And
forgive any mistakes I might have made...in the passion of this musing,
I might have lost my way on a few things...not done purposely...
Sam, of course, Gandalf, Aragorn, Galadriel, Elrond and even Pippin
noticed that Boromir was struggling at one point or another on their
journey.
Pippin, I think, was the only one who didn't realize what was
tormenting Boromir - the other's did.
Sam can be excused. His heart and soul and very breath were all attuned
to taking care of Frodo and protecting him.
Did these people (sans Sam & Pippin) fail Boromir?
Gandalf, wizard extraordinaire, told Denethor that he knew Boromir,
after having traveled with him. Why didn't Gandalf do anything to help
Boromir? He had seen Gollum and knew what the Ring could do - he knew
of Isildur and knew what the Ring could do. He wouldn't take it himself
for he knew the power of the Ring. He knew the weakness of men. (All of
them knew the weakness of men). Should he have let Boromir be a part of
the Nine Walkers? And since he did, didn't he have a responsibility to
protect him? He tells Denethor that all of Middle Earth was his
responsibility. How much more would one of the Nine be his
responsibility? He put a spell of protection upon Bill the Pony to keep
him from harm when they have to release him at the Gates of Moria. Why
didn't he put a spell on the members of the Fellowship? Did his spells
only work on nature and beasts? I don't think so - think of the power
of Saruman. Granted Saruman was a white wizard, but we saw the many
powers of Gandalf also. Gandalf sees what the Ring can do, even to an
Istari, even leagues away from him. How much more could the Ring do to
Boromir - with it in front of him constantly for months on end? Yes,
you could say the same was true for the other members of the
Fellowship, but it didn't seem to be...Hobbits seemed almost impervious
to its effects and then only after long periods of exposure were they
touched by it. Dwarves don't seem to be impacted at all. Elves...well,
they seemed to have the fortitude to keep it at arms length. But men -
they had a track record of being weak where the Ring was concerned.
And Elrond - he had foresight and wanted Merry and Pippin to go back to
the Shire because things were going to be happening there and he wanted
someone to protect the Shire and fight for it....so he didn't have a
clue as to what was going to happen to Boromir? He never said a word in
protest of him being part of the Fellowship.
Galadriel - my mind is still not clear as to her many powers, but they
must have been great - they kept Lothlorien free of Sauron - they kept
it green and beautiful. And she definitely could read minds to a
degree. Gimli says she 'read many hearts and desires.' And Gandalf says
that she told him that Boromir was in peril. Why didn't she help him?
Why didn't she try to do something? Did she say anything to him when
she was in the midst of her silent grilling of them when first the
Fellowship met with her? Why did he suddenly change in Lothlorien...it
was not until the night before the Fellowship left Lothlorien that
Frodo became concerned for Boromir - it is during the viewing of the
mirror that Galadriel states that Frodo is wise and sees things that
others don't. So if Frodo saw the change in Boromir and was concerned,
why wasn't Galadriel...and if she was concerned...if she did see (as
Gandalf says)...then why didn't she do anything?
And Aragorn - here was his Steward's son, his own future Steward, his
own subject - didn't Aragorn have a responsibility to him? In this
Battle for Boromir, why didn't he cover Boromir's back? He knew the
corrupting power of the Ring. He saw Gollum and what the Ring did to
Gollum. He was afraid of it himself. Isildur held the Ring for only a
moment after he cut it from Sauron's hand and would not give it up, so
quickly did it corrupt him. And Isildur was pure-blooded Numenorean as
was Aragorn. If Aragorn was fearful of his response to the Ring, how
could he not be concerned for Boromir, who's blood was not pure?
Aragorn seems to me to have failed the most - perhaps that is why, when
dying Boromir says, 'I have failed,' Aragorn adamantly says, 'No! You
have conquered. Few have gained such a victory.'
I remember at Minas Tirith when Gandalf meant to go to help the armies
but was delayed because of Denethor's folly...after Gandalf's 'death',
Aragorn seemed to be taken away from the fray with Boromir - he was
going to go to Minas Tirith with Boromir and help Gondor, but after
Gandalf's 'death,' he decides he must lead the Fellowship
himself....and becomes really torn about what to do - so much so that
he puts off the decision until it is too late for Boromir. Oh dear,
once again it seems that it is fated to Boromir to be the one to fall
in order to save the quest...if he had not, Frodo might not have left
the group, they might have all gone to Minas Tirith and Denethor might
have claimed the Ring...and we all know where that would have led...
But my heart cries out for this man - Are we not to do anything when a
friend is in need, in trouble? Are we to simply stand by and see them
drown, so to speak? Don't we have a responsibility to even chide, if
need be, to help a friend see when they are being led astray? Did
anyone do that for Boromir?
It seems to me that Tollers had been trying to make the point all along
that we have a responsibility to each other, to our world and to the
future. Where does responsibility start or end for that matter? Did
Tollers himself suggest that the Fellowship failed Boromir?
