Hi Tony,

Thanks for all the further background information! No doubt, mother characters do get a mention in Tolkien's books (either the LOTR trilogy of his collection of First and Second Age backstories). However, I'd say their relative lack of importance in the stories is undeniable, especially when compared with how much meaning so many of these characters ascribe -- implicitly or explicitly -- to their paternal lineage. Given that *all* the mothers were so easily excised from Jackson's trilogy indicates as much. But I appreciate getting to learn a little more from your info about the familial lines of the hobbits especially. :-)