Concerning Éowyn

[wiseheart]

Okay, made it a separate entry as it wouldn't match the previous one.

I've been very annoyed for quite some time about how a lot of so-called serious LOTR-fans and/or authors are treating Éowyn. So I decided to turn a very early HA-entry of mine into a full-fledged essay. It probably won't be a very nice one. But I've been an Éowyn admirer ever since I read The Books for the first time, back in the mid 1970s, and I can't watch any longer what is being done to her.

Yes, I know she is a fictional character. But the fact that it's mostly women who are trying to make her look bad, just because she dared to make her own decisions and act outside the role expected from her is a bit too close to Real Life for my comfort.

Comments

[levadegratchets.livejournal.com]

Hi Soledad. Hope you don't mind if I comment? I don't know what they're doing to Eowyn, but I've read stories where she was shown as a person who couldn't hold to duty (yes, then explain why she remained in Rohan, caring for her uncle all those years with no end of it in sight?), deserted her duty and the whole thing with Aragorn. I don't buy that. She didn't want to be caged into a role she had no love for. What could be wrong with that? Aragorn came along and she saw something fine and admirable in him...so did a lot of others!

Considering that she lost her parents at a young age, and her uncle was less than a sterling example as a foster parent thanks to Sauruman, that she came out as a person who still, despite everything against her, wants to fight for her country, and still manages to care instead of falling entirely to bitterness. So she despaired, she was mourning her uncle, her cousin, and the potential loss of all she held dear. No surprise she fell into despair.

And yet she was still open to Faramir, still let him in and learned to care for him. To me that shows some real fine steel.

Just my two cents worth.

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

Yep, I cannot agree more. But - as I will discuss it at some length in my essay - the Rohirrim were not the US Marines, which some people seem to forget. They lived by a very different warrior code, accodring to which every free-born individual could choose to go to battle.

Éowyn was a trained warrior. It was her frigging right to follow the King when she wanted, especially as she had already fulfilled her duty in Dunharrow. Elfhelm, who was the marshal of Edoras - i.e. the highest warlord after the King and Éomer at that time - saw absolutely nothing wrong with it. Nor seemed any of the Rohirrim to have any problem with it. Éomer was only mad because he thought he had lost his sister, not because she went to battle.

It's a sad thing that Tolkien, an old-fashioned man and very conservative Catholic (and trust me, I know of first-hand experience how little women count according to Catholic teachings) was more understanding towards Éowyn's motivation than women of the 21st century, after everthing feminism had fought to make possible for them.

[levadegratchets.livejournal.com]

I'm looking forward to reading this! I don't know much about the Rohirrim, though I keep telling myself I'm going to dig deeper into them. Darn elves keep distracting me.

Éomer was only mad because he thought he had lost his sister, not because she went to battle.
Ah... I wonder how many of these writers are going from the movie only? It's hard to judge someone without really having all the facts and it sounds like they don't.


It's a sad thing that Tolkien, an old-fashioned man and very conservative Catholic (and trust me, I know of first-hand experience how little women count according to Catholic teachings) was more understanding towards Éowyn's motivation than women of the 21st century, after everthing feminism had fought to make possible for them.

Very true! Women seem to be hardest on other women, far less forgiving with their errors. Kind of sad that we're becoming more competitive than men in some ways and losing a lot of understanding and compassion for what some see as "Power". I guess sometimes when you don't work hard for something (like our equality as compared to the early 20th century) you don't appreciate it.

[ithilwen.livejournal.com]

I look forward to seeing your revamped essay! Eowyn does get an unfair shake far too often. Really, she's a parallel version of Denethor - but unlike him, she manages to pull back from the edge of despair instead of allowing ot to consume her.

Comment repost...

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

... because hand-coding still gets me every time. *g*

I believe part of the reason is that many female fans are obsessed with Faramir (although after having seen David Wenham I fail to understand what motivates movies-only fans, really), and they want to get Éowyn out of the equation for themselves/their Sue/random male character/whatnot.

I haven't written much about Éowyn yet, although she is one of my absolute favourites, and what I've written so far - especially Ice Blossom - might need a little rewriting, too. Well, we'll see. I'm going to post the essay to Otherworlds, when it's done, but will advertise for it, so you won't miss it. ;))

[rcfinch.livejournal.com]

Looking forward to the essay. I hope it'll provide an answer to all those people (of the female persuasion) who debunk her because she lays down her weapons and marries Faramir.

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

Well, actually, I rather plan to fight the people who keep calling her the Evil Deserter (TM), but I'll say what I can do for you.

Welcome back to cyberlife, by the way. I was afraid you've vanished from our crazy little circle entirely. (Still missing our bitching seasons, BTW.)

[aralanthiriel.livejournal.com]

Perhaps a bit of an unrelated observation, but I notice that in general, female characters tend to be judged more harshly than their male counterparts, especially by female fans. I've noticed that in almost every fandom I've been in.

It really is unfortunate how fans tend to treat Eowyn, though. I liked her when I first read the books, too, and her stand against the Witch-King is still one of the most memorable passages from the books for me. My own personal pet peeve tends to be people who try to make her look bad in fanfics, simply because it's so painfully obvious they're just using the fic as a soap box, as opposed to using it to develop characters.

I can never be sure with the way school goes for me, but I hope to be around when you finish your essay. It should be an interesting read! :)