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I'm working on an essay for the August LOTR_Community_GFIC challenge, and I thought I'd crowdsource my research. That's where you all come in.

I've been thinking lately about the way people people view canon and want to explore that a bit, but not with some sort of "here's the right way to approach the books and use them in your fanfic story" screed. I'm less interested in convincing people that my preferred approach is right (where's the fun in fanfic if we can't enjoy people playing with JRRT's stories in new and fresh ways?), than I am with looking at how the different ways of approaching canon impact the way we present different characters. So I thought I'd do a case-study. Specifically: Tolkien tells us nothing about Boromir's sexuality - no wife, no kids, no tragic lost loves. Given that, how do we fill in the gaps? I'm not actually planning on giving my own answer to that question (though I'm sure most of you can guess!). Rather, I want to sketch out some common ways of looking at canon and try to show how those different approaches shape the way people might approach a question like this.

What can I say? I'm a grad student, and a philosopher. I think big. But I think by the time I'm done with it, it will be an interesting look at this topic, and I hope it will be fun to play with for me personally.

Which brings me to the real point of this post. It's been a long time since I've read The Lord of the Rings, to say nothing of the Letters or HoMe drafts or books actually about JRRT. So I'd like some help gathering facts. I'll probably do several posts asking for quotes on different topics, but I'd like to start about Boromir.

When you write think about Boromir, what characteristics come to mind? And more importantly, why do you think of hiim that way? I'm most interested in quotes (and I'll take anything - LOTR, Tolkien's posthumous writings, early drafts, letters, or anything like that is fair game), but if you have other reasoning I'm interested in that, too. And if you don't know why you write him the way you do (or think of him the way you do, if you don't write him), feel free to go ahead and just describe how you see him - and anyone else, please feel free to fill in the gaps for where you think that characterization comes from. Pet fanons are welcome, too. If you think he had a closet passion for Haradric poetry or was infamous in Dol Amroth for that time he got drunk and woke up with a regrettable tattoo, I want to hear it, particularly if there's a why involved (or even not). Links to stories where you developed those ideas are welcome, too. 

One other thing. I may include ideas you mention in my essay (with credit, of course). If you don't want me to include your idea, I'd still love to hear it; just make it clear in your comment that you don't want me to mention your idea.  

So have at it! What comes to your mind when you think of Boromir? And why?    

Date: 2012-07-20 11:47 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] rakshathedemon.livejournal.com
I've always believed that one reason why Denethor doted on Boromir was that Boromir presented no threat to Denethor's ego. Boromir was not Denethor's intellectual equal (not necessarily a bad thing, since few characters in LOTR are Denethor's intellectual equal; though I believe Faramir either was or came close to it, only lacking in years of experience rather than perception). Boromir also seems to have been his father's biggest fan, and never would have even thought of contradicting him.

I don't think Boromir is a fool, by any means. He's a competent strategist and outstanding fighter. It's just that I think he doesn't have his younger brother's (and to a lesser extent, his father's) capacity to think outside the box. If Boromir had survived, it's my personal opinion that he would have been bored out of his mind being being a Steward who actually had to be a political manager and administrator. Tolkien himself said that Boromir loved soldiering, more than the prospect of marrying or cultivating (or even wanting to cultivate) other interests.

Boromir is, in my opinion, a character who could be written as either heterosexual, homosexual, bisexual, or asexual. I think there is a possibility of homosexuality because, as the Heir to the rule of Gondor, I think Denethor would have married Boromir off years ago if not for the fact that perhaps Denethor doubted that Boromir could physically sire a future Steward.

Boromir seems to be the golden boy of Minas Tirith; everyone loves him. I think he was both spoiled and burdened by being Denethor's firstborn. My personal fanon is that Boromir reminded Denethor of Ecthelion; and Denethor had craved his own father's approval and did not feel as if he got as much of it as was his due; so he was probably thrilled to have this charismatic, macho son of his love and worship him.

Boromir's relationship with Faramir...Interesting. The child Boromir would have enjoyed having a baby brother who would look up to him; I think Boromir would have relished the role of protector and teacher. I do think the brothers loved each other. The fact that Faramir was "less self-regarding" than Boromir, and did not covet Boromir's place as future Steward/Power in Gondor, made him no threat to Boromir; and easier to love without fear. (though I do think that Faramir, being human, might well have occasionally resented Boromir's being so beloved by their father while Faramir was less favored) I see Little Faramir as a gutsy, agile kid tagging along after his big brother, and Boromir definitely helping the younger child start learning swordsmanship, etc. (or trying to help; young Boromir would certainly try; and it would not have occurred to him that he had not yet mastered swordsmanship himself!).

I don't see Boromir as thinking of the younger hobbits as little brother types - I loved Sean Bean in the FOTR movie, but that was not the book. I think he would treat them as rookie soldiers and try to watch out for them and protect them when possible, even to the point of dying for them (which he does); and maybe be amused by hobbits in general and noting that they are brave. When Pippin first sees Faramir, he thinks of admiring Boromir's lordly but kindly manner - that phrasing does not make me think of any kind of emotional intimacy shown by Boromir toward the youngest hobbit, such as a man far from home and family might show to a young person for whom he has brotherly feelings.

I second Anna's conviction that Boromir was straightforward and not particularly prone to reflection. I think his biggest flaw, perhaps like his father, was pride.

I will admit that I am biased in Faramir's favor as the best of the family (Denethor & sons); but Tolkien seems to share my bias, and he should know. Boromir was a good man at heart, I think; and one whose death was tragic; especially because he did not live to see Merry and Pippin delivered from the Orcs, or to see the final defeat of Sauron and Gondor made safe. I am not sure that Boromir would have accepted Aragorn's claim to the throne, at least without Imrahil and Faramir and Cousin Hurin and Eomer & 10,000 Rohirrim emphasizing the rightness of it, though.

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