. . . Tolkien often repeated himself, if not internally within LotR, then
between LotR and The Silmarillion. Someone less admiring of Tolkien might
argue this is merely a lack of imagination; I prefer to think that he had
certain themes in mind and addressed them again and again in different ways in
all his writings.
From what we know of the way Tolkien wrote, it is not clear that he had
Faramir's interrogation in mind when he wrote about Eomer's. And it was,
I believe, many years later before he wrote about Faramir's. So it is not
entirely clear to me that the parallel structure is intentional, but that does
not mean it is less
interesting.
________________________________________
"‘I think he was a silly little man,' said Councillor Tompkins. ‘Worthless, in fact; no use to Society at all.'
"‘Oh, I don't know,' said Atkins, who was nobody of importance, just a schoolmaster. ‘I am not so sure: it depends on what you mean by use .'
"‘No practical or economic use,' said Tompkins. . . .
. . .
"‘It is proving very useful indeed,' said the Second Voice. ‘As a holiday, and a refreshment. It is splendid for convalescence; and not only for that, for many it is the best introduction to the Mountains. It works wonders in some cases. I am sending more and more there. They seldom have to come back.'"
