Tumblr crosspost (30 November 2020)

[anghraine]

Faramir quasi-functions as Tolkien’s mouthpiece, so his distaste for the increasing militarization of his culture doesn’t really require explanation. But it occurred to me (while I was grading, lol) that it makes a lot of sense in-story, too.

After all, Faramir is a Númenórean, both in the general cultural sense and in the specific throwback sense. He sees the Dúnedain around him becoming increasingly martial and increasingly inclined to hero-worship warriors. Even the people who admire Faramir himself typically frame it in terms of his own abilities as a warrior and captain, not his other qualities.

Gondor isn’t in a position to become another Númenor (…currently), but tbh I think it’s perfectly understandable that someone who regularly has dream-visions of the Downfall is a touch jumpy about all this.

Tagged: #it's interesting that he would go out of his way to clarify that he doesn't want gondorian domination #as if that is something remotely possible #in the present moment #but it's nevertheless in his head as a dark possibility #which makes a whole ton of sense if you bear the dream-visions in mind