Merry and Pippin, who are always found side by side until they have to split up and offer their respective services to Theoden the king of Rohan, and Denethor the steward of Gondor, are the instigators of a lot of the minor events that happen throughout the story, both good and bad, but Pippin, who is the youngest, has one particular moment among the many, that highlights not only his child-like, day-dreamer personality but also his comical nature.
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When the four hobbits first meet Strider at the Prancing Pony, they are understandably wary of him, both because of his rugged and suspicious appearance, and because Gandalf has warned them to be extra careful considering the dangerous ring that they carry in their possession. Unfortunately for them, Gandalf has not met them at their rendezvous point, because he has been waylaid by Saruman, so they have little choice but to trust Strider, and follow him off into the wild as he leads them towards Weathertop, and Rivendell beyond. On their way through the marshes takes place one of the most famous scenes, in which Pippin asks about ‘Second breakfast, elevenses, luncheon, afternoon tea, dinner and supper’, which Merry informs him, Aragorn has probably never heard of.
Pippin looks so crestfallen at this, and Aragorn, who has the extra hearing of his elven and Dunedain roots overhears. Thus comes one of Pippins’ most comical scenes in the entire trilogy, in which Aragorn chucks a few apples in their direction, which Merry skillfully catches, and Pippin, of course, gets hit directly in the head with. This is such an endearing scene for Pippin because he looks upwards to the sky, as if the apple has fallen from heaven in answer to his prayers for second breakfast, rather than being thrown at him by this little-known new companion.
This is a quintessential scene for Pippin as both a naive and foolhardy character, but also a character of hope and belief in the impossible. A fun fact about this scene is that it took 16 takes for Viggo Mortensen to be able to throw the apples in a way that Dominic Monaghan (who plays Merry) could catch, and the scene used in the film is actually one of the out-takes in which it hit Billy Boyd in the perfect comedic fashion.
The best thing about this scene is that it is not a one-off either, but is a wonderful motif later repeated for Pippin’s character. One the March of the Ents has taken place, and they have rid Isengard from the evil that Saruman had brought about the place, the hobbits are left in charge of watching the doors of Orthanc to make sure that the white wizard doesn’t escape. They are also waiting to greet their friends, who are riding from the Battle of Helm’s Deep.
As they wait, they get hungry (as hobbits tend to do) and it is at this moment that they discover the food hoard in Isengard’s pantry. Pippin sees an apple floating past in the water and grabs it- looking upwards. Here is a beautiful rendition of the earlier comical scene, showing that despite everything the two hobbits have been through, the battles, the death of Boromir, the cruelty at the hands of the orcs, Pippin has still kept that childish innocence of believing that apples are falling from the skies for the sake of his stomach.
Pippin is probably one of the only characters in the entire franchise who manages to complete the journey and its associated quest, and then return home to The Shire and live a long and full life without the horrors and the scars haunting him for the rest of his days. No matter what happens, Pippin always keeps this positive outlook on life, this hope for a better world, which is what makes him such an inspirational and uplifting character. Everyone needs a Pippin in their lives.
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