, but you're left by the end feeling that this is a major player in the story and one for whom the title of "hero" is going to fit well.
lindahoyland Your favourite Aragorn moment in LOTR.I suppose it would be cheating to say, "All of them!"
I'm going to address the book and the movies separately, I think, because some of my favorite movie moments aren't in the books.
In the movies: It's a toss-up between seeing him in the Prancing Pony for the first time...
vs his speech at the Black Gates...
They're sort of bookend pieces, really, because in the first we see him as a stranger, for all we (and the hobbits) know a villain, and that's exactly how the Rangers were looked upon, so kudos to the film there. By the march on the Black Gates, we know who is in all ways: noble, brave, self sacrificing, and moreover an inspiring leader of men. Much as I also love the "for Frodo" moment, to me the speech is the "Ahhhhh" moment for me.
In the books, I love the entire Strider chapter in FOTR.
In this chapter, we get a really rather deep glimpse into the man, despite a lot of information about his true identity not coming until later chapters (like what we learn at the Council of Elrond). Grand nobility and royalty revelations are still to come, but there's nonetheless something very impressive about this ragged stranger sitting in the corner, and when he finally does get a chance to chat with the hobbits, he becomes even more impressive. The line, "I hoped you would take to me for my own sake. A hunted man sometimes wearies of distrust and longs for friendship. But here, I believe my looks are against me" is so telling. He's a hunted man, but by what we're not sure at this point, and he nonetheless wants friends, even though he apparently doesn't have many. He's also rather self-effacing in his humor--I imagine him saying that bit about his looks with a wry twinkle in his eye. He's just frightening enough to leave us feeling he must be a fighter, maybe even a vicious one and maybe not for the good, but he's just kind enough to assure us that, despite the initial feeling of distrust his looks gave us, the hobbits will be in good hands... so long as they can also push past his looks-foul appearance and trust that here is a fair man who will be a staunch companion.
And too, this is the chapter where we get the wonderful poem about him:
"All that is gold does not glitter,
Not all those who wander are lost;
The old that is strong does not wither,
Deep roots are not reached by the frost.
From the ashes a fire shall be woken,
A light from the shadows shall spring;
Renewed shall be blade that was broken,
The crownless again shall be king."
Analysizing him line-by-line could fill volumes! That entire chapter is just fascinating as a character intruduction, because it's both misleading and revealing all at the same time, but you're left by the end feeling that this is a major player in the story and one for whom the title of "hero" is going to fit well.
