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At the 9:05 mark of the latest podcast, Rilian and I talk about Trumpkin's introduction. I think it took me a few readings before it occurred to me that the Pevensies never ask his name. They save his life, catch fish, eat breakfast, and listen to his story without ever asking his name. Clearly Lewis did this in order to preserve the surprise.

Did this ever occur to you? Did you wonder what the dwarf's name was? It seems awfully convenient to me now, but then again it took me a few readings to notice it.

I honestly never even noticed I mean I was wondering who he was on my first read through, but it was more of wondering if he was a good guy or a bad guy and why he was nearly killed in the first place as opposed to what his name was specifically.

Interesting find there... I'm not sure I would have noticed unless you said something

Perhaps the Pevensies got so used to calling him "The DLF" that they came to think of it as his name...

^ They didn't start calling him "DLF" until much later. Long after they learned his name was Trumpkin.

I suppose they might have asked him his name during the actual dialogue, which is not really included in the book. I'm sure they figured out that he was Trumpkin eventually, especially since he would have narrated the story in first person. They may have asked him his name or he may have told him or it may have become obvious within the dialogue.

glumPuddle wrote: Rilian and I talk about Trumpkin's introduction. I think it took me a few readings before it occurred to me that the Pevensies never ask his name. They save his life, catch fish, eat breakfast, and listen to his story without ever asking his name. Clearly Lewis did this in order to preserve the surprise.

Did this ever occur to you? Did you wonder what the dwarf's name was? It seems awfully convenient to me now, but then again it took me a few readings to notice it.

No, you are quite right. It never occurred to me that the children never asked Trumpkin's name. For that matter, Trumpkin, who at first expected that children might be ghosts, and even himself, didn't ask his rescuers' names, either.

Susan shoots an arrow at the Telmarine soldiers who have Trumpkin captive, thus driving them off. Once Trumpkin was rescued, they are occupied in first freeing him, establishing they "are not all ghosts together" (PC p.19 Ch 3), securing the boat, which they would need later on, then organising something to eat. Trumpkin does start to ask who the children are a couple of times but checks himself. Peter does invite Trumpkin to tell his story of how he came to be there first.

Trumpkin was busy explaining over breakfast the circumstances in which he needed to be rescued. He at first introduces himself as a 'messenger of Prince Caspian'. Since the book narrative then switches to Prince Caspian's story, any other introductions don't really take place, especially as the children are absorbed i the distinctions between Telmarines and Old Narnians.

It is easy to gather who is who among the Pevensies, by what they call each other. But it isn't till the beginning of chapter eight that the Pevensies' dwarfish breakfast guest speaker is identified as Trumpkin. I expect that the first time reader is meant to guess who he was by that time.