The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum - View Single Post - The Role of Women in The Lord of the Rings

Lalwendë · 09-11-2004, 11:23 AM

I was thinking about how Tolkien created his female characters and came up with a couple of thoughts on how they might be viewed.

Idealised Femininity
Many of the women in Tolkien are portrayed as figures to be idolised by men. Arwen is the epitome of the 'princess' figure, to be 'won' by Aragorn. He must prove his worth by great deeds, prove to her father that he is worthy, and she will not be given to anyone less than a king, or she will be 'shut away' forever in Valinor, beyond the reach of ordinary men. Galadriel is a powerful queenly figure, beautiful, noble and also terrifying to men; only those who are essentially 'good' are not blinded by this power and beauty. Eowyn is a fatherless daughter, a tragic figure who wins nobility and is rewarded with the love of a man who has gone through troubles like herself. Even Rosie is idealised, by Sam who eventually 'wins' her hand and provides her with an enormous family, a dynasty of Gamgees.

Thinking of the women in this way reminds me of the pre-raphaelite painters who portrayed women as beautiful, aspirational figures. They are somewhat 'removed' from the struggles of ordinary mortals. This in turn leads to the medieval courtly view of femininity, which is something which Tolkien could quite easily have been inspired by. He may have seen that in a world of heroes, the women must match up to this ideal.

Female Symbols
I often think of significant female figures or archetypes in history or myth when I read about women in ME. Ioreth is very much like one of the medicine women of ancient cultures, she is derided as relying upon old wives' tales, yet is an effective healer and a valuable part of Minas Tirith society. Eowyn, looked at from this respect, could be viewed as Boudicca, going to war out of sheer despair, and interestingly, there are goddesses of war in Celtic legend, and tales of shield maidens. Galadriel in this line of thought could be viewed as a priestess, able to see visions due to her immense power and insight, and also a bestower of magical gifts. Shelob is symbolic of the 'hag', Rosie as the 'mother' and Arwen of the 'maiden'.

09-11-2004, 11:23 AM	#21
Lalwendë A Mere Boggart Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: under the bed Posts: 4,737	I was thinking about how Tolkien created his female characters and came up with a couple of thoughts on how they might be viewed. Idealised Femininity Many of the women in Tolkien are portrayed as figures to be idolised by men. Arwen is the epitome of the 'princess' figure, to be 'won' by Aragorn. He must prove his worth by great deeds, prove to her father that he is worthy, and she will not be given to anyone less than a king, or she will be 'shut away' forever in Valinor, beyond the reach of ordinary men. Galadriel is a powerful queenly figure, beautiful, noble and also terrifying to men; only those who are essentially 'good' are not blinded by this power and beauty. Eowyn is a fatherless daughter, a tragic figure who wins nobility and is rewarded with the love of a man who has gone through troubles like herself. Even Rosie is idealised, by Sam who eventually 'wins' her hand and provides her with an enormous family, a dynasty of Gamgees. Thinking of the women in this way reminds me of the pre-raphaelite painters who portrayed women as beautiful, aspirational figures. They are somewhat 'removed' from the struggles of ordinary mortals. This in turn leads to the medieval courtly view of femininity, which is something which Tolkien could quite easily have been inspired by. He may have seen that in a world of heroes, the women must match up to this ideal. Female Symbols I often think of significant female figures or archetypes in history or myth when I read about women in ME. Ioreth is very much like one of the medicine women of ancient cultures, she is derided as relying upon old wives' tales, yet is an effective healer and a valuable part of Minas Tirith society. Eowyn, looked at from this respect, could be viewed as Boudicca, going to war out of sheer despair, and interestingly, there are goddesses of war in Celtic legend, and tales of shield maidens. Galadriel in this line of thought could be viewed as a priestess, able to see visions due to her immense power and insight, and also a bestower of magical gifts. Shelob is symbolic of the 'hag', Rosie as the 'mother' and Arwen of the 'maiden'.