Thread: Eowyn or Arwen?
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Old 02-20-2003, 06:01 PM   #50
mylady
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Silmaril

Personally, I would say Éowyn, who has always been my favourite character. However, I realise the epic reasons for Arwen and Aragorn to unite. I have written more extensively about this in a recently posted thread that would be too long for this particular discussion.<P>Did you know that Aragorn was originally meant to marry Éowyn? Until the last but one draft of LotR, Tolkien had Aragorn and Éowyn as a couple. However, he then conceived the idea of reuniting the houses of Isildur and ... Éarandil? I think that was the name ... , and voilà: Arwen. Maybe this is the reason that the Arwen character feels a little undeveloped, while the tension between Éowyn and Aragorn is palpable.<P>I always found Arwen rather boring. As a previous poster beautifully observed, her only occupation seems to be loving Aragorn. Oh, and <I>sowing</I>. She lacks initiative and integrity. Éowyn, on the other hand, is courageous, determined, and interesting. Her conflicted character is fascinating, and Aragorn, I dare say, is obviously drawn to her in some manner or the other. I think she is a challenge to him, and that cannot be said of Arwen. This is perhaps made more evident in the film than in the novel. <P>As to the personalities of the characters, I cannot help but think that Éowyn, who has experienced war and conflict, would understand him, an ex-ranger, better. Arwen, although very old and experienced, comes across as rather spoiled and over-protected, especially in the films. We are told that she is very wise, but she does not give that impression herself. Having her present at the council in Rivendell, speaking her mind, would have made her much more interesting, but I guess this was too non-Tolkien for the film makers to include it. <P>I am sorry, but as long as Arwen is who she is, I just cannot help being a bit provoked by her.
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