[Lalaith]

With regard to the normalcy or abnormalcy of Eowyn's behaviour...lets not forget one thing. She was not unique, she had a cultural prototype instantly recognisable to readers who knew Norse literature.

This word, shield-maiden, existed for centuries before Tolkien put it in the mouth of Eowyn. The Germanic cultures of northern Europe had shieldmaidens aplenty. I have to say that my response, when I first read the story, was similar to Ibrinidil's...I thought of her as a human being damaged by grief, love and despair, rather than fighting a pre-determined gender role.

But giving this question a purely critical response, I have to assume that Tolkien must really have loved Eowyn as a creation - in the same way that I think Shakespeare loved Beatrice, and grew to love Lear. 'Dernhelm the Young' in his/her glory on the fields of Pelennor is possibly the finest literary moment in the whole of the trilogy, and you can't write like that about a character you don't love.