considering the time Tolkien lived in and the way society was shaped, women were seen as those who stay home and watch the house. Eowyn is told this is The Return of the King, that her proper place is at home. This was seen as being protective over a woman, to save her from the horrors of war. Today's standards might consider it to be sexist but indeed I believe that it is merely a reflection of a more conservative time than our own.
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