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The Squatter of Amon Rûdh · 09-03-2002, 04:02 AM

Yesterday I was exploring my opinions of Éowyn for a post on the "Hope-lessly in love" thread and I realised that far from being sexist, which I'd never believed him to be in any case, Tolkien had quite a liberated attitude to women. The whole story of Éowyn's escape from domestic monotony to play a pivotal part in the Battle of the Pelennor Fields is one of liberation from a traditional feminine rôle to one more usually associated with men. In relating it, Tolkien takes an ironic swipe at the plot device of the handsome Prince turning up on his charger to save the poor little woman from drudgery (see my posting on the other thread for a more complete explanation of my ideas about this).
I don't see it as any coincidence that Disney were producing their hideously bowdlerised and saccharine versions of European fairy-stories at about the time that Tolkien was writing his epic. I think that in a way Éowyn's story is a direct attack on films like Cinderella, through its placing of the responsibility for a woman's destiny firmly in her own hands and demonstration of the happy results.

Does anyone else have any thoughts on this matter?

[ September 03, 2002: Message edited by: Squatter of Amon Rudh ]

09-03-2002, 04:02 AM	#70
The Squatter of Amon Rûdh Spectre of Decay Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Bar-en-Danwedh Posts: 2,178	Yesterday I was exploring my opinions of Éowyn for a post on the "Hope-lessly in love" thread and I realised that far from being sexist, which I'd never believed him to be in any case, Tolkien had quite a liberated attitude to women. The whole story of Éowyn's escape from domestic monotony to play a pivotal part in the Battle of the Pelennor Fields is one of liberation from a traditional feminine rôle to one more usually associated with men. In relating it, Tolkien takes an ironic swipe at the plot device of the handsome Prince turning up on his charger to save the poor little woman from drudgery (see my posting on the other thread for a more complete explanation of my ideas about this). I don't see it as any coincidence that Disney were producing their hideously bowdlerised and saccharine versions of European fairy-stories at about the time that Tolkien was writing his epic. I think that in a way Éowyn's story is a direct attack on films like Cinderella, through its placing of the responsibility for a woman's destiny firmly in her own hands and demonstration of the happy results. Does anyone else have any thoughts on this matter? [ September 03, 2002: Message edited by: Squatter of Amon Rudh ] __________________ Man kenuva métim' andúne?