Incomprehensible comparison of Sirius and Aragorn

[alshainofthenorth]

No: HPFGUIDX 122818


Tossing a Mr Black-related meta-subject among the Snape-lovers and 
crouching in the trench, hoping that there are Tolkien fans at HPFGU. 

I've several times, on several sites, seen HP fans compare Sirius 
Black and Aragorn (II, if we want to be precise) of the Dúnedain and 
come to the conclusion that they could be long-lost twins as they are 
so similar to each other. Giving them the benefit of the doubt, 
obviously I've missed some crucial character development here, 
because I can't see these similarities at all.

(But first, I intend to compare books with books here. No movie 
characterisations.) 

Aragorn is a patient, compassionate and wise man. Despite his high 
birth, he's a humble man and one who often doubts his own abilities, 
a thinker more than a doer, one who is content to disguise himself 
and wait in the shadows until his time comes. What drives him 
throughout the epic is his love for Arwen, and the quote I think 
defines his personality the most is, "When have I been hasty and 
unwary, who have waited and prepared for so many long years?" There's 
nary a flaw in him (in fact, he's sometimes so perfect that my teeth 
hurt).  

Sirius could be the dictionary illustration of arrogance, 
recklessness and impatience. He turned away from his birthright, and 
his cleverness doesn't seem to inspire him to mercy or compassion. He 
was reviled as a traitor (and notice that no one but Madam Rosmerta 
seems to question it), and it was the need for revenge that gave him 
strength enough to escape from prison. And despite the fact that he's 
loyal to the ones he loves, you can't really squeeze him into the 
role of "most parfait, gentil knight", can you?  
  
Any similarities that I can find are either on the most trite level 
(tall, lean, dark hair, grey eyes), or on a level so general as to be 
meaningless (Hero's Mentor*), or in the loyalty they show to the 
cause. But that's just one property in a multitude. Harry and Frodo 
have many mentors and supporters on their separate journeys, each 
containing a little part of the archetype. 

*I have a hard time seeing Sirius' main role in the tale as a mentor, 
actually. What he represents to me is the tragedy of Harry's past, a 
bleak reflection of what might have been but wasn't to be, in 
particular during and after OOTP.

Thoughts?

Alshain