[Nurumaiel]

I found this discussion very interesting, and I felt as though I had to put my own views in. My mother and I discussed this for a long while, and came up with some interesting points.

One of the first things that came to my mind when I thought of a fellowship of men and women was Han Solo and Princess Leia. Eilonwy and Taran. I do not believe that Tolkien would write like this, but I do believe I would have set the book down, fearing it would be another story of a company of men and women who fall in love with each other.

I myself am a female (see the -iel at the end of my name), and I do not see a place for a woman in the Fellowship. No, I cannot see a female Istari battling the Balrog, the Return of the Queen, and so forth. If you change Boromir to, say, Boromira, than you have a lot of people thinking that Tolkien's view was that women were evil, because of what Boromir did. I can't imagine them caring that he- she was sorry. And then my mother pointed out that you no longer have the whole Boromir-Denethor-Faramir story. Denethor saying how he wished Faramir had gone instead of Boromira. Denethor favoring his strong and brave daughter over his son. It wouldn't work.

I have to disagree that woman wouldn't be strong enough for this Quest. Why wouldn't they be? If they were, then why would Éowyn face the Nazgûl Lord? Read p. 822 - 824 of RotK and you will see what a woman did. And Éowyn is not just an exception.

Yet still I do not think the Quest was as much a challenge of physical strength than of a challenge of courage and strength of heart. The Fellowship would have failed if it had not been for their courage and determination. I do believe that a woman could be in this fellowship and do all right.

But there was no place for a woman. This part of the story did not call for a woman, and that's what mattered. The Witch King could not defeated by man, so, therefore, a woman had to destroy him. But the Fellowship could survive without a woman, and they did.

On a closing note, I think the Fellowship was good just the way they were, and I wouldn't want a woman to come spoil that wonderful male - male comradeship they had while it all lasted.