Incomprehensible comparison of Sirius and Aragorn

[pippin_999]

No: HPFGUIDX 122881


--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "alshainofthenorth" 
<alshainofthenorth at y...> wrote:
> 
> Tossing a Mr Black-related meta-subject among the 
Snape-lovers and  crouching in the trench, hoping that there are 
Tolkien fans at HPFGU. 

Pippin:
Me! Me! Er, couldn't you guess? :)

Alshain:
> 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.<


Pippin:
I couldn't either at first. But thinking about your question, I 
realized a similarity. I am not sure that Aragorn lovers or Sirius 
lovers will thank me for pointing it out, though ;-) ::prepares to 
duck brickbats::

 I see a resemblance between Aragorn's treatment of Gollum 
and Sirius's treatment of Kreacher. In each case, a  usually 
noble, kind and generous man errs by failing to see the 
possibility of  latent good in an inferior.


Here's Aragorn, speaking of Gollum's capture:
--
He will never love me, I fear, for he bit me, and I was not gentle. 
Nothing more did I ever get from his mouth than the marks of his 
teeth. I deemed it the worst part of all my journey, the road back, 
watching him day and night, making him walk before me with a 
halter on his neck, gagged, until he was tamed by lack of drink 
and food, driving him ever towards Mirkwood. --LOTR, The 
Fellowship of the Ring, Book Two ch 2.
-----

Contrast this with the way that Frodo treats Gollum after taking 
him prisoner. When Gollum screams incessantly at being tied 
up, Frodo does not gag him. Instead, he looses Gollum and 
makes a pact with him, even though he knows Gollum will most 
likely prove faithless. 

All in all, Aragorn's treatment of Gollum is, as Tolkien might put
it, better suited to Saruman in his decline than to a defender of 
the West. Indeed it is comparable to what Merry and Pippin  
receive as prisoners of  Saruman's Orcs. This lapse in an 
otherwise admirable person has its effect. Gollum is able to hide 
his treacherous intentions behind his resentment of Aragorn: 

'I ask you again, [Frodo] said:' is not this secret way guarded?'
But the name of Aragorn had put Gollum into a sullen mood. He 
had all the injured air of a liar suspected when for once he has 
told the truth, or part of it. He did not answer. --LOTR, The Two 
Towers, Book Four, ch 3

Gollum, of course, does betray the Hobbits at the secret way, 
Cirith Ungol. The Orcs take Frodo's possessions, and they are in 
due course delivered to the Dark Tower, so that Aragorn's sin 
can come home to roost. At the Black Gate  Aragorn finds his 
own shadow self, a Black Numenorean, with the tokens of Cirith 
Ungol in his hands. Fortunately Frodo himself  escaped, and 
thanks ultimately to his kindness in sparing Gollum, both 
Aragorn and Frodo were saved. 

Sirius falls into a similar trap. He considers Kreacher too 
far beneath him, too wretched and hate-filled, even as Gollum is, 
to be trusted with freedom. Rowling has both Hermione and 
Dumbledore tell Harry that this was wrong, and that Kreacher, 
despite his wretchedness and hate, should be treated with 
kindness and respect. 

But instead of freeing Kreacher and trying to come to terms with 
him, Sirius tried to keep Kreacher faithful by force, and paid  the 
price for it.

Pippin
hoping that Alshain's teeth will hurt a bit less when she thinks of 
Aragorn now.