The Gift of Men -- The Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman Fan Exchange

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Date Posted: 19:25:18 02/26/03 Wed
Author: Sue
Subject: The Gift of Men
In reply to: SB 's message, "LOTR and Fanfic" on 13:14:01 02/26/03 Wed

SB, "The Gift of Men" was a truly touching and very well written story. I must admit I had some reservations with the relationship between Lady Morwen and Faramir, but you quieted them mostly toward the conclusion of your story.

I took notes on the back of my daily LOTR's calendar pages (appropriate, huh? lol!)

The rest of this post contains Spoilers to SB's story, so please do not read any further before you read her story. It is a wonderful LOTR's story! I highly recommend it!

Here are some of my favorite lines from your story and some explanation as to why.

1. "mourned his mother Finduilas with the desolate desperation of a little child"

This image is just so sad.

2. "What kind of army was the Dark Lord building if he could afford to send away such a numerous party? What kind of war was he preparing to wage?"

These lines fit so well with Tolkien's writings and are so ominous of what lies ahead for the men of Gondor.

3. "You always prefered my brother like everybody did."

Once again sad, though I don't feel that Faramir was feeling any self pity by admitting this. He realized that both he and Boromir where as different as night and day in many ways. Boromir IMO was so extroverted in his lifestyle whereas I see Faramir as a man of deeper inner thought and reflection.

4. "They kissed softly, wonderingly, then he turned her slightly to see her face in the light of the sun. �This is madness indeed,� he whispered, looking into her eyes. ��Tis my brother you want, �tis him you see...�
�I do not know anymore who I want, when everything is crumbling around me,�

Beautiful lines reflecting their attraction and confusion so well.

5. "And had Boromir been here.... he would not have simply looked out the door, he would have rushed out with his sword drawn."

Faramir's self-recrimination here is so touching as he compares his actions to his brother's.

6. "It was rather like snuggling under a warm cloak and wait for sleep and the comfort of another's closeness to dispel the nightly chill."

Beautiful imagery!

7. "And the last thing she felt, before everything really faded was a light touch on her lips, like the drops of rain, his tears."

Again, wonderful writing!

8. "No way they could inflict on Him the same bottomless shattering pain, even in victory because He was not able to feel as frail warm-hearted creatures did."

I think these are my favorite lines because they seem to hold the emotions of all the characters in Tolkien's trilogy, who will be effected and changed forever in this quest they are carrying out. Excellent lines! My only question however and it goes to Tolkien too, though I don't expect him to answer, is why did he use a capital "H" in Him and He when refering to the dark lord? In my knowledge such usage is only used in biblical text to refer to God unless Tolkien was trying to stress that the Dark Lord was some deity or higher being. I don't know if you'll have an answer for me, but it has been one I've been wondering about as I've read the trilogy.

9. "How will she welcome me in the Halls of Waiting at the end of it all...as a brother I should have been to both of you, as the man who conforted her for a brief moment?"

Faramir's uncertainty at the end of your story is once again truly touching and helped me with my reservation of this relationship between Boromir's supposed fiance and his brother. You have done well in explaining that there was always an attraction between the two at least on his part and perhaps Boromir's flashiness overshadowed that of his introvert brother. It was an excellent closing thought keeping both the character and the reader wondering.

I like how in the end you have his men spotting the "Haflings" which would bring us back to text signalling that this story took place inbetween his discovery of Boromir's horn and his meeting with Frodo and Sam.

My only other reservation with your story was the Rangers initial reaction when encoutering the Nazgul's. I would not have supposed them as so frightened nor incapacitated, but if was their first encounter with them then maybe it would be so. There is an excellent paragraph in 'The Forbidden Pool" chapter of TTT in which Faramir relates the darkness and terror of the Nazgul to Frodo before they part company. I have been making many notes concerning the Nazgul during my reading because the story I hope to write some day will concern them also.

I also was wondering how you would handle the relationship between Morwen and Faramir in regard to his later relationship in ROTK with Eowyn, but your story fell in well with Tolkien's context. You did well with her ultimate demise and Faramir's final act of mercy.

There was one point in which I was a little confused in your story. It was when he admitted to her about seeking her father's approval, and she said none was required. Were they in fact lovers that night? The story read to me that that might be so.

Once again "The Gift of Men" was a wonderful story, SB! You should be proud of the language and descriptive quality of it. I think Tolkien would have approved himself.

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Replies:

Re: The Gift of Men -- SB, 01:49:50 02/27/03 Thu