Idril's regret

From the Book of Lost Tales 2: The Fall of Gondolin

Then drawing him within their halls she said to him how her heart misgave her for fear concerning {Eärendel} [Eärendil] her son, and for boding that some great evil was nigh, and that {Melko} [Morgoth] would be at the bottom of it. Then Tuor would comfort her, but might not, and she questioned him concerning the secret delving, and he said how it now led a league into the plain, and at that was her heart somewhat lightened. But still she counselled that the delving be pressed on, and that henceforth should speed weigh more than secrecy, "because now is the time very near".

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Yet to Turgon she spoke not openly, nor suffered Tuor to do so, as he desired, despite their love and reverence for him -- a great and a noble and a glorious king he was -- seeing that he trusted in {Meglin} [Maeglin] and held with blind obstinacy his belief in the impregnable might of the city and that {Melko} [Morgoth] sought no more against it, perceiving no hope therein.

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Yet, when the attack was taking place and the Halls of the King were destroyed:

By her stood Voronwë and none other, but Idril saw not even Tuor, for her gaze was set back upon the Place of the King that now lay somewhat below them. Then all that host halted and looked back whither her eyes gazed and their hearts stood still; for now they saw why the foe pressed them so little and the reason of their salvation. Lo! a {drake} [dragon or wyrm] was coiled even on the very steps of the palace and defiled their whiteness; but swarms of the Orcs ransacked within and dragged forth forgotten women and children or slew men that fought alone. {Glingol} [Glingal] was withered to the stock and {Bansil} [Belthil] was blackened utterly, and the king's tower was beset.

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Then said Idril: "Woe is me whose father awaiteth doom even upon his topmost pinnacle; but seven times woe whose lord hath gone down before {Melko} [Morgoth] and will stride home no more!" -- for she was distraught with the agony of that night.

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I wonder if Idril could again be in the same situation, if she had found a way to do things differently to try and save her father whom she loved, or just let him perish.

Orginally posted by Maedhros
I wonder if Idril could again be in the same situation, if she had found a way to do things differently to try and save her father whom she loved, or just let him perish.

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I think she would not have done things differently. Thoughout the story we have examples of Idril's foresight proving useful. She had armour made for baby Earendil, she knew Maeglin was bad when no one else did ,she thought to make a secret escape route, and she spoke against those who wanted to flee to Bad Uthwen, even thogh it seemed that they would otherwise be caught in the light of dawn. They were not though because there was fog which had never came there before. It just seems to me that idril knew that she knew best. She herself may not have known the reasons for not trying to pursuade Turgon of the danger that Gondolin was in, but for whatever reason she knew it was best. So she probably would have done things the same if she had it to do again.

I guess there is a chance that I am wrong, and that Idril left Turgon alone for reasons other than foresight (probably not the correct word for this). Maybe she didn't want to hurt his pride, and maybe her silence was not the best. If this were so, then I think Idril after seeing her faller's tower fall would have done things differently if she could.
I think we can never know for sure.

I think Idril knew her father better than anybody, she knew he would never abandon his city. That choice was taken away from him when Turgon refused the Council of Ulmo...

'Moreover Fingon and Turgon were bold and fiery of heart, and loath to abandon any task to which they had put there hands until the bitter end, if bitter it must be.'

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So we see Turgon making a final stand, even though the way was open for him to escape the city's fall...

'But Turgon hearkened not, and bid them fare now ere it was too late, and "Let Tuor," said he, "be your guide and your chieftain. But I Turgon will not leave my city, and will burn with it."

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Idril knew her father's heart too well. I like this next quote as it seems to cut right to the heart of 'Turgon's folly'...

'Then said Idril heavily: "Sad is the blindness of the wise"; but Tuor said: "Sad too is the stubborness of those we love - yet 'twas a valiant fault"

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Had Idril confided in her father, one can only conclude that he would have forced the work on the escape route to be closed. Idril surely saw this and was the reason she kept the delving secret from her father.

Turgon was already adequately warned by Ulmo via Tuor (as Turgon has so ably pointed out) and he refused the warning. He had become besotten with that unfaithful trait that vanquished his father and his uncle... the unfaithful and hapless emotion of pride. As pride drove Feanor to commit unspeakable acts against his own kin, as pride drove Fingolfin to a certain suicide against Melkor... so pride blinded Turgon and kept him from seeing what his daughter saw all too clearly... the ultimate betrayal of Maeglin.

No, I don't think Idril would have changed her mind. I agree she knew her father better than any, and she knew how he rejected the counsel of Ulmo, and let arrogance sneak into his mind and rule his thoughts instead of wisdom.
It is obvious from the above quotes (at least in my opinion) that Turgon was adamant and would not change his mind and Idril did the best she could.

But who, having seen their father meet certain death, would not regret their actions or at least ask themselves if they could have done things otherwise, so a bitter end like that would have been prevented?

As pride drove Feanor to commit unspeakable acts against his own kin, as pride drove Fingolfin to a certain suicide against Melkor... so pride blinded Turgon and kept him from seeing what his daughter saw all too clearly... the ultimate betrayal of Maeglin.

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Hmmmmm.
It is obvious in the Fall of Gondolin that Idril felt bad about what happened to her Father, I'm just wondering if there was a way in which she could have saved her father while ensuring the safety or her son and the remants of Gondolin.

Originally posted by Maedhros
Hmmmmm.
It is obvious in the Fall of Gondolin that Idril felt bad about what happened to her Father, I'm just wondering if there was a way in which she could have saved her father while ensuring the safety or her son and the remants of Gondolin.

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Hmmm..I don't think there was any way she could have made the best out of everything. It was either this or that. If she opted to tell Turgon, he would probably prevent the secret passage from being built. So which was more important - her father or her husband&son?

Could she save the city? I doubt it.
Save her father? If the city fell, not without taking him captive.
She might have refused to leave Turgon's side, in hopes that he would leave just to get her to safety but I'm sure he would have just had others drag her from the city anyhow.

The only way I can see her saving her father is by saving the city and I can only think of one way that might have been done.
Killing Maeglin would not have prevented the destruction of the city...
Unless...it held off the destruction long enough that Earendil make it to Aman.
The hard part is that other things surrounding the Silmaril recovered by Luthien would have to happen in such a way that Earendil still get the silmaril and head west with it.