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Exactly. Comet Sedai Send a noteboard - 13/04/2010 03:08:46 AM
I've actually never discussed the books with anyone, so...I apologize. It was just a thought I had as I was reading through the books a while back. I remember the part you are citing about Gandalf talking to Eomer. I like how he deals with the Eowyn material, but she ends up settling down and having babies anyway. I've come to the side of Legolas, in all of this, and have retracted most of my sexism claim.


Everyone ends up settling down and having babies. It is called a happy ending. I remember having second thoughts when I read her "conversion" to healing and growing things rather than fighting once she accepts Faramir. But then I remembered that this is Tolkien. The problem with oversimplified grids that label something as anti-feminist if women go from fighting to tending is that it ignores in this case the underlying valuation in the whole of this literary universe. Growing and healing and tending is the supreme good. It is not necessarily tied to a simple male/female axis, and I think forcing it into that is a serious mistake in this case.

Faramir is the hero, rather than Boromir, precisely because he belongs to the "party" that Eowyn joins. Aragorn reaches his potential only once war is over and he turns to tending, growing, healing. Orcs fight, elves tend. Men are at their best when they do the latter.


I fail to see what is pathetic or disappointing about marrying or becoming a mother, not to mention working to re-build the world. Better living through agriculture, I say. :)
The chief difficulty Alice found at first was in managing her flamingo.
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The greatest King in Fantasy - 09/04/2010 05:18:42 AM 1993 Views
King Arthur. Hands down. - 09/04/2010 06:40:15 AM 1376 Views
I would argue with you. - 09/04/2010 06:54:53 AM 1338 Views
That's the point, though. Arthur's humanity is what makes him so admirable. - 09/04/2010 06:59:07 AM 1376 Views
I have to agree with Dannymac - 09/04/2010 02:04:44 PM 1377 Views
But he's not in a modern fantasy novel. - 09/04/2010 07:37:14 PM 1392 Views
when I read the actual book... - 10/04/2010 12:08:21 AM 1393 Views
I'm going with the most likely historical version of King Arthur - 09/04/2010 06:45:26 PM 1422 Views
My money is still on Aragorn - 09/04/2010 12:47:43 PM 1489 Views
Aragorn is so awesome... - 09/04/2010 02:05:42 PM 1354 Views
Arwen's character is just never fleshed out, though. - 09/04/2010 02:18:30 PM 1317 Views
Re: Arwen's character is just never fleshed out, though. - 09/04/2010 02:49:45 PM 1375 Views
Hm - 09/04/2010 03:23:53 PM 1424 Views
Mostly, yes, but there are a few exceptions - Galadriel, Eowyn, and above all Luthien. - 09/04/2010 03:32:00 PM 1320 Views
Re: Mostly, yes, but there are a few exceptions - Galadriel, Eowyn, and above all Luthien. - 09/04/2010 03:45:37 PM 1577 Views
I can't agree about the goddesses. - 09/04/2010 04:34:15 PM 1424 Views
Re: I can't agree about the goddesses. - 09/04/2010 04:55:34 PM 1317 Views
If Tacitus and Graves were accurate - 09/04/2010 05:09:20 PM 1409 Views
Re: If Tacitus and Graves were accurate - 09/04/2010 05:26:43 PM 1328 Views
I rather liked her depiction in Rome. - 09/04/2010 05:34:37 PM 1416 Views
Re: I rather liked her depiction in Rome. - 09/04/2010 05:45:06 PM 1477 Views
Re: I rather liked her depiction in Rome. - 10/04/2010 11:14:26 AM 1487 Views
I don't know if I'd call it bad, per se. - 10/04/2010 11:37:55 AM 1590 Views
Re: I can't agree about the goddesses. - 09/04/2010 05:02:50 PM 1373 Views
Eh, the other Vala don't do much of anything either. - 09/04/2010 05:31:42 PM 1337 Views
Re: Eh, the other Vala don't do much of anything either. - 09/04/2010 05:44:03 PM 1377 Views
Re: I can't agree about the goddesses. - 09/04/2010 05:06:49 PM 1484 Views
I call bullshit - 09/04/2010 08:09:49 PM 1320 Views
Re: I call bullshit - 09/04/2010 08:31:16 PM 1345 Views
Re: I call bullshit - 10/04/2010 08:04:15 AM 1427 Views
I didn't realize it was fashionable to call Tolkien sexist. - 10/04/2010 05:12:07 PM 1421 Views
Re: I didn't realize it was fashionable to call Tolkien sexist. - 12/04/2010 11:00:23 AM 1288 Views
Exactly. - 13/04/2010 03:08:46 AM 1405 Views
Re: Exactly. - 13/04/2010 08:54:01 AM 1482 Views
I was going to say something similar. - 09/04/2010 03:21:45 PM 1343 Views
Re: Aragorn is so awesome... - 09/04/2010 08:00:25 PM 1329 Views
Re: Aragorn is so awesome... - 09/04/2010 08:37:12 PM 1344 Views
He's good, but then he just doesn't have to face so many things. - 09/04/2010 02:22:04 PM 1623 Views
Doesn't have to face many things? - 09/04/2010 07:59:27 PM 1389 Views
Re: Doesn't have to face many things? - 09/04/2010 08:38:51 PM 1235 Views
Re: Doesn't have to face many things? - 10/04/2010 08:24:33 AM 1326 Views
Re: Doesn't have to face many things? - 10/04/2010 05:08:42 PM 1489 Views
Re: Doesn't have to face many things? - 12/04/2010 10:55:12 AM 1288 Views
He really wasn't a king in majority of the story though - 12/04/2010 05:54:23 PM 1289 Views
I'm sure there are many, but one coming to mind is Prince Josua from Memory, Sorrow and Thorn - 09/04/2010 02:23:57 PM 1340 Views
Oh yeah I liked him a lot *NM* - 09/04/2010 04:09:59 PM 672 Views
Josua Lackhand is a great fantasy King! - 09/04/2010 05:14:39 PM 1405 Views
Arutha was never King. *NM* - 09/04/2010 07:18:30 PM 641 Views
I'm going to go with a tie... - 09/04/2010 04:22:42 PM 1355 Views
Joffrey and the Stag! *NM* - 09/04/2010 09:53:56 PM 644 Views
ROFL *NM* - 09/04/2010 11:39:36 PM 623 Views
Artur Hawkwing - 10/04/2010 03:34:02 AM 1504 Views
??? - 10/04/2010 10:30:13 AM 1893 Views
Simba *NM* - 10/04/2010 08:40:38 AM 693 Views
Manwe - 10/04/2010 10:31:54 AM 1787 Views
Bah. He's hardly a character. *NM* - 12/04/2010 01:07:29 AM 771 Views
Arutha, the Prince of Krondor - 12/04/2010 01:06:14 AM 1399 Views
Westley - 13/04/2010 02:59:36 AM 1341 Views
Leto Atreides II - 13/04/2010 05:07:29 AM 1290 Views
I'll agree with that! *NM* - 13/04/2010 11:33:10 AM 642 Views

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