But I digress.
While reflecting on the implications of Balin's death, the Fellowship is ambushed. They manage to escape and find the Bridge of Khazad-dum (Khazad-dum being the dwarven name for Moria). On the other side lies their escape from the Moria. But they are attacked by an ancient evil - an evil unconcerned even with Sauron and his Ring - a Balrog. It is described thus, "What it was could not be seen: it was like a great shadow, in the middle of which was a dark form, of man-shape maybe, yet greater; and a power and terror seemed to be in it and to go before it." Black upon black. In a world defined by light and dark, the Balrog is clearly an evil entity. However dark their journey into Moria had been, the Balrog is that darkness made manifest.
You know the rest. Gandalf faces the Balrog. He defeats him. But, tragedy! The Balrog, on his way down, takes Gandalf with him. "Fly, you fools." And he's gone - tumbling down the chasm after the Balrog.
The Fellowship is stunned. Though far from out of danger, they remain rooted where they stand, shocked. It is Aragorn and Boromir who rouse them to take them up and out of Moria. As the text says, "They stumbled wildly up the great stairs beyond the door, Aragorn leading, Boromir at the rear."
I want to examine this quote from two different angles, if you'll indulge me. The first is within the context of Middle Earth itself.
This episode is a microcosm of the fate of Middle Earth. Gandalf, like all wizards, is a Maia, a divine being of Middle Earth. Wizards are sent to Middle Earth with a Purpose. Once their Purpose is complete, they leave. The elves, immortal but not divine, are leaving Middle Earth. So it is humans, what our text refers to as "men", that must take up the mantle of leadership. Yes, hobbits and dwarves also remain, but neither of them are interested in nor capable of ruling.
Let's review again what happens in this chapter. A wizard has fallen. Was his purpose to give his life for the Fellowship? Certainly we, repeat readers, know that Gandalf will Return - but as far as the Fellowship knows, Gandalf is gone forever. On a cosmic scale, Men will have to take the lead in protecting Middle Earth from evil. On a personal scale, Aragorn and Boromir must now lead the Fellowship. It is worth noting that the text doesn't even raise the possibility that Legolas might take the helm.
Boromir is the son of the Steward of Gondor, and Aragorn is a descendant of the line of kings of Gondor. Both are of noble blood. Middle Earth is clearly set in the time frame of late medieval/early industrialization (the renaissance doesn't occur, so the two time periods are adjacent). Thus, their nobility allows us to take Boromir and Aragorn's actions in this crisis as a model of how men respond to the passing of the torch. Certainly this is the Creative Wizard's point of view (It is inherent in the text that the good characters support the monarchy of Gondor and all of its inevitable trappings). That is to say, this moment should be viewed as a microcosm for the rest of Middle Earth. The old powers are fading, either because their time has come (like the elves) or because they have fulfilled their purpose (like Gandalf). Humans should fill the vacuum left behind.
Let us also examine how they take over, and what it can say about our world. "They stumbled wildly up the great stairs beyond the door, Aragorn leading, Boromir at the rear." Aragorn is in front and Boromir is in back. What can we learn from this?
Aragorn is in front - he is leading. A leader needs vision, drive, clarity, relevant knowledge and skills, etc. Aragorn has these things. He is well-traveled and he understands the need for the Ring's destruction (something about which Boromir has already expressed doubt). He is the right person to take charge (By my evaluation, he possesses all 16/16 of these "essential leadership skills"). The Fellowship may still fail, but it will not be for lack of a capable leader.
Now let's take a look at Boromor. Boromir is in the rear. Is this because he is unable to lead? I say no.
It's true that Boromir is a poor choice to lead, especially when someone like Aragorn is available. (By my evaluation, Boromir possesses only 6/16 of those "essential leadership skills") But Boromir is more than a suboptimal leader. He is an excellent follower. Yes, Boromir has his own ideas and is willing to argue for them, but he also demonstrates a willingness to accept when the opinion of the rest of the Fellowship is against him. He wants the Ring to come to Gondor and be used against Sauron (though I suppose there is an argument to be made this is the Ring causing him to propose such a reckless plan). He wants to take a different path to cross the Misty Mountains (by neither going over nor under them). But in each case he is outvoted and he takes this in stride.
When they get stuck in the blizzard on Caradhras, rather than boast his route may have proved better, Boromir takes on the arduous task of clearing out the snow in their path. When the Fellowship is beset by orcs at Balin's tomb, he draws his sword to their defense without a word of complaint. Boromir can be counted on to do what is needed. The whole reason Boromir, not his brother Faramir, is with the Fellowship is exactly because of his willingness to take on risk. In an earlier chapter Boromir recounts that his father had intended to send Faramir to Rivendell, but Boromir insisted he be sent instead since the journey was potentially dangerous.
Boromir is shown to be loyal and brave and submissive. His position in the rear is important. If the orcs and goblins give chase he will be the most vulnerable. Aragorn may be able to lead the company - but Boromir can be counted upon to protect them. A group full of leaders may come up with ground breaking ideas but, without workers who have the skills and the grit and the demeanor to follow directions, none of those ideas will become reality. Successful groups - from Fortune 500 companies to small town garage bands - must have both Aragorns and Boromirs to achieve their goals.
The Lord of the Rings: An Ethical Guide is a Patreon-supported project. Thank you to all those who have contributed.
Like this project? Want to learn more? Want exclusive access to behind-the-scenes content? Go to my Patreon site and see how you can become a part of the action!
No comments:
Post a Comment