QUESTIONS AND INFORMATION
QUESTION: Was it a specific incident that made Astoeth develop from a rather hot-headed, selfish healer to a mature one, or was it more of a gradual change over time? Either way, I find that to be such a fascinating flaw in a character who works as a healer!
ANSWER: I would rather say it's a mix of both. The elves, as we all know, have long lives filled with many years of opportunities and chances to learn, one blessing mortal races do not possess. In Astoeth’s case, her whole life has been devoted to her pursuit, and only to it. Probably one of the things that facilitated her optimal study conditions, was her living in a sheltered area (as I hardly know of any battles fought in Ered Luin), which gave her the chance to focus exclusively on it.
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The thing that fostered that feeling of superiority in her mind was definitely the fact that her father had been a healer beforehand. He then passed all his knowledge onto her, which gave her a solid ground to begin her career and research. As mentioned before, she has the advantage of thousands of years of practice and learning unlike men, dwarves or even hobbits. As well as the stronger tie elves have to the earth and the “elven magic”.
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It may seem a bit cliche to have an arrogant elf, but I do believe her way of thinking is justified by her environment. She is … something else, I’d say, a bit different from all the elves presented to us in LOTR. “All” elves are supposed to be wise and ethereal and mystic. (a portrayal the movies have more or less set in stone, making elves seem like these perfect beings, when they are far from it.) Astoeth on the other side is open and direct and she displays many traits usually attributed to the race of men in fantasy literature. Probably one of the causes is her vast contact with mortal races, as many travel to her apothecary in search of her expertise and help.
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As for the change that determined her to finally embrace more elven traits, (be less selfish and self-centered and more kind) was the passing of the years alongside some incidents. It was the Battle of Fornost where many hobbits died in the Fields of Fornost without her being able to save them in time. One incident that really amused me in her story was that: sometime during the first few hundred years of the Third Age, a Gondorian woman traveled all the way to Lindon to become her apprentice. Astoeth had been equally confused and alarmed at the fact of someone willingly asking her to share her hard earned knowledge. The incident ended with the woman not becoming her apprentice fully, just studying her way of work for a time and bringing that knowledge back to Gondor.
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She realized in the end that, by spreading the knowledge and inventions she worked so many years on, many would benefit. Also she’s like bffs with Oin and totally inspired his ointment.