the lord of the rings - Why are Aragorn and the Rangers of the north not trusted nor respected locally?

At the council of Elrond, when talking to Boromir, Aragorn says the following

What roads would any dare to tread, what safety would there be in quiet lands, or in the homes of simple men at night, if the Dunedain were asleep or were all gone into the grave. And yet less thanks have we than you. Travellers scowl at us, and countrymen give us scornful names. "Strider" I am to one fat man who lives within a days march of foes that would freeze his heart, or lay his little town in ruin, if he were not guarded ceaselessly. Yet we would not have it otherwise.

Are there any specific reasons that the Dunedain are not treated with more respect? Other than the fact that they seem to drift around and have no fixed abode, there is no reason I have come across for them to be distrusted or scorned. Can anyone shed light on reasons for this treatment?

Answer

It's a combination of a number of reasons:

• The Dunedain don't go out of their way to be well-known in the towns they protect.


• They don't look like a trustworthy person - Bree especially seems to get a lot of less-than-reputable people passing through, who appear similar to the Dunedain, as Aragorn himself acknowledges:

'I see,' laughed Strider. 'I look foul and feel fair. Is that it? All that is gold does not glitter, not all those who wander are lost.'

• Their acts aren't known to the populace. Their protections occur outside the boundaries of the town.

And yet, as you quoted, they "would not have it otherwise". This lack of knowledge also protects the Dunedain - it's often easier to protect something if those who seek to harm it are unaware that it's protected, and part of that is not letting more than necessary know of it.