The Lack of Women in “The Lord Of The Rings” Is Alarming
By: Tessa Andrews
Tags: Life, Culture, Life Lessons, Film, Lord Of The Rings

Lord of the Rings is, and always has been, and probably always will be my favorite movies of all time. The unparalleled story-telling of J.R.R. Tolkien coupled with the cinematic direction of Peter Jackson a Howard Shore original score to top it off? It is nothing short of perfection in my book. If you don’t believe me, here are a few stats to prove it!

The Fellowship of the Ring was nominated for a whopping 158 awards, receiving 98 of those, including Academy Awards, Grammys, and Golden Globes. The Two Towers blew that out of the water with 222 nominations and 136 awards received. What about Return of the King, you ask? 337 nominations and 258 of those were awarded. In total, that brings the trilogy to 717 nominations and 492 awards, which is absolutely mind-blowing.

As a young girl, I can remember reading the books and watching the movies, and wondering why there weren’t more female characters. In the grand scheme of the trilogy, there are really only three women who are prominently featured: Arwen, Galadriel, and Eowyn. Yes, there are common folk females, and we can’t leave out Rosie Cotton, Sam’s beloved wife, but other than that, the trilogy is a real bachelor party. The Fellowship is exclusively men, and thus, men carry the storyline for the majority of the time. During my formative years, this saddened me as I looked to strong, female portrayals in the media to shape the character I wanted to possess.

However, as I have aged (and rewatched the movies close to a hundred times), I began to realize the Tolkien didn’t need a plethora of females in his story to show that women are powerful and that they have a role in shaping Middle Earth. He just needed three.

Arwen

Arwen is the first major female character we are introduced to in the trilogy. She shows up in The Fellowship of the Ring after Frodo is stabbed by the Ring-Wraith on Weathertop. A few short minutes after meeting her, we are acquainted with her tenacity as she single-handedly outpaces nine Wraiths on Asfaloth as she rushes to get Frodo to the land of her people before he passes into the shadow realm. At the banks of the river that separates the land, she turns to face them head-on, and utters the line that never fails to give me chills (even if it isn’t canon Tolkien):

If you want him, come and claim him.”

From this moment on, Arwen proves herself to be as fiery of an Elf as can be. She pledges herself to a mortal, giving him her Elvenstone. She stands up to her father, the noble Lord Elrond, and fights for her chance at true love, even though it will mean heartache for her in the future. The mere thought of her revives Aragorn when all else seems lost.

Through her example, I learned that it is okay to be ferocious and that such ferocity doesn’t negate femininity. It is acceptable for me to “ride with the big boys” one moment, and be the picture of beauty the next.

I learned that true love is achievable, though it may not be as conventional as I had thought. I realized that such love doesn’t just happen, but it takes time and effort by both parties, although often at different times throughout the relationship.

Arwen taught me that the things in life worth fighting for may require me to make tough choices, decisions that will ultimately affect the trajectory of my life. These choices may not be popular, or what the people around me would suggest, but if I follow my heart, these types of choices will shape the person I am.