[Mirkgirl]

But of course The Prof was sexist! Even his fox was a he for Eru's sake! :P

On a tad more seious note, I have to agree with most which was said - especially how annoying the "compulsory" female characters in most modern books/movies are.

I believe it's obvious that Tolkien wasn't sexist. For his time he was actually amazingly nonsexist. However for him the woman is different from the man. I don't want to be a judge whether he was right or not. I'm more inclined to no, but that's beyond the point.

Tolkien's woman can do what a man can, but doesn't feel satisfied with it. It's not her role and she cannot feel good in it, even if she can do good job of it. A brilliant example about this is Eowyn - she can do a pretty decent warrior, better than the avarage even maybe, but still she only takes this path out of desparation, her wish is not glory or win, she longs for death. And by the lack of feminine example, probably, as Finwe (post #19) already noted. But she finds real happines, her place, only as Faramir's wife who "will be a healer and love all things that grow and are not barren." This is the typical powerful woman in JRR's works. The protector. The healer. The silent power that keeps the things from falling appart. What would happen with the elves left in ME if it wasn't for Melian? What'd happen to the elves of Lorien if Galadriel wasn't there (in a way I like to think of Galadriel as Melian's heir actually)? What'd happen if it wasn't for Unien to hold Osse's horses?

Actually when I'm saying that Tolkien was maybe even too nonsexist for his time, I don't think of Eowyn. I don't even think of Luthien. I think of Haleth. Haleth is a woman who is a chief, in war and in peace. Haleth does a lot more than most men and gets credit for it. Tolkien does not condemn her choice to become a man, but also shows her "punishment" never to have her own heir and to pass the power to her brother's son. Knowing how much he loves children and how important bloodline is in his works, it's clear what he thinks of this choice.