[Finwe]

They do value the same things. But just like men and women have physical differences, they have behavioral differences. Men "evolved" to find food, fight off predators, etc. Women, having the double burden of children and relative weakness, looked for stability and dependability. That instinct is still present. Men still have a tendency to value honor and glory more than survival. Women value survival more.

Eowyn had grown up in a house full of Men. Her mother died at an early age, so she grew up with very male values. From an early age, she saw that honor and glory were the only things that got attention. Naturally, that is what she would believe. Of course, that whole idea of being better than a serving-woman is natural, since she is of a noble house and brought up to consider herself better than the commoners.

In a sense, I think that Eowyn was stuck in adolescence. She didn't have the opportunity or influences to mentally and emotionally mature into a woman. As an adolescent girl, I completely sympathize with her plight. I understand her fear of being put behind bars until use and old age accept them, until all chance of valor or renown have gone beyond recall or desire, because I go through much the same thing. It is a feeling that many adolescent girls get, that society is trying to cram us into this pretty little box that just doesn't fit. We can't fit into the "ideal" that society forces us into and neither could Eowyn. From a young age she had to tend to her uncle in growing fear. She could see him slowly succumb and what probably hurt her the most was being completely helpless. She was effectively stuck in a cage with nothing to do but watch over an old geezer and put up with a greasy little pervert who was twistedly obsessed with her. How could any woman have remained completely sane? In the year 3014, the year that Grima arrived at Meduseld and Theoden became ill, Eowyn was only 19. Can you honestly expect a 19-year-old to deal with problems like that?

Frodo was Tolkien's message of hope to all those with heavy burdens to bear, and Aragorn was his message of hope to those who were afraid of accepting who they truly were, for whatever reasons. Eowyn was Tolkien's message of hope to all adolescents, telling them that no matter what happens, their day of healing would come.