The "Fair" Sex in LotR

[Estelyn Telcontar]

littlemanpoet, I can see what you’re saying about Ioreth – Tolkien does seem to make her a caricature, mocking her slightly as he speaks through the voices of the men, i.e. Aragorn and Gandalf. But does that talkativeness really diminish her wisdom? Couldn’t the archetype of the aged wise woman easily turn out to be larger than life if left without some human weakness? Perhaps JRRT is just making her more believable, human, life-size. Her role in the story is not made less important by her personal “flaw”, if it is one. By the way, I wonder if Celeborn anticipates her appearance in the story with his comment to the Fellowship upon leaving Lórien:

Oft it may chance that old wives keep in memory word of things that once were needful for the wise to know.

If he is speaking with Tolkien’s voice there, it seems to me that the role of the old woman is held in respect by him!

Another aspect of the comparison of female roles in Middle-earth has occurred to me: We are comparing women of other races as if they had more in common as women than separating them as different races. But the two human females we see most of in LotR are the most real – the elven females are lofty, distant, and Goldberry is down-to-earth, yet not quite close to human. How similar are the women of different races in their feminine nature?? Sharon, you touched that aspect by saying:

The voices that depart are not based on gender, but race. and:

Did Elven women have more authority, respect, independence etc. than the Women of the Fourth Age?

Belin, interesting thoughts you have there to the change in Aragorn’s role – taking on a feminine aspect, as do the elves in diminishing. Leadership ability being completed in the union of masculine and feminine aspects of the leader – great thought! And yes, please do start a thread on the role of the mother in Tolkien’s works – I will be an interested reader and, probably, poster! It would be nice to have a discussion of those mothers who were allowed to stay alive!! [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img] (Wouldn’t it, Birdie?? [img]smilies/tongue.gif[/img] )

I will have to reread the Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales with the feminine role model in mind – hope this discussion keeps going long enough for me to add what I learn!