The Code-Switching of Aragorn's Names

Tony Meade

Active Member
Going back through the end of "Many Meetings" and into "The Council of Elrond", I noticed something about the names used by Aragorn that seems significant, though I'm not sure what exactly that significance is.

At the end of the scene in the Hall of Fire, as Frodo and Bilbo are leaving, Frodo sees a vision of Elrond, Arwen, and Aragorn from the threshold, and he is struck by the sight of Aragorn. What is significant about this is that it is the first moment that the narrator uses the name Aragorn in the text. Gandalf, Glorfindel, and Strider himself have all used the name Aragorn in dialogue, but up until this point, the narrator has referred to him exclusively as Strider, just like Frodo. The narrator then briefly code-switches back to using Strider at the beginning of the Council, when he is again dressed in his traveling clothes, but permanently code-switches to Aragorn at the moment when he casts the broken sword on the table and addresses Boromir.

What are we to take from these naming conventions? Since we assume that the majority of this text is written by Frodo, it might make some sense to assume that these are moments when he actually changes his view of Aragorn from the rascally Ranger called Strider to Aragorn, son of Arathorn. That works, except that it doesn't take into account the fact that he and the other three hobbits will continue calling him Strider in dialogue for the remainder of the story. May we suspect that this is an editing decision by Findegil? The thematic shifts in the use of his names are clear, but the in-story reasoning is unclear.

Any thoughts?
 
I'm inclined to think that if Findegil were to make such a change it would be wholesale, or at least from the first introduction of the name Aragorn in the dialogue.

An alternative proposal is that Frodo is the narrator making this change, but it is occurring retrospectively.

Put another way: The hobbits, including Frodo, continue addressing him as Strider (their friend) for the duration as indicated by the dialogue, but when Frodo sits down to write the narrative he recognises the points at which his internally held view of Aragorn changes.
The Hall of Fire scene is an anomaly, but is perhaps explained by his mode of dress, appearing more regal.
At the beginning of the Council Strider is back, in part because his identity isn't yet known to Boromir, and so reverting to Strider in the narrative helps set up the reader for the revelation to Boromir of who this scruffy fellow is, so the reader has a chance to relate better to Boromir.

Speculation: Frodo may have considered changing all of the 'Strider' instances to 'Aragorn' after the revelation of the name, but was convinced otherwise because it wouldn't be true to what happened. Seems to me an argument that Sam would make anyway.
 
I am not sure how much we are supposed to look ahead or not, but "Strider" will appear in the narration again. Not often or much, but the instances might throw some light in the question.

Most of the usages of "Strider" after this will be in the chapters where Pippin seems to be the narrator (chapter 3 of TT: The Uruk-Hai), and that fits with Pippin seeming to be slow on the uptake. But there is one noticeble instance in chapter 9 of the second book (The Great River) where Frodo is the narrator. It is when they pass the Argonath and everyone is covering. Frodo hears a strange voice telling them not to fear, turns and sees Strider, "yet not Strider". It is one of the other instances like the one in the Hall of Fire where Aragorn seems to be revealed (or reveal himself?).

I think maybe the switch in names is Frodo as narrator have become aware of who Aragorn is, even though he continues to use Strider in speech. He does this earlier than the other hobbits, and so we have the chapters with Merry and Pippin where the narration use Strider (and once I think with Sam), because they are not really aware yet.
 
From Rivendell onwards we almost always meet Aragorn in a larger company than that of just the hobbits. "Strider" is clearly coded as the hobbits pet-name for him, because it is the name by which he is introduced to them. The likes of Boromir and Gimli have never heard him called by that name so it would seem odd for the narrator to refer to him that way when he is in the company of the Fellowship, or Galadriel, or the Rohirrim.
 
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