Ship and Stone: Galadriel's Moral Journey in Rings of Power

[mary_j_59]

I'm simply throwing up the link here--it should be live on my ancient livejournal as well as on my author page. Comments welcome here or in either of those places!

https://mary-j-59.livejournal.com/114136.html

http://mjohnsonstories.net/book-reviews-and-other-thou/ship-and-stone-galadriels.html

Comments

[sunnyskywalker]

Really lovely insights! I hadn't looked at Galadriel's connections to water and light that way, but you're absolutely right. And she'll eventually use the clear spring water as her "mirror" too, of course.

It's really interesting how Sauron is sort of like a living version of her mirror, for her. Others are starting to have trouble distinguishing them, so in that way they're really reflections. From her perspective, he's a warning of what she might be becoming. I think Sauron genuinely does believe that his rule would be the best thing for Middle-Earth. And we see Galadriel constantly barking orders and having trouble seeing others' points of view--something Halbrand actually helps her with, though he uses his insight for different purposes than she eventually will. She, too, feels like people should just listen to her, for their own good. And we know she struggles with this for the next three thousand years. Having an image of where succumbing to that temptation would lead her is probably very helpful in resisting that fate.

And looking at it the other way around, Galadriel is a reflection of what Sauron's future could be like, if he could only embrace the light. He seems to come close. He really feels that connection between them, and seems tempted by the idea of having a partner rather than a master/servant or ruler/subject relationship for a change. He likes being beloved as the "true king," the role Galadriel set up for him, instead of the hated tyrant he was under Morgoth. And while he might have held Galadriel back from going too far with Adar partly for strategic reasons (makes him seem like a good-hearted, reliable guy she can trust), I think he also has a niggling feeling that he actually doesn't want her to compromise her values like that, because he's attracted by that vision of light. But he can't quite do it, and we know he ends up once again a hated tyrant with no peers or friends. We can really see what a tragic loss his fall was--partly by looking at what Galadriel will be.

[mary_j_59]

Sauron and Galadriel as mirrors for each other--yes! That's exactly what I was trying to get at. It's also true to Tolkien, and to (what I know of) theology and psychology, that Halbrand/Sauron is genuinely remorseful, but imperfectly repentant. His pride keeps him from where he needs to go. Galadriel, herself, is a proud person, and really gives up all desire to rule only when she faces Frodo and the temptation he offers her.

Thanks for reading!

[sunnyskywalker]

One of the things I really appreciate about this show is that now I can genuinely mourn Sauron. He didn't have to end as that scary eyeball. And they did it not by making him a poor, put-upon woobie, but showing his potential greatness.