Holy Hell Aragorn Chill Out

Inside of you there are two wolves.

One wolf says that Sam and Frodo’s relationship is not romantic, and all the affection and moments between them that might make a modern reader question how platonic it truly is are simply moments inspired by soldiers in wwi, where tragedy and horror brought people together, ignoring societal norms such as the amount of affection you can show your friend before it’s seen as anything other that what it really is. When you live in a reality where death is all around and you’re lonely and starving and miss home and you might die tomorrow, and you got no one else but your companion, you are bound to become closer and create a bond that is unlike any other friendship. Their relationship is also influenced by the fact that Tolkien is a medievalist, and in the Middle Ages affection between a pair of friends was more normalized and there’s plenty of medieval literature where the characters have relationships similar to those of Sam and Frodo. The reader needs to let go of their modern lenses and see the story while acknowledging it’s temporal context and background.

The other wolf says that Sam and Frodo’s parallels with Lúthien and Beren, Tolkien’s amount of queer friends, and just how different their relationship has been since the start, before the horrors even began, is gay asf. He also says, and I quote, “if Frodo isn’t gay I’ll eat my hat”.

Both wolves are correct.

you break things in anger

The mom that stepped up ✌️

The mom that stepped up!

Happy New Year

Hey we saw you from across the glade and we really hate your vibe.

WHAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! another rhaenyra and alicent!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! LOCK ME UP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I’m a fucking idiot. I’ve been turning over in my brain why nobody in the Silmarillion seems to get a redemption arc, why nobody seems to be able to make up for the harm they’ve done, etc.

One of the biggest themes in the Silmarillion is “the fall.” The fall from grace, the doomed, the railing against the impossible. Of COURSE nobody gets a redemption arc! It runs counter to the whole point of the book!

Now, Lotr specifically is different. Lotr is about finding hope when all seems lost, and finding allies in unexpected places against the darkness. This allows characters like Boromir to “fall” and yet redeem himself in his final moments, is what allows Sméagol to peek through in Gollum, is what lets Theoden lift his head from Grima’s ear and instead take Gandalf’s counsel.

But the Silmarillion? The Silmarillion is about the fall and doom of the Noldor, the decimation of Beleriand, and the consequences of failing to stop Morgoth. Of course nobody recovers. Of course.

Fingon and Aredhel ✶⋆.˚