Why have Merry and Pippin in the Fellowship?

[Coffeehouse]

Originally Posted by Jon S.

Well then, let's consider some more quotes that may lend some understanding to the equation:

Gildor (Three is Company) “If you demand advice, I will for friendship’s sake give it... take such friends as are trusty and willing�

Merry (A Conspiracy Unmasked) “You can trust us to stick to you, through thick and thin – to the bitter end. And you can trust us to keep any secret of yours – closer than you keep it yourself. But you cannot trust us to let you face trouble alone, and go off without a word. We are your friends, Frodo.�

(Flight to the Ford) “[Frodo] saw his friends’ faces more clearly again, and a measure of new strength and hope returned.�

Theoden witnessing the reunion of the three hunters with Merry and Pippin (The Road to Isengard): “It cannot be doubted that we witness the meeting of dear friends... The days are fated to be filled with marvels.�

Treebeard referring to Merry & Pippin (The Voice of Saruman): “I shall miss them. We have become friends in so short a while that I think I must be getting hasty. They shall remain friends as long as leaves are renewed.�

Aragorn (The Steward & The King): “A day draws near that I have looked for in all the years of my manhood, and when it comes I would have my friends beside me.�

Gandalf to the Hobbits (Homeward Bound): “As for you my dear friends you will need no help. You are grown up now. Grown indeed very high; among the great you are, and I have no longer any fear at all for any of you.�

And last but not least ...

Elrond to the Fellowship: "The road must be trod, but it will be very hard. And neither strength nor wisdom will carry us far upon it. This quest may be attempted by the weak with as much hope as the strong. Yet such is oft the course of deeds that move the wheels of the world: small hands do them because they must, while the eyes of the great are elsewhere."

I think these quotes actually are spot on as to the reason behind Merry and Pippin joining the Fellowship. For all purposes of mere efficiency, speed and stealth Frodo would only have needed to travel with 1 to 2-3 other companions on his mission (Gandalf and Aragorn?). The fact that it was decided to have a much larger Fellowship is partly due to the politics between the races present at the Rivendell meeting, but also as a psychological aid to Frodo. This sort of dangerous, arduous and long-lasting mission can be compared to the polar expeditions made to the North and South poles. In the case of Roald Amundsen to the South Pole, and Fridtjof Nansens attempt to reach the North Pole, it was done with people they felt close to as friends, not only as co-professionals.. I think therefore that bringing Merry and Pippin along was done not only in foresight by Gandalf (in seeing future potential, much like Bilbo's thievish qualities in The Hobbit), but in the knowledge that friendship could play an important part in such a discouraging journey to Mount Doom. This is one the major themes in Tolkien's LOTR, the importance of friendship.