I could never identify with, or feel any empathy, for most of the female figures in Tolkien's books. For the most part, they seemed to me to be convenient foils for the the more powerful and important males who moved through their lives.
The exceptions to this were Galadriel, Goldberry, and Lobelia.
Galadriel was an exception because, to me, she could hardly be considered a female figure - she was an other-worldly/albeit powerful spirit, in the guise of a woman.
Goldberry, on the other hand, while more appealing, was still a powerful spirit/albeit earthy nature being, in the guise of a woman.
Lobelia, for all her nastiness and cantankerousness seemed to me the one independent female in the group. But still, hardly a role model.
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Eldest, that’s what I am . . . I knew the dark under the stars when it was fearless - before the Dark Lord came from Outside.
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