tookish results

general questions

what be thy name?
pipkin sweetgrass.

where do you currently reside?
coastal georgia, golden isles, on an island...

have you read "the lord of the rings" novels? if so, which is your favourite book and why?
i'm torn; fellowship of the ring because of boromir, return of the king because pippin comes into his own and is prominent.

have you seen the film versions? how many times? why?
i have seen them and i lost count months ago because i'm drunk on lotr men and i adore the story.

is pippin your favourite character?
pippin is my favorite hobbit, boromir is my favorite non hobbit. i can't choose.

book questions

describe how you imagine pippin.
young, loyal, funny, brave, cheeky, loving, curious, clever and just a tad dark. he isn't afraid to think outside the box or color outside the lines. is a touch morally ambiguous, but hey, i like that.

what was your initial response to pippin's character?
to hobbit-nap him and take him home. i adored him then and still do. he's truly a hero.

what in his character do you like?
his unquenchable nature and his ability to love unconditionally.

what do you dislike?
nothing, nada, zip, zippo, zipperino, nyet, noddadamnthing, zero.

what do you consider pippin's strongest suit?
he has true hobbit grit.

what are his weaknesses?
he tends to despair a little at times.

to what degree did pippin's tookish nature play into his leaving the shire? was pippin searching for something when he left, or was it purely to help frodo?
oh, he went to help frodo, but i think he really wanted an adventure.

what purpose did pippin have with the fellowship?
enthusiasm for one thing. also, he really helped boromir understand the world was bigger than gondor and he kept gandalf on his toes. also, i think he reminded all of them that there was sweetness and light left in the world and it was worth fighting, even dying for.

what would have happened if he had been left behind? how would he be different? how would the others be different?
i think he could eventually have gotten himself in real trouble, had he stayed behind. the entire quest would have failed without pippin. his deeds were many and great.

how does the grand adventure change pippin?
it broadens his outlook, matures him and tests him. he comes out with some bad memories, i'm sure, but he learns about discipline and loyalty, he learns there are causes, and some are worth fighting for.

was pippin unsure of himself at the beginning of the tale?
i think he was unsure, after all he was so young. he seemed to look to everyone else with a problem instead of taking on the problem himself.

does pippin have a hero? who and why?
it's obvious to me that boromir and faramir were his heroes. merry was more like his brother and gandalf more like a grandfather. he also sees aragorn as a hero, too.

describe how you see pippin's relationship with merry.
close from the beginning i think, because they were related and they seem so familiar with each other.

do you think merry was ever disappointed in his cousin (ie during the palantír incident)?
yes, i'm sure he was, though the palantír scene is all that comes to mind.

what do you think gandalf felt towards the young took? what was their relationship?
gandalf loved him, their relationship was like a grandchild/grandfather relationship.

do you think gandalf was particularly hard on pippin? why?
yes, because he knew pippin was capable of so much more.

when the fellowship first meets galadriel it is said, "each had felt he was offered a choice between a shadow of fear that lay ahead, and something he greatly desired: clear before his mind it lay, and to get it he had only to turn aside from the road and leave the quest and the war against sauron and the others." what do you think pippin was offered?
greatness. he mentions the bullroarer and i think he wanted to live up to that legend.

what do you think boromir represented to pippin?
a father/brother as well as a larger than life hero. i think pippin loved boromir very much and he said so many times with his actions, such as swearing to gondor and when he said he wouldn't want anyone to think badly of boromir when they met pippin himself. this tells me he kind of took boromir into himself, a way to keep his hero-friend alive. i think he identified with boromir heavily.

how did the death of boromir affect pippin?
greatly and deeply. it was a baptism in blood. boromir became much like a martyr to pippin.

why do you think faramir so moved pippin?
for the same reasons as he admired boromir, only just a little different, faramir was more like something out of legend to pippin. i think he admired faramir more than boromir, but loved boromir more than faramir.

what do you think motivated pippin to swear fidelity to gondor?
boromir. period.

was it appropriate pippin ended up serving denethor, not théoden? why?
yes, again, one word: boromir.

when pippin was confronted with death during the battle before the black gates, how do you feel he reacted?
resigned.

how do you imagine pippin as a father?
loving and fair but firm. easy-going but not neglectful.

in the end, what do you feel pippin lost and what did he gain from his journey?
he lost his innocence. he gained a sterling character, valor and wisdom.

favourite scene or quote?
"it has passed. no, my heart will not yet despair. gandalf fell and has returned and is with us. we may stand, if only on one leg, or at least be left upon our knees."

film questions

how do you think pippin was portrayed in the movie?
so far, so good.

many felt pippin in the film came off as "stupid," do you agree?
i think he came off as innocent and inexperienced. i think this was needed to show a later scale of personal growth in pippin.

did you enjoy the performance of billy boyd as pippin? how so?
yes!

favourite scene or quote?
the closer we are to danger, the further we are from harm.

if you've seen the movie and read the books

which scene from the books which didn't make it into the film do you miss most?
the descent from caradhras, or pippin's cleverness during his capture by the uruk hai, the latter, i think, most.

was the pippin of the films accurate to the pippin you imagined?
pretty much, can't complain too much. or i could but then i'm prejudiced where my two favorite characters are concerned. why? well if i knew that it wouldn't be a prejudice, would it?

what do you most look forward to in return of the king?
pippin with the palantír and pippin in gondor.

which scene are you most worried about?
pippin with palantír. or the black gate.

if you magically had the chance to change one thing concerning film pippin (be it action, line or trait) what would it be?
i'd put back his cleverness with the uruk hai.

extra

can you think of think of any other questions which would be nice here?
do you consider pippin a hero?

anything to say or ask about this site?
fan fiction?

who's another favourite character (from anywhere, not just lotr) of yours, and why?
boromir!

lse says!

hooray! pipkin you are the first to grace the second survey here at eip. ho ho ho, you and your boromir. some of these questions were especially inspired by you. thank you for your suggestions as well. there is some fan fiction here, one of your stories no less! but i really have no plans for much else in that regard. yes! i do consider pippin a hero and like that question much. thanks again!

... x