There is no telling what the human body is capable of until it is set an impossible challenge. Having a challenge only be a physical one, without a proper goal in mind, it might not be easily conquered. Personal motivation is key.
I believe that we are capable of more than we give ourselves credit for. When there is an obstacle to overcome, there is always a way, if there is a will. The will part, however, has to be strong enough to face the hindrance. It can only come from losing or gaining something personal, something near and dear to our hearts.
Where there is true friendship, coupled with love and respect for each other, then any obstacle can be overcome. A friend in need is always worth fighting for.
The strength of friendship
However, nothing should be taken for granted. No friend is under any obligation to help a friend in need. The distinction between superficial friendship and a true one lies in the importance and worth the person in question places on the friendship itself.
There are different kinds of friendships, out of interest, convenience or simply to pass the time and avoid boredom. There is also the kind of friendship that one forms out of love and respect for one another. Devoting time and patience for a friend in need, providing safety and comfort in times of trouble.
All friendships enrich our lives and should be cherished. There is no unlimited number of people in the world who understand you.
A home away from home
A Fellowship brings with itself a sense of camaraderie. If you have a group of people traveling with you through unknown lands, you are very likely to form strong bonds with them. Out of which evolve the utmost confidence and security.
They become your home, your comfort zone. You adapt to their way of being, as they do to yours and you start living in symbiosis. This, in turn, creates certain behavioral patterns and habits. These habits and patterns change you integrally, expanding your world view and belief system. They become a part of you.
It is no wonder then that Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli took this epic journey as seriously as they have. Self-sacrifice and self-deprivation to fulfill their goal of rescuing their friends, Merry and Pippin.
A “natural sprinter”
Gimli is always there to boast about his race with information about their qualities. He is trying to reason why he is the slowest of the three in this epic race against time.
Short distances are no problem for a race of his stature and stamina. However, not having rested, slept or eaten for three days, takes a toll even on the fittest of the Dwarves. Hunger and fatigue do not seem to even be words in Aragorn and Legolas` vocabularies. Their mission is more important than their own basic needs.
One with Nature
Being a Ranger, and to that being brought up with the Elves, gives Aragorn a particular advantage. He is in tune with Mother Nature and can use her as a helping tool in finding the Hobbits. As he is leaning his head to hear the footsteps of the Uruk-hai, he caresses the stone upon which he lays his head.
This beautiful albeit simple gesture depicts a respectful and loving relationship that Aragorn has to Nature. This is a direct reference to the love and admiration for Nature that Tolkien had himself. This way it is shown through a character and a feeling of bond and trust.
The reign of Saruman
There is something strange at work here. Some evil gives speed to these creatures. Sets its will against us.
Aragorn
This is, of course, a reference to Rohan being under Saruman`s spell. After employing Gríma Wormtongue as King Théoden’s advisory, it has been no problem poisoning the King`s mind. Gríma is essentially there to rule in the absence of King Théoden`s mental health. He interprets his thoughts and words and forms them into rules and regulations.
As King Théoden is declining, Gríma i. e. Saruman`s power rises with every breaking day. Courage, traditions, empathy, and love are replaced with depression, sadness, and submission.
Saruman employs a classic albeit emphasized political manipulation and oppression techniques. The poor and the downgraded are This is nothing new, for when two people are at some kind of disagreement, each will always find a group of supporters. It is only a matter of twisting the truth or outright lying to obtain people to stand on one’s side.
Our own reality
The interpretation of reality is sometimes worlds apart from the reality itself. This is because of the context the viewer carries inside himself.
If I were abused and tortured or had been unloved and uncared for in my childhood, I might have been inclined to see the world as a nasty, cold and evil place where everyone is out to get me. Therefore, my interpretation of anything that happens in that world will probably be negative. If my childhood were a happy one, I would tend to look, and therefore interpret events as positive.
Therefore, Saruman is choosing people for whom he knows would easily follow, because of their particular contexts and events that happened in their lives. This way, the people follow his command because of their life situation. They have lost everything, and according to Saruman, Rohan is to blame for their exile into the hills. Find somebody to blame, that always works.
Two polar opposites
Here we have two extremely opposite situations. The three hunters sacrificing themselves to help their friends in need driven by true friendship and Saruman hoarding willing souls he doesn`t care about to do his bidding and wreak havoc over any land that still stands free. There are two poles here, a positive one and a negative one. They will intertwine throughout the story residing on hope on one side and fear on the other.
It is an interesting thing, losing fear for your own life and replacing it with a goal and hope in order to push on. Fear resides in all of us. It is simply a matter of letting it overrule our better judgment and give way to evil. A fine line it is.
How do the halls of Meduseld cope with this new order that has been brought upon them? Has loyalty lost all meaning or does it still linger in the hearts of the righteous? Read on in my next post.
Featured photo by Ana Segota.
