Hello everyone,
I have been doing some thinking about family dynamics in Tolkien's works, and have a question for you.
We see in The Silmarillion that the Valar are pretty divided individuals, even though they tend to have some sort of very close relationship. Meaning, even though they seem to be a family, it is a very easily divided one.
In The Hobbit, basically every family is separated by greed or lust over others possessions, and the relationship described between Frodo and Bilbo in The Lord of the Rings has always seemed to be a strange one. While they obviously care for each other (maybe Frodo for Bilbo a bit more), Bilbo seems to not care about leaving Frodo behind.
Also, upon making the Silmarils, Feanor's family was torn apart and divided.
Can you think of any other examples in which the notion of family was condemned? Why do you think this is a trend?
3 comments:
While there are examples of broken up families in Tolkien’s work, I think this should be taken as a consequence of evil rather that a condemnation of the family. Consider the end of The Lord of the Rings. Aragorn marries Arwen. Faramir marries Éowyn, and they move to Ithilien. Sam marries Rosie Cotton, becoming a father of a large family and a mayor for a long time. So all of the happy endings for these characters are their families. Cases like Fëanor are meant to be tragic, and the broken family emphasizes that. Tolkien is not making a negative statement about family in general.
I'm in agreement with Ulmo on this one. I also think it's important to mention found families here. Specifically, the strong, familial bond formed between the members of the Fellowship. Though many of the members of the Fellowship come from families twisted or broken apart by evil, (I mean really. Who the heck are Legolas and Gimli's mothers anyway?) they are able to form an eternal bond akin to those of family members throughout their journey. This bond is, indeed, their own happy ending. With Pippin and Merry often visiting their friends in Gondor and Rohan, Legolas and Gimli exploring the world together, and Gandalf sailing to the Undying Lands with Frodo, it is clear that Tolkien's works do not intend to show family - blood relation or otherwise - negatively, but as a byproduct of tragedy.
-Varda*
To me, this is simply another example of real life making its way back into the narrative. For example, in Tolkien's life, his closest relations are the ones he formed with strangers because he was orphaned. Likewise for me, while not orphaned my family is very much full of greed and I have then created a new family with the people I have met in my life.
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