Topic: Female readers of LOTR, especially feminist ones, take exception with the depiction of women in the books. What do you think about the way women are presented? Changes from the books to the film? Which female character do you enjoy most?

I have to preface this by saying that I am purposely not rereading the books until after I have seen each movie several times. So, except for FotR, this is from very distant memory.

As a young woman, I didn't particularly identify with women, so even though I became a fairly ardent feminist in my teens, I can't say that it was ever an issue with me and these books. I guess I just accepted that the role of women in high fantasy novels was as The Queen (either maternal or all-powerful) or The Princess (beautiful and desireable, but with little freedom of action). As best I can recall, Galadriel was my favorite character if I even had a favorite. I remember little of Arwen or Eowyn, and almost nothing of Rosie.

This has become more of an issue in the movie, of course, since it's not really possible to make a film of something like this without seeing it, at least to some degree, through modern eyes. For the most part, I've really admired the steps Peter Jackson has taken: consolidating several characters into Arwen has not only simplified the plot but given her more to do, and I have not found that those extra duties changed her beyond recognition. I also don't have a problem with her going to Helms Deep, as it is rumoured she will in TTT, as long as by doing so, Eowyn is not diminished nor is Arwen's essential nature changed. I think the "warrior" side we've seen of Arwen so far does not step over that line--it is that of a woman defending her own, as even the least warlike will do when necessary. Also, and this is just my own thought, Arwen has renounced her people to an extent by pledging herself to mortality and Aragorn, and therefore can be expected to take on more of a human attitude (more short-term and less big-picture) towards many issues, including the role of women.

I like what we've seen of Eowyn so far, albeit in small glimpses. Miranda Otto looks right--beautiful, but earthy and strong. I particularly like the little bit showing her swordfighting with Aragorn. I also like Rosie, who of course has had nothing to do but look pretty and pleasant, and has accomplished that.

I wish I could remember more clearly my feelings about Galadriel in the books, since I have *very* strong feelings about her in the movie. I think I took it on faith that she was all-powerful and all-knowing and would do the best for the Fellowship, but I definitely don't feel that way about her now. I think she has her own agenda that may or may not coincide with those of the others, and while it doesn't make me like her much, it makes her a much more interesting character. I'd be interested to know if this is something Peter saw in the books, whether it is his own interpretation, or whether he had nothing of the sort in mind and I am just reading this into it. I fully intend to go back and revisit some of my earlier treatises in this blog about Galadriel, and try to come up with my own little theory about what makes her tick.

Which female character do I *enjoy* most? I find Galadriel to be the most interesting so far, but I suspect that I will enjoy Eowyn the most (once I get a chance to really "see" her).