The "Fair" Sex in LotR

[littlemanpoet]

LotR, being myth, worked necessarily with archetypes, so the women and men had to be cast in type. {I'm avoiding the words 'traditional' and 'classical' because they carry the wrong connotations.)

There is a lot of room within these archetypes, and as Tigerlilly aptly described, all of the female characters in LotR are filled out, if only in the appendices, such as the powerful and moving story of Elessar and Arwen.

The archetypes in mythic writing do function as constraints on what can be done with a male or female character, much as rhymed iambic pentameter puts constraints on a sonnet.

I think it's the content invested into these archetypes that is the important thing, which is another way of saying what Tigerlilly already did.

And the critics of Tolkien, as (1) not one of the best writers of the 20th century, and (2) failing to have adequate female characters, overlook the kind of writing he did - that is - mythic.

Thus Gimli and Eomer have their exchange about Galadriel symbolic of day and Arwen symbolic of night, representing archetypes - yet of course we know more about Galadriel than that she represents day - nevertheless that she does so also enhances our understanding of her as an individual elven woman, as queen of an elven people, as one of those whose days in Middle Earth are drawing to their end.

Arwen's symbolism of night does not fit into the story proper, but Tolkien intuitively knew that it was needed in the appendices - just a guess, but I can't help thinking it's so. And there we see her fighting with her own destiny, for as symbolic of night, she reminds us of Cuivienen where the Eldar first woke beneath the stars; and she reminds us of Luthien who, with raven dark hair and hiding in a bat-cloak, defeats Morgoth by her brightness.

So Arwen's character partakes of these resonances, and therefore her doom as a mortal, lacking Luthien's earth-shaking accomplishments, must be bitter.

I guess I'm going on at length here, trying to feel out why I disagree with those shortsighted critics.

But is there an element of truth? Well, of course JRRT's age and culture had a direct impact on the way he wrote, and to say that it did NOT affect his writing of women would be rank idiocy.

However, I think that his writing of women reveals a respect for women as well as a sense of each woman's humanity and equality of intellect, courage, moral rectitude, and so forth, with the unfairer sex.

And we must not forget the wisewoman in Morgoth's Ring - no, it's not LotR, but you get a sense for JRRT's appreciation of women, and his ability to show the wisdom in this one.

In fact, it occurs to me that the wisdom of Goldberry is unique in the story, as is that of Galadriel. Goldberry seems so practical and down to earth, and so wise. Galadriel is able to look into the hearts of men, and is farseeing and probably wiser than any save Gandalf - perhaps she is indeed as wise as Gandalf in her way.

Eowyn is the most completely developed mortal woman in LotR, and her story has captured the imagination of millions of LotR readers, I'm sure. In depicting Eowyn, Tolkien was way ahead of his time, don't you think?