I love Earendil and Elwing, mostly just because their story ends happily, and they still were key players in a major part of the silmarillion (as apposed to say.. Ingwe and whoever his spouse was.) Earendil was noble and valiant and Elwing was brave and heroic. When she cast herself into the sea she was strong-hearted and resistent but then when she came to Earendil's ship, Vingilot, she collapsed onto the deck into the arms of a strong leading man. It seems appropriate that Tolkien should show her as such because she was a descendent of Luthien who also was strong and then collapsed into Beren's arms when she didn't have any strength left. It's the perfect mixture of heroism and wimpy heroinism. A perfect parallel. I love it.
