The Bandybucks, Tools, and Baggins are well established family lines in the Shire - some like the Tooks are thought to be some of the original Hobbit lines - and both Pippen and Merry have known a life of privilege and comfort prior to the story. Frodo does as well, but mostly because he's the named heir of Bilbo. So as far as Hobbit society has any sense of gentry, all the hobbits but Sam would count.

[–] Seleni@lemmy.world 12 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (2 children)

Pippin is the son of the Thrain, who is the hobbits’ stand-in for the absent King in Gondor.

Frodo is a Baggins, but like Bilbo has Took relations, as both families are old, powerful, and often intermarried. His family also owns much of the land in and around Hobbiton. So basically landed gentry in all but name.

Merry is the son of the Master of Buckland, one of the oldest families running one of the oldest parts of the Shire. So also basically landed gentry.

Gimli is a descendant of Durin, although not in a direct oldest-son line like Thorin was.

And of course Boromir is the son of the Steward, who was just shy of a king in all but name.

[–] DragonTypeWyvern@midwest.social 5 points 1 week ago (1 children)

*the absent King of Arnor

Elendil held both kingdoms. Arnor was actually the seat of the High Kingdom, due to its proximity to Gil-Galad's own kingdom.

After Isildur's death the rule was split, but Arnor never recovered from the war and gradually declined until its collapse fighting Angmar. Gondor would in turn defeat the Witch-King leading to the collapse of Angmar and the state of the region in LotR where everything is uninhabited or under local rule.

[–] Seleni@lemmy.world 2 points 1 week ago

You are quite correct! My mistake.

[–] dream_weasel@sh.itjust.works 5 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Thanks! It was the hobbits that I couldn't remember (or never knew).

[–] Seleni@lemmy.world 4 points 1 week ago

What was interesting to me reading the books is how Pippin is basically the Hobbit version of a young Boromir or Faramir (I mean, physically they’re roughly the same age, but in Hobbit terms Pippin was considered to just have barely left childhood), but he grew up in a land of peace and plenty.

I wonder if Tolkien was using him and his family as a contrast to Denthor’s family, which is why it’s Pippin who goes to Gondor. The Thrain was even one of the leaders of the Hobbit resistance against Saruman, for further parallels.