The Women In Tolkien's The Lord Of The Rings

The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien is been give high praise, yet is part of the novel that fall short for critic and that the women of his world. Some have said that he paints an “old-fashioned, misogynistic depiction of women” (JN 101).When his novel was published this was the excepted view of women. Therefore, are we holding to Tolkien to our moral standers today, not stopping to think of what society thought of women when this novel was being written? Others have said that his society shows women as “decorative but ultimately powerless, as pawns in a man’s world” (JN 101). Much of Tolkien world comes from old Anglo-Saxon and Norse myth, so again it would make since that his women might fit this idea. Yet looking at the women in The …show more content…
One of the big thing is that she has, “Nenya, the Ring of Adamant” (Tolkien 356). This is one of the three-elven rings. This ring gives her the power to keep Lorien the way it is. If Tolkien wanted her to be a powerless pawn, then why does she have the ring and not her husband, Celeborn. When the company was first brought to the lord and lady of Lorien, Galadriel seems to be the one to judge if they are allowed to stay, “she held them with eyes, and in silence looked searchingly at each of them in turn” (Tolkien, 348). When the company first arrives Celeborn ask them if plans had change, since there was only eight in their company, which Galadriel responds, “Nay, there was not counsel change [ … ] Gandalf the Grey set out with the Company, but he did not pass the borders of this land” (Tolkien, 346). Even though Celeborn is the one doing the talking, it seems that Galadriel is the one with the power in their land. As the company is traveling to the eleven city in Lorien, they have to go for a time blind-folded because of Gimli. When the company halts they are told, “You are all to walk free […] the Lady knows who and what is each member of your company” (Tolkien 341). Galadriel knows about their company even though see never seen them before. She seems to be the one with the power and classing the shoots in Lorien. It would be hard pressed to say that she is a powerless pawn of …show more content…
When the reader see her in the novel, it is told that, “young she was and yet not so. The braids of her dark hair were touched by no frost; her white arms and clear face were flawless and smoot, and the light of star was in her bright eyes” (Tolkien, 221). This is all we get about her, that she is this beautiful object to look at. The reader also knows that Aragorn gets to marry Arwen if the Ring is destroyed and he becomes king of Gondor, she is the prize to be won.(toliken apendics) Their love story seem to be like the tale of Beren and Luthien. In both stories a mortal men fall in love with a gorgeous immortal elf. Each man was given a task they had to complete to be worthy to marry the elf maiden, yet that is where the story changes. Beren was given the task to get a Silmarillion from Morgoth. When Beren goes to get the Silmarillion Luthien helps him in his task, unlike Arwen. Arwen just stay at home and hopes that Aragorn is successful. Even though for the most part Arwen seems to do nothing, there was some brave in the fact that she would marry a man her father disapproves of. It is hard to stand up to the ones you love. She does go out on a limb and give up her immortality before she knows if Sauron can be destroyed. (need to find where this is in the book) Even though Arwen seems to be powerless pawn, there might be more there that could change this