Tolkien- Women's Activist

Have you ever noticed that LOTR is basicly a male story, but when he includes women Tolkien made the choice to show them as strong and pure. Look at Arwen and Eowyn, they don't show up very often (esp. in the books) yet when they do they are guides and forces to be reckoned with.

There are NO evil female characters and they are constantly fighting for good. I think that Tolkien was a women's activist and that the females in LOTR were his tribute. 🙂

Opinions?

I regulary have this convo with my family! Tolkien was born in South Africa when apartaid was still around, to some extent, which would account for the lack of 'black' people in LOTR.

Also, back when Tolkien was born, women did not have many rights! Women only got the vote in England in like 1920 something! Therefore he most likely belived they shouldnt play a role.........BUT..........the roles they have are BIG and eacH female is VERY improtant in the tale...maybe more important than some male characters. Eowyn killed the Witch-King, Galadriel was an Elven Witch and resisted the rings power, Arwen....well not much😛 but she married Aragorn!

During the time in which he wrote the books...the Woman was not as powerful as she is today. I think if the books were to be written in today's world....it would read much differently.

I think that Woman would be listed as much more powerful as they were, and more in a leading role. He wrote Eowyn and Arwen as sub characters, but in Gladreail ( sp? ), he made her the leader of the Elves and very powerful.

I don't think that they were so much sub-characters but instead he gave them small roles so the focus on their contributions would be more intense.

Originally posted by Aurora
I don't think that they were so much sub-characters but instead he gave them small roles so the focus on their contributions would be more intense.

Although I do find it interesting that each of them had a love interest, and Gladerial did not.

Already married to Celeborn, she doesnt need one

Do you think that Aragorn would have had the same compassion for war if he hadn't been tied to Arwen?

After beliveing that Arwen had gone to Valinor but then beacme ill, like we are suggested in the film of ROTK, i would say that this, added with beliving that Frodo is dead, he tried ever harder to deafeat the forces of Mordor.

So i will say that if Aragorn was not in 'love' with Arwen, he may not have been as compasionate at some battles, like the one above

(if i make any sense lol)

I agree. I think that love is a powerful thing and loss of love is even more powerful.

Originally posted by Aurora
and loss of love is even more powerful.

Hence the death of an immortal Elf

crybaby you make me cry...............................

True. I think that is a very strong storyline that Tolkien included. Granted it doesn't get the page numbers that war does but it is just as powerful.

✅

but it was the love of hobbits
the love of love
the love of middle earth
the love of each other

that drove each character in LOTR to do wat he/she did.
the war was only a consiquence of the love that the people and elves and dwarves on middle earth showed for the place.

Originally posted by Aurora
Have you ever noticed that LOTR is basicly a male story, but when he includes women Tolkien made the choice to show them as strong and pure. Look at Arwen and Eowyn, they don't show up very often (esp. in the books) yet when they do they are guides and forces to be reckoned with.

There are NO evil female characters and they are constantly fighting for good. I think that Tolkien was a women's activist and that the females in LOTR were his tribute. 🙂

Opinions?

Firstly, up yours. Secondly, Tolkien, like all men of his time were blinded into thinking that women are pure. They're not.