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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 1817 Views
King Arthur. Hands down. - 09/04/2010 06:40:15 AM 1211 Views
I would argue with you. - 09/04/2010 06:54:53 AM 1163 Views
That's the point, though. Arthur's humanity is what makes him so admirable. - 09/04/2010 06:59:07 AM 1208 Views
I have to agree with Dannymac - 09/04/2010 02:04:44 PM 1205 Views
But he's not in a modern fantasy novel. - 09/04/2010 07:37:14 PM 1225 Views
when I read the actual book... - 10/04/2010 12:08:21 AM 1219 Views
I'm going with the most likely historical version of King Arthur - 09/04/2010 06:45:26 PM 1253 Views
My money is still on Aragorn - 09/04/2010 12:47:43 PM 1326 Views
Aragorn is so awesome... - 09/04/2010 02:05:42 PM 1174 Views
Arwen's character is just never fleshed out, though. - 09/04/2010 02:18:30 PM 1147 Views
Re: Arwen's character is just never fleshed out, though. - 09/04/2010 02:49:45 PM 1207 Views
Hm - 09/04/2010 03:23:53 PM 1258 Views
Mostly, yes, but there are a few exceptions - Galadriel, Eowyn, and above all Luthien. - 09/04/2010 03:32:00 PM 1159 Views
Re: Mostly, yes, but there are a few exceptions - Galadriel, Eowyn, and above all Luthien. - 09/04/2010 03:45:37 PM 1411 Views
I can't agree about the goddesses. - 09/04/2010 04:34:15 PM 1286 Views
Re: I can't agree about the goddesses. - 09/04/2010 04:55:34 PM 1151 Views
If Tacitus and Graves were accurate - 09/04/2010 05:09:20 PM 1234 Views
Re: If Tacitus and Graves were accurate - 09/04/2010 05:26:43 PM 1168 Views
I rather liked her depiction in Rome. - 09/04/2010 05:34:37 PM 1234 Views
Re: I rather liked her depiction in Rome. - 09/04/2010 05:45:06 PM 1302 Views
Re: I rather liked her depiction in Rome. - 10/04/2010 11:14:26 AM 1321 Views
I don't know if I'd call it bad, per se. - 10/04/2010 11:37:55 AM 1399 Views
Re: I can't agree about the goddesses. - 09/04/2010 05:02:50 PM 1203 Views
Eh, the other Vala don't do much of anything either. - 09/04/2010 05:31:42 PM 1160 Views
Re: Eh, the other Vala don't do much of anything either. - 09/04/2010 05:44:03 PM 1202 Views
Re: I can't agree about the goddesses. - 09/04/2010 05:06:49 PM 1318 Views
I call bullshit - 09/04/2010 08:09:49 PM 1154 Views
Re: I call bullshit - 09/04/2010 08:31:16 PM 1173 Views
Re: I call bullshit - 10/04/2010 08:04:15 AM 1254 Views
I didn't realize it was fashionable to call Tolkien sexist. - 10/04/2010 05:12:07 PM 1250 Views
Re: I didn't realize it was fashionable to call Tolkien sexist. - 12/04/2010 11:00:23 AM 1121 Views
Exactly. - 13/04/2010 03:08:46 AM 1221 Views
Re: Exactly. - 13/04/2010 08:54:01 AM 1297 Views
I was going to say something similar. - 09/04/2010 03:21:45 PM 1181 Views
Re: Aragorn is so awesome... - 09/04/2010 08:00:25 PM 1168 Views
Re: Aragorn is so awesome... - 09/04/2010 08:37:12 PM 1176 Views
He's good, but then he just doesn't have to face so many things. - 09/04/2010 02:22:04 PM 1478 Views
Doesn't have to face many things? - 09/04/2010 07:59:27 PM 1222 Views
Re: Doesn't have to face many things? - 09/04/2010 08:38:51 PM 1059 Views
Re: Doesn't have to face many things? - 10/04/2010 08:24:33 AM 1164 Views
Re: Doesn't have to face many things? - 10/04/2010 05:08:42 PM 1309 Views
Re: Doesn't have to face many things? - 12/04/2010 10:55:12 AM 1156 Views
He really wasn't a king in majority of the story though - 12/04/2010 05:54:23 PM 1109 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 1167 Views
Oh yeah I liked him a lot *NM* - 09/04/2010 04:09:59 PM 553 Views
Josua Lackhand is a great fantasy King! - 09/04/2010 05:14:39 PM 1229 Views
Arutha was never King. *NM* - 09/04/2010 07:18:30 PM 533 Views
I'm going to go with a tie... - 09/04/2010 04:22:42 PM 1188 Views
Joffrey and the Stag! *NM* - 09/04/2010 09:53:56 PM 534 Views
ROFL *NM* - 09/04/2010 11:39:36 PM 507 Views
Artur Hawkwing - 10/04/2010 03:34:02 AM 1322 Views
??? - 10/04/2010 10:30:13 AM 1570 Views
Simba *NM* - 10/04/2010 08:40:38 AM 580 Views
Manwe - 10/04/2010 10:31:54 AM 1473 Views
Bah. He's hardly a character. *NM* - 12/04/2010 01:07:29 AM 661 Views
Arutha, the Prince of Krondor - 12/04/2010 01:06:14 AM 1230 Views
Westley - 13/04/2010 02:59:36 AM 1159 Views
Leto Atreides II - 13/04/2010 05:07:29 AM 1123 Views
I'll agree with that! *NM* - 13/04/2010 11:33:10 AM 534 Views

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