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I like the "deer in headlights" metaphor, and the other one upstream somewhere.
The Deer, tho, I'd argue is 'tightly' knit to sinew in fear. Rigid in fact. I've, of a night time, often watched lights approaching in the pitch, and where there is no sound, they are quite captivating. There's the sense of not knowing what it means and which way to move as there is the sense of both 'nothing' of body and yet 'growing light'.
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Well it's not a perfect analogy, I realize. But anyway, unknit my will to my sinews (break the connection between will and body) during a battle and, no how matter how strong or how great a warrior I am, I'm now a sitting duck. I want to dodge the deadly blow, or lift my arm to try and parry it, but I can't will my limbs to move or act... even if my opponent is now not exactly moving swiftly to strike me...
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Eowyn! Eowyn! cried Merry. Then tottering, struggling up, with her last strength she drove her sword between crown and mantle,...
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It's even arguable that if Imrahil stuck his dagger in the Nazgul-lord's leg he (the Witch-king)
might not fall down. Sure it would be painful, but in the heat of battle unless the leg is cut so that it can hardly support weight, one won't
necessarily fall down, in my opinion. But this was no ordinary dagger in any case, it had a helpful effect even when not struck in a "lethal" place.
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Was there something about Hobbit-ish or Woman-ish nature that augmented the Blade's 'purpose'.
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Hmm, I never thought so. The Hobbit and female aspect concerns fulfilling the prophecy in my opinion.
Here I think Tolkien plays with a
seeming (measure of) invulnerability. If not by the hand of M(m)an would the Witch-king fall, how would he be defeated? Well these things are often technical and tricky, and technically Merry is not a Man (although he is male), Eowyn not a man (although she belongs to the race of Men).
Not that you said otherwise about that much, in any case.