The Fellowship of the Ring
question
Elrond's introduction
Robert
Jul 06, 2013 12:21PM
I just listened to The Council of Elrond and there's a part that kind of puzzles me.
As Elrond is introducing everybody, he turns to Gandalf and says something like, "And here is Boromir, a man the south."
Now, wouldn't Gandalf know Boromir first-hand if not by reputation? I mean, Boromir is inline for the Stewardship of Gondor. I would have thought that they knew each other given the time Gandalf spent in Minas Tirith.
Or was the introduction hinting at something?
Thoughts?
As Elrond is introducing everybody, he turns to Gandalf and says something like, "And here is Boromir, a man the south."
Now, wouldn't Gandalf know Boromir first-hand if not by reputation? I mean, Boromir is inline for the Stewardship of Gondor. I would have thought that they knew each other given the time Gandalf spent in Minas Tirith.
Or was the introduction hinting at something?
Thoughts?
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Well, this is something that doesn't bother me too much. I mean, Brad Pitt was in my city filming a movie, but I didn't run into him. Just because characters spend time in the same place doesn't guarantee they have met.
Now, maybe they both DO know each other, but a good writing device for introducing characters to the readers is a formal setting introducing them to one another.
Now, maybe they both DO know each other, but a good writing device for introducing characters to the readers is a formal setting introducing them to one another.
According to the books, Gandalf indeed spent a lot of time in Minas Tirith, but most of the time Boromir was away fighting some war or the other, whereas Faramir was around. One of the reasons why Denethor was upset with his younger son was that unlike the macho Boromir, Faramir seemed to look up Gandalf as a mentor. Denethor even disparagingly referred to him as 'wizard's pupil' and urged him to be more like his older brother.
So it's unlikely that Boromir and Gandalf had actually met, because they had nothing in common.
So it's unlikely that Boromir and Gandalf had actually met, because they had nothing in common.
As I see it, it's always polite to formally introduce people at a big meeting like the council, because some might not no each other or have forgotten the name of some of the other participants as their meeting might be years back.
It's also a good writing device for introducing characters to readers.
It's also a good writing device for introducing characters to readers.
Boromir may have been away at the time; as a military man, his responsibilities included (presumably) training in the field with the armies of Gondor, doing scouting, etc., as well as diplomatic missions to such places and Rohan, etc. Faramir was doing the previous when Frodo and Sam encountered him.
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