[Pitchwife]

It's honestly fascinating to me how whenever someone points out that Tolkien may have said, done or written something that jars with progressive values (or even, as in this case, the lived experience of many readers) people either go up in flames or casually shrug it off. Why not discuss his shortcomings as well as his merits?


It's undeniably true, I think, that Tolkien's work is short of a Crone - an elderly female fgure of wisdom and power who could hold a candle to men like Théoden, Denethor, Gandalf, heck, even Saruman. On the other side of the scales, we have Lobelia and Ioreth: the first satirised until she redeems herself with an act of unexpected courage, the second a self-important busybody who just happens to remember a bit of lore which actually saves the lives of some really important people. Hardly the same league.



Galadriel might have filled that vacuum, but doesn't, for the same reason that Míriel, Celebrían, Nerdanel or Melian don't: Elves aren't subject to physical ageing. Elven women may be 3000 years old and long past taking interest in procreation, but they'll still be beautiful - rosy-cheeked, lily-necked, graceful in dance, nightingale-voiced, you name it (although I hope their breath doesn't really smell like hay). Apparently a woman past childbearing can only be an important figure in Middle-earth if she's still physically attractive. That's really sad.