Sorry guys, I know, I should be doing school-stuff, but I just need to rant a bit.

In some  corner of that weird thing called internet I found an article called "Fünf Gründe, warum Gandalf ein schlechter Mensch ist", like "five reasons why Gandalf is a terrible person" (for some reasons Watpad won't allow me to put the link here...). And I have to say, I ... kind of ... disagree, which is why I want to disprove each of those reasons:

Reason one: He sent Frodo to Mordor, knowing and accepting he would probably die, after Frodo was forced to offer to take the burden at the council of Elrond. And also, he would have let him go alone ( the statement is supported by the fact that he didn't know about Sam being with Frodo).

Well... I mean, it's true that Gandalf probably knew, Frodo would die, but Frodo knew it too. It was probably the first thing Gandalf told him: You. May. Die. Also, Gandalf did give him companions, more fittingly: he chose the best companions he knew (INCLUDING SAM) to make the journey as safe as possible.  And it even gets better: Gandalf would have followed Frodo into Mordor, except that he couldn't because what happened before? He died! (not really, but you get my point!). And if anyone stille dares to say Gandalf wouldn't care about Frodo: Read the scene at the Morannon when the Mouth of Sauron shows them the Mithril-coat! After Pippin he is probably the most shocked person present! 

Also, had there been another way, except the one described in the book to save Middle Earth? We'll never know. I personally think, this was the only way (No, flying the eagles to Mordor is out of the options!), and both Gandalf and Elrond knew it.

Reason two: He adaptet to Saruman's moraly questionable habit of wearing white clothes and also was boring, not shrewd/humorous enough after his "death".

I don't want to be rude, but that's not what is going on there! Gandalf the white is, and I think that is indeed a quote, Saruman as he should have been. Also, here are some scenes: The conversation with the three hunters "I was talking to myself. A habit of the old, they chose the wisest person present to speak to." (or something like this); the scene with Merry about rag-tags and that every wizard needed  hobbit; and I could name more to prove, that Gandalf is anything but entirely serious. And even if he was: There is a damned war going on! Why shouldn't he be!?

Reason three: He is a phoney who can't perform real magic, but rather does his tricks because he doesn't believ anyone could e.g. defeat a Balrog ("Fly, you fools!").

Okay, I understand that some peopl only understand sparks and spells and flying objects as "real" maigic. Unfortunately that's not the way Middle Earth-magic works. It's not the way Maiar work! Maiar-magic is way more subtile and rather based on spiritual stuff than on physical one, and the reader knows, because Galadriel kind of explains it to Sam. 

And if the scene with the Balrog doesn't show Gandalfs power clearly enough, then at least it showes his wisdom. He knows, he is the most powerful being present, and that's BIOLOGY. And if he discovers he can't defeat the Balrog, he rather sacrifices himself and makes it possible for the others to get out, than to risk the whole quest to fail (which would eventually lead to the distruction of the whole world). Also, when he said "Fly, you fools!", the Balrog was allready gone and he probably wanted them to get out because of the orcs...

Reason four: He is a dramaqueen and only comes at the very last second to save the day, which means more drama on his side, but also many dead soilders, example: helm's deep.

Yes, he is a dramaqueen (example the scene with the three hunters, when he reveals he isn't Saruman, or in the Hobbit with those trolls). No doubt about that. 

But sorry, we are not at Star Treck where you can beam yourself to whatever place you want to be. And even Shadowfax needs some time for the way from Edoras (I think, it was Edoras) to Fangorn to Helm's deep. Not to speak of a host of Huons, which aren't that fast anyway...

Reason five: He should have known about the ring, even if all the wise people of Middle Earth have forgotten it (it literaly says that in the text), and should have recognized it, when Bilbo showed it to him. Instead he wasted 60 years on doing more or less useless stuff. Also he should have solved the Moria-riddle faster (despite knowing that going through the mines was a terrible idea) and generally isn't as clever as he pretends to be.

Also, he should have warned Pippin more specifically about the Palantír and should have told Frodo the ring was dangerous and corruptive instead of sending him to Bree alone.

Okay. That will take a while:

First: Gandalf didn't know about the ring. The point when he really became sure of what he was dealing with, was when he and Frodo cast it into the fire. Also, do you know, how many rings there are, ven when not including the 20 the poem speaks of? Rushing into something because of a mere idea of what th ring might be, clearly wouldn't have worked. Also, he spent those 60 researching of what the ring exactly was and how they should deal with it!

And the Moria-riddle: I don't know, but I can imagine him to have spent most of his time in Middle Earth with some kind of crisis, probaly experiencing mistrust rather often. Who can blame him, if he doesn't immediately get the idea, that the password was written on the door for everyone to read? Also it's a gramatical problem used by probably the most skilled person of the second age... 

And why there had been no other option but to go through Moria is quite another issue. Also, it's not like they hadn't tried the other way. Besides, they all kame out alife. EXCEPT Gandalf!

He should have warned Pippin about the Palantír. Maybe. But again: He didn't know for certain what it was. And also, Pippin probably saved Middle Earth, drawing Sauron's attention towards Saruman and away from Mordor (but that's a different issue).

And, last but not least, he should have warned Frodo, that the ring could turn him into Gollum number 2 or something. Well, he could have. But could you imagine, how terrifying that would have been? Who knows, what Frodo had done, had he believed/known it? And risking that because of a mere suspicion Gandalf might have had...? Also, he often came to the shire to look after Bilbo and Frodo. If there had been any effect the ring had had on the hobbits, Gandalf would have known and would have helped immediately. But he knew, that Bilbo was fine wearing the ring, and I'm convinced he would have done something, had he seen ANY danger for his friends.

I don't want to say, that you can't dislike Gandalf (except that I really don't  see why anybody would), but not for that reasons. Because, surely Gandalf, as a character, has flaws, otherwise he would be boring, but he definitely isn't as selfish, hypocratical, ignorant, heartless, unscrupulous and egoistic as this article depicts him!

You'll read from me

Alice 🙃