Poll: Fan Perceptions of Maglor

[dawn_felagund]

ETA:: Please note: As of 10 May 2009, I have collected the results for this poll. You're welcome to still contribute, if you wish, as I may return to this topic in the future, but further replies will not be used in my current essay. However, do check out the discussion on this post, which is as fabulous as I have come to expect from my flist and passersby! :) A sincere thank-you to all who participated in the poll and provided such insightful discussion of the topic. /ETA

I am getting ready to write an essay for my weble The Heretic Loremaster, and I am interested in how Tolkien fans familiar with The Silmarillion perceive the character of Maglor. I appreciate the input of anyone who has a few minutes to spare me and my LJ-created poll. :) Also, please pass the word to other Tolkienites, if you're so inclined. I would like as many responses as I can get.

If you do not have an LJ account and would like to contribute to the poll, feel free to leave an anonymous comment with your responses. (Click "Confabulate with Me" at the bottom of the post.)

Please note also that I do not expect people to look up information for this. I am interested in your perceptions of his character, not how well you can find what the book says about his character. (And, for those who do not already know, I don't believe in "canon," so I don't believe that there are right or wrong answers to any of these questions, although I certainly possess my own opinions on them. :)



[Poll #1387001]

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Anything that you'd wish to add or elaborate upon, please feel free to do so in the comments. :)

Comments

[frenchpony.livejournal.com]

I, of course, mentioned Maglor the Musician, but then . . . well, I wouldn't be me if I didn't think of him as a musician.

The one trait that I associate most with Maglor is one that you didn't mention, probably because it's a negative -- that is, something that can only be expressed in terms of what it is not, rather than what it is. It's always struck me that Maglor is very much Not A Leader. I don't see this as being a flaw, necessarily, but it is kind of a drawback when you find yourself Regent of the Noldor. In that respect, I think he's like the twins -- they don't strike me as real leaders, either.

I think birth order has quite a bit to do with that; Maglor and the twins were both born immediately after boys with very powerful leadership abilities, and they seem like they'd be perfectly content to be followers, and they'd be good followers, too. Just not natural leaders, and when leadership gets thrust upon them, interesting things happen as a result.

[dawn_felagund]

That's a good point about the birth order. I certainly get the same impression of those three as well, especially the twins who have always struck me as being rather apathetic ... either that or sheltered; I'm not sure which and suppose there's no textual "proof" either way.

This is purely invention on my part, but I've always seen Maglor as a guy that comes through in a pinch. I view his regency the same way: He never would have chosen to play High King, and he wasn't cut out for it, but he did well enough because he had to.

[frenchpony.livejournal.com]

the twins who have always struck me as being rather apathetic ... either that or sheltered;

I always interpreted that as "the youngest of seven, with five very charismatic older brothers bossing them around all the time." Those would be two kids who grew up with someone always telling them what to do, and never having anyone younger to boss around.