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Originally Posted by Mr Underhill
So what if you're a sensitive young man, more given to poetry and learning than the marshal arts? Well, you take up arms anyway and do your duty, as you can hardly do otherwise without suffering the censure of society. I seem to recall Tolkien saying that Faramir was the character with whom he most closely identified, and I get the sense that it's in this regard too. Faramir doesn't relish his role as warrior, and he can't wait to get back to less violent pursuits when the war is over. Both men and women can be victims of the pressures and expectations exerted by their culture.
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I think I like this point best, as it shows how Faramir, far from being merely 'second best' for Éowyn, actually was a perfect match for her - a man who, having had a similar role problem, only from the opposite direction, could understand and complement her better than even Aragorn. I hadn't seen their marriage in this light before, but it makes perfect sense now.