Females in the Fellowship

[Lyta_Underhill]

Interesting discussion! It seems inevitable that I must, at an hour much too late for sanity, find a chord struck that I must answer. Actually, it was a letter of Tolkien's to his son Michael (#43-6-8 March 1941) that provided the striking surface. The letter is quite long and covers the relationship between men and women, and one passage seems to speak (to me, anyway) to the complications inherent in inserting a female into the solid male Fellowship:

In this fallen world the 'friendship' that should be possible between all human being, is virtually impossible between man and woman. The devil is endlessly ingenious, and sex is his favorite subject. He is as good every bit at catching you through generous romantic or tender motives, as through baser or more animal ones. This 'friendship' has been tried: one side or the other nearly always fails.

The letter goes on to elaborate on this and other points, but the idea I get from it is that Tolkien felt the relationship between man and woman to be of a character that cannot exclude sex and/or romantic love (excepting perhaps between a man and woman who have passed the age of their sexual prime). I imagine such an inclusion in the fellowship would have distracted from the major points he wished to stress, and also may have diffused the storyline and detracted from the powerful themes present and beautifully illustrated in the storyline as it is.

That's my idea, anyway. I believe also that Tolkien's understanding of women must issue from the point of view of a man surrounded by men, as was said earlier in this thread. The depiction of Eowyn and her transformation as she resided in the Halls of Healing demonstrates a surface understanding but not a line of reasoning or emotional verity with respect to this female character. Eowyn's epiphany is convenient, and it is obvious she feels strongly, but there is no light to guide us through her thoughts at that point as there is for the males in the story. I can understand Eowyn forsaking arms for healing, and there are valid reasons for doing so, but her motivations (and her revelations) are not explored, only the sudden light that comes upon her. To a casual observer, it might look as if Tolkien has opted for the cop-out, presenting her as a stereotype of a woman who can behave as a man, but who is tamed by a man in the end and thus having been set to rights, takes up her pre-ordained role in the home and as wife. I have a feeling he could only follow her so far...

These are just a few of my thoughts...thanks for the interesting thread!

Cheers,
Lyta