It wasn’t just her going into battle. She was literally one of the few people that stuck around with her uncle while he was poisoned. She stayed strong for him and her people. She had so much love and bravery
Yes, the whole staying through struggle and the wearing down she experienced as she watched her world fall apart. That patience until it was time to act. I think that also speaks to her feminine power. Not that it’s not also a masculine power, but she was stuck more fully by her need to help her family and do what she could to mitigate the corruption over the people. I don’t know that I’m saying that well.
@@heidiskillin446 I completely understand what you’re saying. It really touched my heart to see her fully committed to love, being there for her uncle when his son passed away. Takes a lot of heart
As a woman, I’ve been trying to tell people that one of the most true feminine hero is Eowyn. No one really believes me, but I’m glad that you see it. Thanks!
Tbh movie Eowyn wasn't that good nor accurate the book Eowyn. Book Eowyn wanted to die in battle because she craved the glory the men of Rohan received in such valor on the battlefield. Basically, Book Eowyn wasn't trying to make a gender statement about how women should be allowed to fight at all. You're supposed to pity how misguided she is in wanting such a thing, even in spite of the great deed of slaying the Witch King in a prophetic way. It's supposed to be an example of how Catholic Tolkien wanted to take the noble pagan virtues of courage and will and separate them from the glorification of war. Her arc ends when she falls in love with Faramir who she says 'tames' her, swears-off ever fighting again and embraces a life of feminine love, nurturing and growing. Movie Eowyn is the opposite. She wants to go to war because she believes that women have a right to be able to fight and throws constant temper tantrums because she cannot because of her gender. Her movie arc ends, not with realising that she was wrong, but in being VALIDATED for it. She is only ever validated and rewarded. Her victory is not in overcoming this dark. misguided depression of wanting to fight0 but in overcoming those who doubted her because of her gender. Which is not at all the story or point Tolkien was making. She even becomes the new queen of Rohan at the end despite having a living male relative who is captain of the Rohirrim and therefore the only one of them who has a claim to the throne
@ Crimson Thumos was this not also a reason why she sought for Aragorn? She was after power and glory. They went to help King théoden forgetting that Éowyn had also been there under worm tongues poison. Nobody really noticed the darkness in her mind until the healing that took place. I think I remember them talking about it in the book and as you said it was only after meeting Faramir that this began to dissipate for her. I may have to read again though
@@crimsonthumos3905 I tend to disagree with your statements. First a fact: Eowyn didn't became queen of Rohan at all. It's Eomer who take the rule, as he should. Then I don't think her will to fight in the movie comes from a desire for validation. It's clearer in the extended version, but she's basically frustrated she can do nothing to protect her people and those she loves while men are sacrificing in her place. She's portrayed as extremely loyal to the people of Rohan and Theoden, yet she feels she should do a lot more. Her dialogue with Eomer in the extended version is very indicative of that. Using Merry as a triangulation for statement, she basically says that she has as much reasons as men to fight to protect what she loves, yet Eomer tells her war is just a bloody mess without glory and that no one who's not prepared should be ashamed of not joining it, that it's a duty of men, his duty to protect his sister. Theoden expressing his desire for her to see new good days arising, that he's willing to die to bring, follows the same vein. Yet Eowyn join anyway. Aragorn walking away was probably the final nail that convinced her she was defective in her role, a sense of shame and sadness that also shows in other scene. In that sense, her joining isn't really a statement but rather a desperate act to prove to herself she's worth it, rather than others. She seeks no validation. Her nearly falling to battle doesn't bring praise. Eomer who lost countless friends crumble into tears because she was the very reason he risked his life. I agree that's there is no satisfying conclusion to her arc, in a sense we don't know how she wish to progress afterwards, but it was never about gender.
@@crimsonthumos3905 If so, then Eowyn follows the same arc as Jane Studdock, the principal protagonist from CS Lewis from the Space Trilogy, a book that Tolkien would have been very familiar with. After all, Tolkien and Lewis had made that bet ...
She was vulnerable. Her bravery meant something because she was literally terrified, but fought anyway. Bravery is interesting, because people think it's an antonym of "fear"... but it's not. Fear and courage are corelated. Someone who is never afraid needs no courage. In fact, having no fear is the result of one of 2 things. If your lack of fear is rational, then it's just confidence. If your lack of fear is irrational, then you are either delusional or you have a neurological disorder or something.
Absolutely! One of the best shots of the movie is the Witch King lifting his massive flail (though called the Black Mace) and seeing Eowyn's wide, terrified eyes. The stakes feel real and we are genuinely concerned. There are no stakes in Rings of Pewter, or any film that features the "man with boobs" protagonists.
Funnily enough, this idea of "no courage without fear" is a central part in the comic book "Asterix and the Normans" (1996)/the film adaptation "Asterix and the Vikings" (2006), where the vikings were in search of a master of fear (a cowardly person) to teach it to them, because they were without fear, and hence can't be brave. And the master of fear truly became the master and it was a beautiful story of growth (and interestingly that growth was influenced by a woman, inspiring him to be better).
Her bravery was in service of the people she loved, not in service of her own self grandiosity. That's the difference; service to other vs. narcissism.
DUDE, this is exactly the video I was looking for. After the disgrace that is rings of power and the poorly written Guyladriel (including a slew of other “strong women” recently), I kept being reminded of how much I loved Eowyn in Peter Jackson’s films. I actively searched UA-cam for a comparison to explain why and here we are. This video is criminally under-watched and I will be spreading it around to everyone I know. Thanks for such a beautiful breakdown.
The only thing I would say is that a character like Galadriel has been a war for centuries. She is not like Eowyn who is in her first battle. Galadriel’s femininity has been destroyed.
Granted I haven't watch Rings of Power so take this with a grain of salt, but isn't she supposed to be unlikeable at this point due to her pride/ambition? Then we get the full redemption arc when she rejects the ring from Frodo?
Most of the characters in this series are badly written. Galadriel to me however is one of the best. She has endured centuries of war and has been sent semi-mad by it like the Colonel in Apocalypse Now or the time lords in Dr Who.
It was not just the nurturing and support that Eowyn gave to Merry that was so influential…if she hadn’t looked after Theoden when he was weak, and then inspired him to reclaim his honour, Rohan would not have ridden to Gondor’s aid. It was no accident his last words were to her.
This is why Katara from Avatar: The Last Airbender is one of my favorite strong female characters in fiction. People always complain about how "motherly" and "hopeful" and "inspirational" she is, but those are all traits of her feminine strength. That feminine strength pushes her forward to the point of being able to challenge strong men who are objectively stronger than her, not caring that she "cannot win this fight", and it is also the motivation for her to face one of the most powerful villains in the show, despite being highly underpowered, because she needs to save her friend, and in that fight, she doesn't overpower her opponent, but rather out smarts her opponent (who is also a strong female character, but strong with masculine strength). Beyond herself, she is also always strengthening her surrounding cast, literally with healing magic to refresh them, but also with wisdom, council, compassion, and inspiration. In the end, Aang had to face the Fire Lord by himself, but he would not have been nearly ready if it wasn't for Katara always by his side, encouraging him, strengthening him, edifying him, correcting him, and challenging him in ways he needed to grow. She wasn't there to help him in his fight, but by being there the entire time building up to that fight, she made him into the man he needed to be to face the tyrant. And although the war was won by various men, Katara could be argued as the single-most important character in the war.
Katara is amazing. I'm saddened when people dismiss her motherly side as flaw or cliche, when it's the most touchin part about her. I love equally Toph who is a lot more masculine yet gains a lot more confidence thanks to Katara, who she eventually considers a very dear friend.
Honestly sometimes Katara and Aang switch roles. Where Katara wanted to take revenge on her mother's killer, it is Aang who has to nurture Katara's inner growth.
Yeah. I think it's the first episode in the northern water tribe. They borderline do a case study on how to do a proper strong female character. The whole episode is structured like a lecture in good story telling lol.
A little thing I want to touch on: Gal Gadot's Wonder Woman in her first solo movie. One thing I loved about her was that even though she was strong, you never forgot she was wholely feminine. She was compassionate, empathetic, driven to fix things and to protect. And the adversity she faced and the expectations on women that were established in the film made the moment where she marched on No Man's Land feel earned.
Yes!!!! I also loved the part when she saw a baby and she like squealed in happiness instead of ignoring it or acting all disgusted which I felt was very wholesome
I love female warrior characters but nowadays Hollywood gets them SO wrong. Wonder Woman is great and Gal Gadot brought the perfect feminine strength to the role.
Yes! Wonder Woman's charge across the No Man's Land (great play on words to link it to the "I am NO Man" sentiment), wasn't some masculine act of aggression or gallantry, but was an act of protection and feminine nurturing. She saw the death and destruction, the pain, suffering and fear, and like a mother trying to help a suffering child, she acted to stop the pain. Of course it was a heroic action, but the means and motivation were wholly feminine in their execution.
That's because she originated as a female character. You can't just give a man boobs. Audiences can tell. Women can tell. They know who they are and how they operate and they know they don't operate like men with boobs.
In the video above, I love so much that the speaker addresses that it was Eowyn's feminine, nurturing strength that resulted in Merry even being present on the battlefield that day. She saw his valor, his potential, his courage, and she made the way for him to ride into battle with her. Without him, no one would have stabbed the Witch-King with an ancient elven blade and weakened him for her to make the final, lethal blow. Victory happened, not with traditional, masculine muscle power, but one brave, loving woman who was not stronger than her adversaries, and a little hobbit who was also not stronger than his adversaries, and the trust, love, and courage they carried onto the battlefield together. That's just beautiful.
One of the scenes that struck out to me was when Eowyn pulls Merry up on her horse. The complex wonder, pride, and strength he displays in that moment was so moving. The way her bravery takes him from frustrated and aimless to resolved and courageous was almost embarrassing in its honesty.
Yes! Everyone else is too busy focusing on the battle to come. Because that's masculine strength. There's evil threatening their homes and loved ones. And they're all fired up to fight it. Which is good. But Eowyn's femininity enables her to see that Merry is a soul mate in this moment. He wants to ride to battle as much as her. And she, being the Rohirrim shield maiden that she is, is the expert horsewoman, and she takes him along with her. They strengthen each other. And thus they're able to work together to deal the fatal blow to The Witch King. An evil so powerful that it takes the exploitation of a loophole to beat him.
@@Redrosewitch There's more to characters and people than being traditionally masculine and feminine.... I always find traditional characters extremely boring.
Ditto. It always makes me so happy when legitimate depictions of feminine strength are lauded and applauded by those who can truly appreciate them. I adore Eowyn as a woman and I love her as a warrior. ❤️
courage make Eowin become strong women not have to be masculine. Mother who give birth, raise child while helping her husband in term of cash by working but still taking care their child is a strong women. Even be a house wife need courage knowing anything can happen. We need each other, men and women build differently and we complete each other.
Yeah still love my economic independence and not only have to be a housewife anymore mate. And men has a duty for their child too. Just working and not taking care of them is a bad representation of fathers as well.
You make me think of how awkward and ungainly I felt learning choreography in my first musical theater performance. This was made all the worse by my first dance partner who struggled against me for control until I became flustered and increasingly apologetic. I just wanted to give up. That is until I met my next dance partner, a gentle, reassuring young woman who smiled calmly at me and reassured me that I could trust her and we were in it together. I didn’t immediately show grace, indeed I have often felt apprehension learning choreography, but she made me feel safe and strong and thereby more capable of leading. For me it speaks very clearly of the ability of feminine strength to nurture and activate masculine agency.
I know what you mean, one time when I was in a summer camp we had an activity where we formed pairs and one would lead the other through the forest while they were blindfolded. The boy I was paired with was hesitant and trembling and I don't know what came over me but I just guided him as gently and encouragingly as I could (we weren't allowed to speak) with touches in his hands, back and arms. I felt it was my responsibility to make him feel safe and cared for, before I knew it he was actively walking confidently no matter where I nudged him to. It was incredible to watch such confidence grow in a matter of a few steps.
Beautiful story, beautifully told. I won't try to steal your thunder by telling my own story here, but suffice it to say, I know EXACTLY what you mean!
This is fascinating. I've also noticed that with dance, one of the reasons why women can almost feel like they are flying is that they are playing an entirely different role with physical (as in physics) forces than the man generally is.
Really good analysis and it helps prove that Tolkien fans do NOT have a "problem" accepting strong women or women warriors. Tolkien fans LOVE the portrayal of Eowyn and Arwen (played by Liv Tyler) in the original trilogy. The Nazgûl demanded that Arwen turn over Frodo to them and Arwen responded by drawing her sword and saying: "If you want him, come and claim him." Which is elven for "over my dead body, suckers." But Arwen also had feminine vulnerability, as shown in her romance with Aragorn, and was clever, besides, luring the Nazgûl into a trap in the waters of Bruinen, which she caused to rise so that they swept away the Ringwraiths.
Daniel Bradford the problem with the woke crowd is that they are so arrogant that any criticism of their very flawed work is immediately rejected. It must be the viewer's fault for not understanding how genius they are....
Well to be fair, that never happened in the books. Although I think it’s a great scene in the movies! (my only gripe being it makes Frodo look weaker than he is, as in the books he rides solo as the Nazgûl pursue him. The swelling of the river is made by Elrond.)
Arwen in the books is a steady 'she pondered these things in her heart' character. Her constant faith in who Aragorn can become, and the strength it will give to the world of men. We can see the effect that has on Aragorn. Even though he's willing to lose her to following her people to The Undying Lands. It's clear how much this would hurt him to do. Arwen's faith is so strong that she's ready to lose her immortality, to be able to have a mortal marriage with Aragorn.
Don't you feel embarrassed by your ignorance? Many Tolkien fans trashed Arwen, and to a lesser degree Eowyn, when the movies came out. The PJ movies and all its stupid changes are still heavily criticized by the Tolkien fandom. Arwen replaced Glorfindel. In the books Frodo defied the Nazgul at the Fords of Bruinen, despite being heavily injured. In the movies however Frodo is nerfed and Arwen says the embarrassingly stupid line: "If you want him, come and claim him." And the movies mishandled Eowyn and the confrontation between her and the Witch-King. In the books Eowyn wanted to ride with the Rohirrim because she wanted to die in battle. In the movies she wanted to fight because of feminism. And in the movies Eowyn said the dumbified Hollywood-line: ''I am no man.'' No surprise fake fans love the PJ movies. Please read the books and educate yourself.
Surprised you didn't point out that Eowyn's aim in that fight was not so much to destroy the Witch-King, but to protect her uncle Theoden from being killed and fed to the Wyvern. She begins the fight not by threatening to kill the Witch-King but by telling him not to touch Theoden. Of course, you might also mention that she was a character who until then could not find her place in the world. Her betrothed had died. She rejected Wormtongue and was rejected by Aragorn. She wanted to be a soldier (to be useful in some way) but was denied the opportunity. She didn't feel at home among the women. She was not the domestic type. She had no family apart from a brother who she didn't seem close to and her uncle, who was the only person who seemed to care for her. Wormtongue was not lying when he painted a bleak view of her future. So in this moment, she fought to protect the only thing she loved.
@@dramaticwords Where is it stated? I don't remember this from either the movies (extended editions) or the books, and it would be inappropriate in any case because they were too closely related. EDIT: I just rewatched every part of _The Two Towers_ that involve Éowyn herself or might involve her indirectly, and saw nothing that would indicate she was betrothed to anyone. Back to the subject (sorry), I agree with almost everything you said, except that glory was originally part of Éowyn's desire to fight. She knew she was useful, but she wanted more than that. By the end, though, I think she'd had her fill of combat, much like Faramir, who was fed up with it all. Not that either of them couldn't or wouldn't ever fight again, especially since Faramir would remain a steward and captain of Gondor after Aragorn ascended the throne, but neither would have desired glory after everything they had been through (and fortunately they didn't have to do a lot of fighting later, either).
@@rbrtck I'm not sure if it's in the theatrical release. But in the extended version, it's pretty clear that Theodred was to marry Eowyn. When he dies, that's when Wormtongue gets the idea that perhaps she'll marry him, having no other options. Personally, I infer that Wormtongue may have made sure Theodred died so he could have his chance with her. It was his reward for serving Saruman. It might have worked, if Aragorn hadn't shown up giving her a new option. Of course, in many cultures at that level of development, it was not uncommon for kings to marry a first cousin or even half-sister.
@@dramaticwords I just rewatched _The Two Towers_ (extended edition), and saw nothing of the sort whatsoever. Grima foolishly thought he could take advantage of Éowyn's grief over her dead cousin and the fact that her brother had been exiled, but of course she wasn't nearly *that* vulnerable, and would have slain Grima herself if she had to. No one said she was betrothed to her cousin, and the poor guy was out of action the whole time. I suppose you can guess or assume that they were betrothed, but there is no direct, conclusive evidence that they were, and this is the first time I've read or heard this suggestion from anyone (and I am a member of related forums and such).
Exactly, I was actually looking forward to see Galadriel as a mother and how she nurtures her daughter and even as a yoda-like teacher to elrond. I really thought they would explore that, not “I have seen what I’ve seen” line to Elrond.
It could have started with "You have not seen what I have seen". That's a setup for a mentor role. But sadly we needed to show how badass she is by having her beat up bunch of Numenorian kids.
the daughter of Galadriel would have made a much more appropriate protagonist. Having that daughter-mother relationship in the show (and also a warm romance-cooperation with Elrond, and of course Celeborn as the father figure) could have been amazing to watch.
@@benjaminthibieroz4155 choosing Galadriel for the boxes they had to tick for their protagonist was sooo wrong on so many levels. Even for experienced writers, using a legacy character that has been a ruler for the last 4000 years and turn it into the plucky warrior-like underdog is suicidal. It would've been passable had they created a new character.
Great video. Especially the conclusion made my day. Men and women need to boost each other by feedback - that cooperation can generate infinite powers.
My favorite thing about eowyn is that she shows visible fear and overcomes it to protect her friends and family. When she sees the witch king stand the look in her eyes is so relatable
This video is perfect and I hope more people see it. It goes against all this woke agenda crap. Women don’t have to be man strong to be strong. We all know how the women in our lives keep everything together and that is a type of strength that isn’t flashy and sometimes overlooked, but is essential in our lives.
You can be "woke" in a good sense. Problem nowadays is that people argue against feminism when in reality it's not about woke or not, it's about good writing and bad writing
@Meatman419 if woke means diverse cast and interesting female characters, it's good, as long as the writing supports it. Watch Arcane, come back and stop making excuses
@Meatman419 i am trying to tell you that there's nothing wrong with diversity and strong female leads as long as the writing is good. If you just want to send "a message" without any logical or believable writing, then, yes, i am against wokeness. Like Rey in Star Wars. My point is: going for diversity, representation and agency for female characters can make some really good stories if you are willing to walk the extra mile in writing
@Meatman419 no, it’s not. It may have started out that way, but wokeness today is a perverse sense of ripping men down at all costs, even to the detriment of your story, and specifically your diverse and / or female characters. It’s a cancer that only perpetuates hate and falsehoods.
If the current rejection of femininity is because it is seen as lesser/ weaker/ passive, then this trilogy asserts femininity's power. Three scenes I love all include mighty warriors who have always been stoic (as they must be in war) become vulnerable, emotional, gentle, or ecstatic because of a woman. Eomir's broken grief on discovering his sister in the battlefield. Theoden's peaceful gratitude for his niece's protection. Aragon's joyful, ecstatic reunion with his beloved. We have seen these men go through every trial and pain. We know their public faces of composure. But their intimate, private, and vulnerable emotions are reserved for women alone. That is powerful. By the way, your commentary on Merry blew my mind! I have never heard of this before. Thank you
Also Gimli's serenity and charm at the sight of Galadriel And Boromir's sorrow at his failed duty toward his kin, followed by faith in his friend and liege. And though Sam isn't really a warrior, the bravery and optimism he forces himself to keep for the sake of his friend made his tears of departure so much more striking.
This was amazing dude, eowyn is one of my favorite characters and as a woman she inspires me a lot. Writers need to realize that you can make a strong female character while giving her weakness and being feminine.
Aragon nurtures and trains the hobbits also, its what friends and good people do, not just women. Guyladriel teaches nothing only beating down nonbelievers like a cruel monster
The two play off each other in the films/books. Aragorn teaches the hobbits the physical aspects of battle: how to wield weapons, how you use one's distinct physical advantages (being small can help in some cases). Eowyn nutures the hobbit's (specifically Merry's) self confidence and courage. And thats the whole point of the video. The world needs both types of strength to create the best.
I agree🎉 I would also like to add that Aragorn is a natural nurturer, but needs Arwen’s reassurance in the spaces of his self that he finds weak, the spaces that he’s scared of (aka his patrilineal lineage). He learned well the art of healing in the House of Elrond, which is why he is the one divinely chosen to bring in a new age of Man. He is Healer, Hunter, Wiseman, King. He couldn’t become a King until Arwen pushed and nurtured him to do so, and the hobbits gave him a purpose to grow. The mission, and the Hobbits, represented the last task of his masculine journey to enlightenment.
@@amonbeck a wise man and leader notices what others bring to the table, he is not jealous he plans and prepares, and if he did it right all the pieces are in thier place 😉
I so appreciate this right now. Nurturing a marriage and family seem so thankless and underrepresented in film. This essay points out one of thousands of reasons why if I was stuck on a deserted island with only one film series it would be Lord of the Rings.
Eowyn was superb in her acting and the way the script was done for was excellently done. It wasn't preaching anything gender, it wasn't saying women stronger than men, but instead she showed vulnerability, she showed femininity, she also celebrated masculinity of other men. She showed what a strong woman is, which is femininity, showing vulnerability, celebrating the men too. I mean look at how she loved her father, look at how she admired the other men fighting against evil. Even when she was terrified, literally scared she put her armour on, without even her father knowing, without glamourisinig who she is and how she leads, and went to fight. Look how to shows compassion and empathy as gets one of the hobbits ride with her and calms him down, helps him to be brave. She nurtures. She cries, she talks to men and her father with respect. She stayed strong for her people, for the king, for everyone even in the darkest times of battle. You cannot help but like this character and enjoy her screen presence and want to see more of her.
Tbh movie Eowyn wasn't that good nor accurate the book Eowyn. Book Eowyn wanted to die in battle because she craved the glory the men of Rohan received in such valor on the battlefield. Basically, Book Eowyn wasn't trying to make a gender statement about how women should be allowed to fight at all. You're supposed to pity how misguided she is in wanting such a thing, even in spite of the great deed of slaying the Witch King in a prophetic way. It's supposed to be an example of how Catholic Tolkien wanted to take the noble pagan virtues of courage and will and separate them from the glorification of war. Her arc ends when she falls in love with Faramir who she says 'tames' her, swears-off ever fighting again and embraces a life of feminine love, nurturing and growing. Movie Eowyn is the opposite. She wants to go to war because she believes that women have a right to be able to fight and throws constant temper tantrums because she cannot because of her gender. Her movie arc ends, not with realising that she was wrong, but in being VALIDATED for it. She is only ever validated and rewarded. Her victory is not in overcoming this dark. misguided depression of wanting to fight0 but in overcoming those who doubted her because of her gender. Which is not at all the story or point Tolkien was making. She even becomes the new queen of Rohan at the end despite having a living male relative who is captain of the Rohirrim and therefore the only one of them who has a claim to the throne
Because Eowyn was outclassed, but simply would not stop. Her strength wasn't physical, it was strength of will. She stayed feminine, but displayed strength of character. The current idiots make "strong women" by making them physically strong. She Hulk is absolutely the pinacle of this current trend.
I also wish more movies could show femininity for men. LOTR had this, showing Aragorn to be nurturing (as someone else commented), and Boromir being drawn to the hobbits. Tolkien was very focused on mercy, and it was pointed out that Frodo sparing Gollum was one of the most important actions, even though nobody would celebrate and sing about that. As someone who's been mostly a tomboy, I do like seeing more active female characters, as opposed to the stereotypical sidelined one. It's nice to see more women as main characters, and more women with other interests than makeup (don't get me wrong, I love legally blonde and don't mind girly girls, I just also want to see someone more like me on screen). Maybe my main problem is how femininity has often been portrayed as just a sidelined female supporter, whose only existence is to give motivation to the main character and to look pretty, without being allowed to have a character development of her own. Still it is a problem that both masculine and feminine female characters are often lacking this development, the essential thing to make them grow and to make them human. Maybe it was a bit clumsy written, but I miss seeing femininity on screen, especially for men, but also to make feminine women on screen more interesting (like Eowin was awesome!). From my understanding of masculinity and femininity, every character should have some of both, as active characters are moving the plot and caring characters just give them more soul. But femininity is probably harder to write, so they just avoid it too much.
I personally wouldn't go so far as to call Aragorn nurturing or having feminine qualities. I believe he showed more protection and duty to defend and care for the hobbits which tend to be masculine qualities, rather than nurturing. I suppose one could see it as nurturing, but I believe that term should be reserved for women. however, It would be interesting to see other ways of masculinity that could go hand in hand with "femininity" in film characters besides the common hack, bash, protect, fight, and fierceness. I relate to your second paragraph a lot though!
@@elizabethmalone7820 That's a very good point with Aragorn! I'm still kinda cloudy on exact what I think about this topic. So far I think it's: I miss feminine values on screen, and hate that modern films and series are claiming to be progressive by removing it entirely. But I also want variety on how masculinity and femininity are portrayed, and more variety of how men and women on screen portray those values.
@@elizabethmalone7820 It's not included in the movie, but in the book Aragorn has some sort of healing power and does a lot to get Faramir, Eowyn and Merry back to health again after the battle. Now, if that's a purely feminine thing can be debated, but i guess Tolkien wanted to show that a great king doesn't necessarily live only for glorious deeds in battle but is also capable of a more nurturing role.
I love that you mentioned legally blonde! Such a great example of a doormat to kickass gal transformation without losing her (version of) femininity! Also, it called out that side chick's "I'm not like other girls" mysogynist worldviews. So spot on. I don't even mind having the odd shemale hopping around in screen. (These gals exist and ... why not? Just as there's pink-loving treehugger kindergarden teacher boys. Each after their own fashion.) What's problematic is that this is portrayed as the only road to success. Only shemales are presented as deserving respect, for their violence. This does absolutely nothing to fight the patriarchy, either, as they simply eliminate the feminine/nurturing values from the equation. *gah* 😑
What a superb presentation. And awesome connection to Christian lore. Tolkien was indeed heavily into that kind of symbolism. Personally I just found Eowyn' s scene more powerful because she's an actual woman, on a battlefield with men 3x stronger than her... and she pulls off the impossible. That contrast is what made it awesome for me.
I personally wish they had given a bit more notice to Merry. His stabbing of the Witch King with the blade he carried weakened the Witch King and gave Eowyn her opportunity to slay him. Merry is not Man either. Eowyn's understanding of Merry's need to participate and her unselfishness in taking him with her ALL contributed to that moment. The LOTR movie gave the females that "woke-ish" moment but in reality the moment was so much MORE profound. The males told him no, for caring reasons but she told him yes for bigger reasons. And together, they slew the Witch King.
@@cindyknudson2715 Even more precisely, the Witch King would not have been able to be killed without Merry's action at that moment. It wasn't just that Merry stabbed the Witch King and distracted him, but his blade broke the spell that had kept the Witch King "alive" for centuries, thus enabling the final blow by Eowyn. It really did take the two non-men working together. It isn't given any time in the movie, but Merry's blade was recovered from the Barrow Downs and was forged to be a weapon against the men of Angmar, and imbued with spells to that effect. Merry's knife would have been one of the few weapons still existing that would have been able to break the spell upon the Witch King.
@@deadcatbounce3124 I was just about to say this. If Merry had not struck the Witch-King first, Eowyn's strike would have done pretty much NOTHING. The Barrow knife wound brought the Witch-King into the mortal world the same way that the Morgul blade was pulling Frodo into the wraith world.
I'm so glad you include the Blessed Virgin in your description of femininity. I consider Mary the ultimate heroine, one who made the hardest decision imaginable under the circumstances and kept her dignity and faith in something larger than herself
This is why Galadriel in the LOTR series (not shitty amazon show) is so amazing. She is one of the most powerful beings in the world, but she is feminine. She is strong! But she does not need to lean on aggression and haughtiness. She is calm collected, and guides. Looking deep. The Galadriel in this new fanfiction series is like her with the one ring. Overtaken by rage and no forethought. It doesn't matter that she is young. She is so misrepresented. Thinking that strong willed means childish, brazen, and raging. The fools of the modern Era thinking that a strong woman means a ball of aggression. We can be strong and skilled and deserve respect, not be so callus.
But whole point is that Galadriel isn't young at this time point. She is already older than Celebrimbor and Gilgalad. Some 5000 years already. Yet she acts like a pentulent teenager.
I'm not sure of the direction of the writers and I'm not all the way through the series yet but I very much saw it as this is her "touching the darkness" so to speak, she is grieving and lashing out and hasnt yet found the balance of the masculine and feminine that makes her the most powerful being yet, if that makes sense...
@@emmasmith4664 Also to add Galadriel actions in this show actually creates the evil that comes later. She pushes Halbrand into returning to the Southlands when he did not want to go, she manipulates and gaslights him. She causes the very evil she pledged to destroy. That makes her evil.
Eowyn never exerted her dominance forcefully by telling people that she is their leader, their rightful princess, shouting and denying stuff and showing her anger or stubbornness to her own people. Eowyn helps her people just like the others. Eowyn went undercover as one of the cavalrymen when she defied her uncle's order because she wanted to join the fight without exposing herself. She was afraid and she knew she's vulnerable, but she did all she could to fight for everything she held dear. She only showed utter confidence when she faced the enemy boss up front because she knew that's finally her cue to fulfill the prophecy, and that's not because of ego, but a desire to end it all in that one weak but sure move (she just swung it anyway even though she knew she's not that strong, because she got to do something for the sake of the good). That's a very justified anger (and feeling fed up) from a "no man".
Yes! Also, the way humans tend to behave when they are afraid can be surprising. I've had some DH mountain bike crashes and either during the crash (a 4 ft fall) or afterwards, the things that go through one's mind aren't always what you might expect. As in "Oh well, I guess I'm fucked so I might as well just stand up to this thing that's going to probably kill me" or Hmmm. well, here we go.. or even "Oh, shit, this is going to be expensive." It's not exactly bravery.. it just IS. I suppose it's a protective mechanism, or a combo of a fight/flight/freeze response. I dunno why I brought that up but it adds another dimension of humanity, and I agree with this video that the reason the characters are so believable and that the reason many care so much about these characters is because of the blend of masculine and feminine traits. Not blended to death so that everyone, male or female is the same, but preserving essential femininity or masculinity while still acknowledging that both sexes have a blend of both
This is such an important video! And I never made all these connections with Eowyn's story like the crushing of the head, or her mother-role towards Merry. The sad part is that in the book Eowyn doesn't even recognize her own femininity as strength, much like many women of today. She wanted to die in battle, and if Faramir hadn't been at the houses of healing with her she would have lost the will to live. His saving her life is another example of that positive feedback loop you mentioned.
Yes, a brilliant point! I was disappointed that there wasn't more interaction between Faramir and Eowyn in the PJ movies. The extended edition scenes, while they couldn't capture the arc Tolkien provided them, were nonetheless beautiful and a gentle example of that feedback loop described in the video. I add my gratitude that this video was made, and hope for many more like it.
But isn't healing a feminine thing, not masculine? Therefore isn't Faramir disrespecting his inherent male nature by healing violence instead of causing it? Or do men get to do everything?
@@mattmorehouse9685 I think it's good to always apply the word "traditional" when we talk about masculine and feminine traits, while also recognizing that the reason they are traditional to each gender is that men and women tend to be more inclined to, and better at, certain traits. But really the ultimate would be for a person to be developed in both masculine and feminine characteristics. It's good for a man to be nurturing, it's good for a woman to be protective. As an example from Christianity, Jesus, the only perfect person, displays strong masculine AND feminine traits. Other religions may have similar figures. Krishna comes to mind. It is interesting that Eowyn and Faramir have a bit of a role reversal in the story. I think it just goes to show that each person has a mixture of masculine and feminine traits in them and it's good to learn our own strengths and work on our weaknesses.
She wants to die in battle because Wormtongue had convinced her that her destiny was unbearable. In the book, when Éomer wonders at finding her on the battlefield, Gandalf spells this out for him. It wasn't only King Théoden who was poisoned, but because she wasn't psychologically paralyzed like he was, no one saw it.
Amazing job! I'm glad someone finally created an explanation for why Eowyn's moment in LOTR films struck me so deeply and boom here it is! Definitely an underrated video.
Good points on the masculine versus feminine strength. I think one of the best movies to cover feminine strength is 300 where Lena Headey plays Leonida's wife. Her comments, "There is only one woman's words that should effect the mood of my husband, and those are mine." Then she asked him, "It is not a question of what a king should do, instead ask yourself what should a free man do." It's her words that leads to the scene of Leonidas gathering his 300.
Great analysis! As much as I adore the Peter Jackson movies, I really wish they had kept some of the original language of this moment in the films because it packs so much more of a punch than the film script: "But no living man am I! You look upon a woman. Éowyn I am, Éomund's daughter. You stand between me and my lord and kin. Begone, if you be not deathless! For living or dark undead, I will smite you, if you touch him." Nobody writes like Tolkien does. Another interesting note: if the Rohirrim army was full of female warriors like modern media insists on showing, then Éowyn's feat of bravery would have been severely diminished. It's the fact that she did something that wasn't expected of her that creates the impact of that moment.
"It's the fact that she did something that wasn't expected of her that creates the impact of that moment." The end of Twelfth Night, Orsino makes the same observation about Viola. "Your master quits you; and for your service done him, So much against the mettle of your sex, So far beneath your soft and tender breeding, And since you call'd me master for so long, Here is my hand: you shall from this time be Your master's mistress."
Tbh movie Eowyn wasn't that good nor accurate the book Eowyn. Book Eowyn wanted to die in battle because she craved the glory the men of Rohan received in such valor on the battlefield. Basically, Book Eowyn wasn't trying to make a gender statement about how women should be allowed to fight at all. You're supposed to pity how misguided she is in wanting such a thing, even in spite of the great deed of slaying the Witch King in a prophetic way. It's supposed to be an example of how Catholic Tolkien wanted to take the noble pagan virtues of courage and will and separate them from the glorification of war. Her arc ends when she falls in love with Faramir who she says 'tames' her, swears-off ever fighting again and embraces a life of feminine love, nurturing and growing. Movie Eowyn is the opposite. She wants to go to war because she believes that women have a right to be able to fight and throws constant temper tantrums because she cannot because of her gender. Her movie arc ends, not with realising that she was wrong, but in being VALIDATED for it. She is only ever validated and rewarded. Her victory is not in overcoming this dark. misguided depression of wanting to fight0 but in overcoming those who doubted her because of her gender. Which is not at all the story or point Tolkien was making. She even becomes the new queen of Rohan at the end despite having a living male relative who is captain of the Rohirrim and therefore the only one of them who has a claim to the throne
@@crimsonthumos3905 You're definitely interpreting movie Eowyn very badly imo. Her arc is very rarely made to be about her gender. She has one line about "women of this country" and Eomer has one line about the "province of men" but he's applying that as much to Merry as to Eowyn. Generally speaking, the people around her don't let her fight because they instead give her other duties that are important but thankless. Movie Eowyn's motivations are a little different than they are in the books (her despair comes across as stemming from the fact that she is sending everyone she loves off to war and she can't do anything to help them) but she's mostly the same character. If anything she's less validated in the movie than in the books. Nobody ever acknowledges her deeds in the movies, but they do repeatedly in the books. And the movies say nothing about who succeeded Theoden so I don't know what you're referring to there.
@@aperson9847 Agreed. Eowyn wants to fight out of a need to protect the men she loves, not to prove that women should be on the battlefield. She has a noble cause, unlike a lot of current female leads who fight out of selfish motives for glory or superiority
@@aperson9847 lmfao what. Her motivations have literally nothing to do with wanting to protect thr men of her country. She literally envies their glory. Thats not interpretation, that's literally what it is
I've always found feminine strength more difficult to define, compared to masculine strength. But you've articulated this so well. Sharing this! It's so important for people, especially women, to realise. Thank you for your video essay.
Why absolutely everything, I think, about Éowyn's character works so beautifully is because she's the most human character we're following in LotR. We see everything about her. Her fear, her bravery, her vulnerability, her strength, all of those collerating and leading to another, we see her pride, her confinment by societal rules and desire to break free and make her own choices, her love and disappointment and longing in this love, her ability to fight and carry on despite rejection, her loyalty, her sweetness, her nurturing, her sadness, her happiness, we truly see the most sides to her like with no other character, no matter how wonderful and beloved they may be. She's the most human with all the good and not so good qualities that come with it, and that's why every moment of her journey feels SO incredibly earned and triumphant
This was so honest and raw! I love this video and what you had to say about the DIFFERENCE between masculine and feminine power, because they are different but should be used to help and build one another!
Love, love, LOVE your video. To be honest the whole new media message of "strong women" within Hollywood who give out the idea that they need no man and that they want no man is a really bad and toxic message to give out to young girls in particular who may well actually grow to believe that they. likewise need no man and that it's alright to also look down on men, both within their families and outside of their families. This in-depth analysis of yours also really shines a light on how Tolkien understands women far, far better in all of their divine strength than Amazon Prime ever could. It's also deeply insulting to the everyday woman who thrives on her own innate wisdom borne of fierce emotional intelligence and womanly instinct, who seeks to better herself and others while knowing and understanding that just because she's a strong minded woman doesn't make her better than a man. The women of the "Lord of the Rings" are, as you so aptly and eloquently put it way more intuitive and intriguing than any of the women of "The Rings of Power" since none of the "strong" badass women in that show can hold a candle to them; Arwen, Galadriel or Eowyn. All three of them embody the pinnacle of womanhood with the only weapons a woman ever needs; the weapons of her mind, her heart and the immense level of emotion that only the true biological woman in general feels from deep down in her womb. I myself, from the very earliest stage in my teens all the way up to now have unfailingly stood and will continue to stand by Eowyn, now and always, the one prime example of a woman in any adaptation of Tolkien's work that todays young girls would be wiser to emulate than any "strong" woman in "The Rings of Power", the better to hold onto their own innate femininity and preserve that which makes them women.
I don't see any problem on making women more masculine, in fact Sarah Connor and Ripley are good examples, because their motivation is intrinsically femenine and their arc is overcoming the stereotype, the problem with modern portrayals is that the motivation is just not there anymore, Rey from star wars doesn't have even any real reason to push forward for example, it's an outsider on the story from start to finish.
It's a problem when it's implied that it makes them somehow better. Then the message is that masculinity > femininity. And that women need to be improved by turning them into imitations of men.
Going by the book, rather than the movies, Eowyn didn't anticipate her pivotal role. She didn't go to fight to fulfill prophesies or turn tides of battle. She went because she didn't want to be left behind. She envied Eomer and the other men who could ride to "glory" creating songs for later generations. Also, she would be left to fear for her loved ones, with no chance of assisting them. Her role, no less important, was to lead the people into the refuge of Dunharrow and rule them in her uncle's stead. This, when compared with the adrenaline of battle, was a thankless task, possibly resulting in a forgotten, futile death, or slavery, if the Riders failed. In this way, she also pitied Merry, in that he too would be left behind while those he loved would fight. She failed in her duty, but in the way that so many other failures affect fate, this ensured that she was there when it mattered. After her ordeal, and her recovery, she rejected her "shield maiden" role. She, like so many of Tolkien's contemporaries, had seen the horrors of war and wanted no more of it. Consequently, she became well matched to Faramir, who had a similar outlook, and had always fought to live, instead of living to fight. She went to the Pelennor because she wanted to be like a man, and despite her unexpected success, came to realise that she wanted that no more.
Exactly. The movies told the exact opposite message Tolkien made in the books. In the books, her motivation is one which you are supposed to pity her for. In the movies she is only ever validated for it
I was always mad at her for shirking her duty in the movies. (I’ve read the book but i barely remember it) There is a reason for power structure. Had she and her brother and theoden died, there went the power structure! Her people would have wasted time trying to figure out who to follow. I thought that was pretty clear in the movies she was being kinda silly. Although I do like how Tolkien shows how people’s mistakes can still end up having good unintended consequences
I loved your point about men obtaining and defending resources and women nurturing them. It reminds me of something William Golding once said: "Whatever you give a woman, she will make greater. If you give her sp*rm, she'll give you a baby. If you give her a house, she'll give you a home. If you give her groceries, she'll give you a meal. If you give her a smile, she'll give you her heart. She multiplies and enlarges what is given to her." I think it's a truly beautiful thing, even though some may scoff at it and say it's oppressive to women. But really, traditional femininity is anything but. People have a special kind of love for nurturing maternal types -- even bad men love their mamas.
It's a beautiful sentiment. However, I'm none of these things. Never had a baby. I'm an expat and not interested in becoming Martha Stewart. (However I must concede that I still can make a home from the simplest of dwellings.. to me this just seems natural :) ) Cooking is for both partners to enjoy. I don't give my heart to people that just smile at me.. that doesn't even sound like a good idea. I was never interested in playing supportive roles like being an assistant. I'm interested in mastery. This is not a feminist statement. Just that according to this sentiment, I've failed as a "woman." I'm not trying to ruin this. Fill in "woman" with "mother archetype" and it makes more sense. I'm more of a scholar and explorer. I'm curious. I'm resourceful. I'm innovative. I take risks. I love drumming, and business, and learning new languages. I get curious about things like aircraft instrumentation and music production, and get bored with talk about relationships. Give me an idea, and maybe I'll make it better. Give me situation that many may find challenging, and I'll figure out a way. This is only ONE archetype, not a definition of a woman. However, my maternal instinct does show up in the care of 3 dogs. I've made a home for them.. and we have a routine that includes plenty of things that help them thrive. Including love, nurturing, and creative ways to keep them comfortable and entertained. Things that probably don't occur to a lot of men.. but I've seen men do some cool things for animals.. like build them special houses and shower them with LOTS of play, love, and nurturing. It makes me smile to see this blend of masculine and feminine traits. :) Having said all this I still do agree that I love the female characters in LOTR just the way they are. I also very much enjoy the mother archetype. It's just not, whoever, who I am, just because I'm female. (Could be the INTJ in me) Edit: I also very much appreciate masculinity. I'm amazed at things like how "scary good" young men can be at the sport of DH mountain biking (which I was honored to participate in.. ) . and the things that are invented, typically by men. (even though I'm aware that we don't hear as much about what women invented, I'm still in awe of what many men have done) Instead of feeling threatened by this and labeling it as "patriarchy" I try to learn and absorb all I can. I may not be a genius or contribute much to the world, few do, but I do think I find my purpose in more "masculine" pursuits. I also get that this is only the tip of the iceberg, and I'm also fascinated by the contribution of the Queen or Crone archetypes, which I think are often dismissed. I think that a woman can skip most of the mother archetype and still graduate to Queen or Crone for her accomplishments wisdom, insights, and contributions. And to a certain extent, you are right.. by giving back and perhaps nurturing something else.. like a another person's desire to learn or master something, we also tap into feminine qualities. Interesting humans have a blend of each. I love how Aragorn was mostly masculine with some feminine traits, and how Eowyn was mostly feminine with some masculine traits. The way their characters interacted was superb, both in the book, and how the actors played this out, even subtly. I also agree that the warrior archetype that has been pinned on so many female characters lately is extremely boring. I find that I don't care about the character. The female hulk character isn't relatable to me. In fact, I would watch the movie just to see her get killed off, from what I see so far I find her to be very, very annoying.
This is brilliant. Deeply researched and understood. I no longer have a Christian faith but I believe in teachings of it such as this. The reason they hold true for me and are found in the Bible is because they are absolutely true of the role of men and women.
So much truth in this! When you pointed out that Eowyn followed the "skull crusher" archetype, I wanted to applaud! As a further reflection on these topics, I'd strongly recommend the work of John and Stasi Eldridge (Wild At Heart) if you haven't discovered it already.
Thank you ! We live in a society that works actively towards confusing man and women about what roles they can and should claim. There is no more division than dividing human nature at its foundation by mixing up the sacred duality we have been gifted. Honor your masculinity and feminity equally. And come together to see each others strenghts.
Thanks for this video, I really like the perspective of how the masculine and feminine nurtures the other through a giving loop. Further, I also feel what makes Eowyn so memorable is how she is inherently feminine but also displays some masculine traits. Similarly, we have inherently masculine characters like Aragorn and Boromir who also display nurturing behaviors (Aragorn has healing knowledge/abilities, Boromir cares for the hobbits). Rejecting masculinity in a man or femininity in a woman makes the character feel one dimensional and shallow, these are not the characters I respect or want to emulate.
Exactly! Although I would add that some traits are more neutral, such as nerdiness, curiosity, sense of adventure, or storytelling (Bilbo) I do very much agree that when it comes to the the hero's journey there has to be an interesting blend of masculine and feminine or I find myself not caring if the main character dies.
In the orginal Mulan she embraces her feminine and beat the guy with a fan. In the remake she uses the more masculine sword and always is stronger, faster, and better. Like huh?
Instant subscribe, literally the best analysis video on the masculine and feminine I’ve found. Great research and explanations, awesome video quality! Please make more on this important issue and others! 🎉❤
A quote from Brene Brown: "Vulnerability is not weakness; it's our greatest measure of courage.” Even for male characters, they truly become our heroes once we see them at their most vulnerable, on the verge or past the point of breaking. So whether a character is male or female, let them have a moment of despair or uncertainty. Allow them to be VULNERABLE, and have their courage shine through.
Exactly! Without this, it's hard to care about a character. Male or female. I always respect a male character when he goes through some kind of pain as well.
This is very much based on the traditional male view of what ideal feminity and womanhood should be ...the ideal woman builds, supports, and nurtures men, making things better for the men around her. Women providing the psychological support that makes men "strong". Good wives, good daughters, etc., ever cheerful and caring, self-effacing and self-sacrificing. They stay in the back ground until required to play a breakout role when, and only when, men have failed. But in this worldview, little thought is given to how women might perceive themselves in this role. Or how stressful and unfulfilling the role of emotional support human might be, or that being the strong silent support might take a toll. Tolkien points this out in the Return of the King, when Eowyn is lying near dead in the houses of healing. Eomer wonders why she is struggling to recover and Gandalf surmises that the damage is psychological, and began years before. When Eomer expresses confusion, Gandalf points out that while Eomer had "horses, deeds of arms and the free fields", Eowyn had strength and courage equal to Eomer's, but was confined to Meduseld to look after their ageing bewitched Uncle King Theoden, because she was a woman, and women are supposed to nurture. Eowyn is desperate to break out of this role, and prove herself in battle, in the tradional masculine role in stories and film. Not as the supporting cast but as the main player, taking action in the centre stage. That's why she disguises herself as a man and goes to war.
This is a good point. I think what often leaves me discomfited is the idea that strength looks only one way for women. Either she is physically strong or emotionally nurturing. Are we not often both?? And if we are not both things all the time, that doesn’t mean we are less feminine or more masculine, but merely that we are, like men, human. I think the video points out some important things too, but I wish it left room for an even broader view of what women offer.
Well done! I understand why you focused on the movies but I wish you had also discussed the source, i.e. the book. As a man, Eowyn was my 2nd favorite character, second only to Faramir, who fell in love with her, and helped her to embrace her feminity even more whole-heartedly and her melt th icy exterior that she had developed in order to protect and preserve the full strength of her feminity. Eowyn was a feminine woman with the lion-heart of a man, Faramir was her ideal counterpart as a lion-hearted warrior of great bravery who yrt yearned for a fuller expression of the full depth of his heart, including a uniquely masculine gentleness. I hope I'm making some sense in this short post. It's a love affair that will never fade for me and continues to inspire me through the wasteland that the modern world has become. Thanks for this.
Existing to be in the background, quiet, a mother, and support the masculine. I guess I’m not a very good woman, then 😂. Edit: it’s ironic because when I saw this movie in high school, Eowyn’s story really resonated with me because I wanted to join the military to protect those I love and fight for my country, and I felt like this instinctive, core desire was minimized or looked down upon because I wasn’t a man. It was as if my drive to defend my loved ones through war (if necessary) was somehow less “valid” than a man’s.
I totally get feeling like you're not a "good woman" because you want to fight and protect. Trust me, I've been there. However, I think this video did a wonderful job of explaining how those things can be done in an authentically feminine way. I believe that there are many different ways to live out one's feminine strength depending on your personality, talents, interests, etc. Being a soldier and fighting for your home and loved ones can certainly be one of them. One of my favorite examples of this in a modern context is Captain Walden from the movie Courage Under Fire. While being as tough and competent as they come, she still seems very motherly in the way she guides her men. If you haven't seen it, I encourage you to give it a watch.
@@maladjustedmaverick6619 I’ll watch it, for sure, I do think that there’s no “right” or “wrong” way to be a woman, and I’m not a fan of this arbitrary division between “masculine” and “feminine” traits, which has its origins in Ancient Greece and doesn’t really have basis in biology (Aristotle taught that women are incomplete men, for example, and thus lesser and more fragile and childlike). A model I find more useful and accurate to my experience is one that was popular during the Medieval time period (especially among female scholars like Hildegard von Bingen) who postulated that instead of men and women existing as separate (or on a “spectrum”), what is “masculine” and what is “feminine” are rather like a Venn diagram. What is “feminine” is everything a woman can experience, and what is “masculine” is the same for men. There are some inherent differences (and what is biology and what are stereotypes don’t really align), but VAST majority of traits overlap-we are all human, after all. I’ve never related to the kind, warm, subservient, and gentle “ideal/peak femaleness.” It’s a mask that doesn’t fit well and feels inauthentic. Even as a child I was more interested in “male” activities and a lot of my friends are men. Do note that this isn’t that I have any problems with women, I just reject the idea that a woman’s power has to be submissive and meek and in a supporting role rather than being a doer and changer and the one who takes action.
@@Mayakran Yeah, this is basically what I think as well. As I've gotten older I've related more to the "warm, nurturing" aspects of femininity, but I know that doesn't happen for everyone, and that's perfectly fine. God created us with unique personalities for a reason. Also, I didn't know that the Venn diagram idea originated with medieval scholars. I'll have to look into that! Thanks for sharing.
@@Mayakran I'm kind of the same way. I've always been more interested in masculine pursuits. Before it was physical (military and DH mountain biking) but later it was more about intellectual "doing" rather than anything passive or supporting. I was never interested in motherhood. One thing that has been helpful for me is to see masculine and feminine qualities from the perspective of the yin and yang theory in Chinese medicine. Neither is assigned specifically to men or women, but are standalone traits. Rather than take all the traits and put them in a blender (which makes for very boring characters) it's nice to see a blend that preserves a bit more of one than the other. Like having an essence or a base note and a top note. Also makes for interesting character arcs and interactions, I think. But I also think you have a great point.. not all women are interested in motherhood. Although I have 3 dogs that I'm caring for now and one could say that the mother archetype has taken on a more predominant role. Anyway, humans are fascinating. Tolkien's characters are as well. Can't say the same for a lot of movie characters today.. I'm so bored and find that I don't care much about their fate.
You"re absolutely correct about this. I love strong female characters but lately many of them are portrayed in a way where I'm unable to suspend my disbelief. We need more characters such as Ripley from Alien, Scarlet O' Hara from Gone with the Wind and Josephine from LA Femme Nikita. These are the true strong heroines that we empathize with and root for.... not the shifty ones like Rey, Galadriel, and She-Hulk. Hollywood, it's time to get your head out of your asses an stop creating woke ass feminist characters that we don't give a shit about.
Wow wow wow this analysis is SO great. And I was literally talking to a friend about how annoying tv/film is now with women and how I loved Peter Jackson’s portrayed with Eowyn. And then I found this video. Amazing. Thank you!
Sir, this one video was so good that, even though I’ve never even seen your channel before it, I subscribed within the first 3 minutes. God bless you for the bravery you had to put this out there and for how beautifully articulate you were.
Tolkien’s created world displays a mind that is shaped by a life that is steeped in Catholic faith and tradition. (Which in my opinion helps to make them so great). Jackson did a great job in finding the spirit in his writings and let them guide his directing. Unfortunately, Amazon found the spirit of the age and let it take the reins. Thank you for your video. It was well done.
She loved Theoden too much to leave him. That love overcame the magical terror and madness of the Witch Kings presence and enabled her to defy him. Very female.
The reason Eowyn worked and Galadriel didn’t is because one acted like a hero rising to the occasion not for pride but to protect others. And then there’s WOP Galadriel she acted like a villain putting revenge and pride above the lives of her ally’s. Amazon legit made Sauron more of a hero then Galadriel.
This is quite possibly the best teaching I have ever heard on this. It ministered to me greatly as I have known for most of my life this moment in time was coming. I saw this movie when I was young and I was balling my eyes out at this scene. I remember it as if it was yesterday, ‘ The Holy Spirit said this is You. I was mortified at the time. But have been since trained and processed over my life and walking this out It is the case for many of us, all of us who will exept the calling.
I think the main difference is that Jackson understood that 'hero' doesn't mean having to be male. Eowyn could be a hero, and still be a woman, still be feminine, still show vulnerability and fear. He understood that a character is more of a hero if they feel that fear, but do the right thing regardless, rather than just being stoic and fearless. Unfortunately the modern view of a strong female is to make her as masculine as possible with little, if any weaknesses.
I'm a woman (who didn't just get into Tolkien post Big Bang Theory) and I have always said this. Women are great underdogs in fantasy if you let us be women. Like the Hobbits, Eowyn was physically weaker so her bravery was 10x that of the men fighting beside her.
I love your point about women finding strength not in response to others but just from within. 2 counter-examples are Arwen and Galadriel from the movies. "What grace has been given me, let it pass to him. Let him be spared." And then, in flashback, "And you, Frodo Baggins, I give the light of Earendil, our most beloved star. May it be a light for you when all others have gone out."
Yes!!! This portrayal of feminine women is sorely lacking in Hollywood these days and it’s getting very old. Thank you for lining it out point by point for us. I always knew that the modern view of strong women wasn’t right but I couldn’t really put it into words.
Your thesis is ridiculous - a movie or character working or not isn’t about adhering to feminine or masculine character traits. The success or failure is based on the enjoyment one gets from the story and development of the character. Contrasting Eowen from the well written Lord of the Rings movies and Galadriel from the ham fisted Rings of Power is pretty silly - Rings of Power is inferior in every way. I’d say True Grit is a pretty good example displaying how wrong your arguments are.
It worked much better in the book because we didn't know Dernhelm was feminine until she pulled off her helm. Merry wasn't even aware. It's that moment of shock that truly sells the moment.
Absolutely amazing video! I came from watching the Aragorn and Masculinity video, mostly to see how the theme of femininity is tackled in this video in contrast to that video, and man, this video knocks it out of the park. I really enjoyed how you delved into the topic and showed us why femininity is important. Also, Eowyn is really awesome.
You absolutely nailed it. You perfectly described why as a man, I just cannot bring myself to enjoy most of the modern movies with heroic lead women. They're doing it wrong! It's not that women cannot be heroic, it's that feminin heroism looks different than masculine. Tolkuen understood this and write truly strong female characters who were feminine; whereas the writers of the horrible rings of power, deconstruction Amazon has vomited up, are desperately trying to make a woman with masculine characteristics somehow likeable, and are failing miserably.
WOW. Just WOW. Thank you for existing and creating this video. I just subscribed. Please send more truth like this out into the world. It is sorely needed.
I really do disagree with you because whatever qualities listed for being feminine like receptive , not in public glory , willing to step aside are infact qualities of coward or least to say they will never be qualities of Hero or heroine ....irrespective of gender , seriously nobody wants that ...people are quite complex ...characters do not work because they dont have character archs to begin , you don't relate to them ...that's these female characters don't work ..not something because bullshit biblical feminine qualities ...that's why mulan works
My favourite line in My Big Fat Greek Wedding is when the mom says: "the man is the head, but the woman is the neck and she can turn the head in whatever way she wants". It is so true. When done right, it is loving guidance and when done wrong it is manipulation.
It wasn’t just her going into battle. She was literally one of the few people that stuck around with her uncle while he was poisoned. She stayed strong for him and her people. She had so much love and bravery
Yes, the whole staying through struggle and the wearing down she experienced as she watched her world fall apart. That patience until it was time to act. I think that also speaks to her feminine power. Not that it’s not also a masculine power, but she was stuck more fully by her need to help her family and do what she could to mitigate the corruption over the people. I don’t know that I’m saying that well.
She loved him more than anyone else did. She never left his side no matter how bad things got.
@@heidiskillin446 I completely understand what you’re saying. It really touched my heart to see her fully committed to love, being there for her uncle when his son passed away. Takes a lot of heart
@@Doncroft1 exactly 😭
her loyalty is also her strength
As a woman, I’ve been trying to tell people that one of the most true feminine hero is Eowyn. No one really believes me, but I’m glad that you see it. Thanks!
Tbh movie Eowyn wasn't that good nor accurate the book Eowyn. Book Eowyn wanted to die in battle because she craved the glory the men of Rohan received in such valor on the battlefield. Basically, Book Eowyn wasn't trying to make a gender statement about how women should be allowed to fight at all. You're supposed to pity how misguided she is in wanting such a thing, even in spite of the great deed of slaying the Witch King in a prophetic way. It's supposed to be an example of how Catholic Tolkien wanted to take the noble pagan virtues of courage and will and separate them from the glorification of war. Her arc ends when she falls in love with Faramir who she says 'tames' her, swears-off ever fighting again and embraces a life of feminine love, nurturing and growing.
Movie Eowyn is the opposite. She wants to go to war because she believes that women have a right to be able to fight and throws constant temper tantrums because she cannot because of her gender. Her movie arc ends, not with realising that she was wrong, but in being VALIDATED for it. She is only ever validated and rewarded. Her victory is not in overcoming this dark. misguided depression of wanting to fight0 but in overcoming those who doubted her because of her gender. Which is not at all the story or point Tolkien was making. She even becomes the new queen of Rohan at the end despite having a living male relative who is captain of the Rohirrim and therefore the only one of them who has a claim to the throne
@ Crimson Thumos was this not also a reason why she sought for Aragorn? She was after power and glory. They went to help King théoden forgetting that Éowyn had also been there under worm tongues poison. Nobody really noticed the darkness in her mind until the healing that took place. I think I remember them talking about it in the book and as you said it was only after meeting Faramir that this began to dissipate for her. I may have to read again though
@@crimsonthumos3905 I tend to disagree with your statements. First a fact: Eowyn didn't became queen of Rohan at all. It's Eomer who take the rule, as he should.
Then I don't think her will to fight in the movie comes from a desire for validation. It's clearer in the extended version, but she's basically frustrated she can do nothing to protect her people and those she loves while men are sacrificing in her place. She's portrayed as extremely loyal to the people of Rohan and Theoden, yet she feels she should do a lot more.
Her dialogue with Eomer in the extended version is very indicative of that. Using Merry as a triangulation for statement, she basically says that she has as much reasons as men to fight to protect what she loves, yet Eomer tells her war is just a bloody mess without glory and that no one who's not prepared should be ashamed of not joining it, that it's a duty of men, his duty to protect his sister. Theoden expressing his desire for her to see new good days arising, that he's willing to die to bring, follows the same vein.
Yet Eowyn join anyway. Aragorn walking away was probably the final nail that convinced her she was defective in her role, a sense of shame and sadness that also shows in other scene. In that sense, her joining isn't really a statement but rather a desperate act to prove to herself she's worth it, rather than others. She seeks no validation. Her nearly falling to battle doesn't bring praise. Eomer who lost countless friends crumble into tears because she was the very reason he risked his life.
I agree that's there is no satisfying conclusion to her arc, in a sense we don't know how she wish to progress afterwards, but it was never about gender.
@@crimsonthumos3905 If so, then Eowyn follows the same arc as Jane Studdock, the principal protagonist from CS Lewis from the Space Trilogy, a book that Tolkien would have been very familiar with. After all, Tolkien and Lewis had made that bet ...
Agree wholeheartedly with you here.
She was vulnerable.
Her bravery meant something because she was literally terrified, but fought anyway.
Bravery is interesting, because people think it's an antonym of "fear"... but it's not. Fear and courage are corelated.
Someone who is never afraid needs no courage. In fact, having no fear is the result of one of 2 things. If your lack of fear is rational, then it's just confidence. If your lack of fear is irrational, then you are either delusional or you have a neurological disorder or something.
Absolutely! One of the best shots of the movie is the Witch King lifting his massive flail (though called the Black Mace) and seeing Eowyn's wide, terrified eyes. The stakes feel real and we are genuinely concerned. There are no stakes in Rings of Pewter, or any film that features the "man with boobs" protagonists.
Neurological? That's like epilepsy or narcolepsy, not lack of fear. I think you meant "mental" disorder.
Funnily enough, this idea of "no courage without fear" is a central part in the comic book "Asterix and the Normans" (1996)/the film adaptation "Asterix and the Vikings" (2006), where the vikings were in search of a master of fear (a cowardly person) to teach it to them, because they were without fear, and hence can't be brave.
And the master of fear truly became the master and it was a beautiful story of growth (and interestingly that growth was influenced by a woman, inspiring him to be better).
Or you have been so sheltered all your privileged life that you are a grown child. Like far too many "adults" today.
@@angharad256 What are you even talking about?
Her bravery was in service of the people she loved, not in service of her own self grandiosity. That's the difference; service to other vs. narcissism.
wrong she rode for death in glory, she planed suicide
nothing wrong if a woman is not family oreinted and does for herself
it does not mean narcissism
DUDE, this is exactly the video I was looking for. After the disgrace that is rings of power and the poorly written Guyladriel (including a slew of other “strong women” recently), I kept being reminded of how much I loved Eowyn in Peter Jackson’s films. I actively searched UA-cam for a comparison to explain why and here we are. This video is criminally under-watched and I will be spreading it around to everyone I know. Thanks for such a beautiful breakdown.
I appreciate the support. We all want authentic characters and stories that reveal elements of truth, right?
The only thing I would say is that a character like Galadriel has been a war for centuries. She is not like Eowyn who is in her first battle. Galadriel’s femininity has been destroyed.
Granted I haven't watch Rings of Power so take this with a grain of salt, but isn't she supposed to be unlikeable at this point due to her pride/ambition? Then we get the full redemption arc when she rejects the ring from Frodo?
It's sad, it had so much potential and yet they have created such a poorly written character... gender aside...
Most of the characters in this series are badly written. Galadriel to me however is one of the best. She has endured centuries of war and has been sent semi-mad by it like the Colonel in Apocalypse Now or the time lords in Dr Who.
It was not just the nurturing and support that Eowyn gave to Merry that was so influential…if she hadn’t looked after Theoden when he was weak, and then inspired him to reclaim his honour, Rohan would not have ridden to Gondor’s aid. It was no accident his last words were to her.
reading about her character arc makes me tear up a bit every time. It's very powerful.
Very well said. She's in the background of her uncle being king. But that doesn't stop her from being deeply influential, in the best of ways.
I dare to say Theoden trusted her rather than her brother
It's clear how much he loved her
Eowyn- “I’m going to save you”
Theoden - “you already have”
That’s says it all about what feminine strength is.
It shows the beautiful gift that femininity can give to the world, which man can not grasp.
This is why Katara from Avatar: The Last Airbender is one of my favorite strong female characters in fiction. People always complain about how "motherly" and "hopeful" and "inspirational" she is, but those are all traits of her feminine strength. That feminine strength pushes her forward to the point of being able to challenge strong men who are objectively stronger than her, not caring that she "cannot win this fight", and it is also the motivation for her to face one of the most powerful villains in the show, despite being highly underpowered, because she needs to save her friend, and in that fight, she doesn't overpower her opponent, but rather out smarts her opponent (who is also a strong female character, but strong with masculine strength).
Beyond herself, she is also always strengthening her surrounding cast, literally with healing magic to refresh them, but also with wisdom, council, compassion, and inspiration. In the end, Aang had to face the Fire Lord by himself, but he would not have been nearly ready if it wasn't for Katara always by his side, encouraging him, strengthening him, edifying him, correcting him, and challenging him in ways he needed to grow. She wasn't there to help him in his fight, but by being there the entire time building up to that fight, she made him into the man he needed to be to face the tyrant. And although the war was won by various men, Katara could be argued as the single-most important character in the war.
Katara is amazing. I'm saddened when people dismiss her motherly side as flaw or cliche, when it's the most touchin part about her. I love equally Toph who is a lot more masculine yet gains a lot more confidence thanks to Katara, who she eventually considers a very dear friend.
Honestly sometimes Katara and Aang switch roles. Where Katara wanted to take revenge on her mother's killer, it is Aang who has to nurture Katara's inner growth.
I liked korra to be honest she has a great story arc
Yeah. I think it's the first episode in the northern water tribe. They borderline do a case study on how to do a proper strong female character. The whole episode is structured like a lecture in good story telling lol.
A little thing I want to touch on: Gal Gadot's Wonder Woman in her first solo movie. One thing I loved about her was that even though she was strong, you never forgot she was wholely feminine. She was compassionate, empathetic, driven to fix things and to protect. And the adversity she faced and the expectations on women that were established in the film made the moment where she marched on No Man's Land feel earned.
Yes!!!! I also loved the part when she saw a baby and she like squealed in happiness instead of ignoring it or acting all disgusted which I felt was very wholesome
I love female warrior characters but nowadays Hollywood gets them SO wrong. Wonder Woman is great and Gal Gadot brought the perfect feminine strength to the role.
@@LindyLime Don't forget Lynda Carter's Wonder Woman. She was also very feminine, even motherly at times.
Yes! Wonder Woman's charge across the No Man's Land (great play on words to link it to the "I am NO Man" sentiment), wasn't some masculine act of aggression or gallantry, but was an act of protection and feminine nurturing. She saw the death and destruction, the pain, suffering and fear, and like a mother trying to help a suffering child, she acted to stop the pain. Of course it was a heroic action, but the means and motivation were wholly feminine in their execution.
That's because she originated as a female character. You can't just give a man boobs. Audiences can tell. Women can tell. They know who they are and how they operate and they know they don't operate like men with boobs.
In the video above, I love so much that the speaker addresses that it was Eowyn's feminine, nurturing strength that resulted in Merry even being present on the battlefield that day. She saw his valor, his potential, his courage, and she made the way for him to ride into battle with her. Without him, no one would have stabbed the Witch-King with an ancient elven blade and weakened him for her to make the final, lethal blow. Victory happened, not with traditional, masculine muscle power, but one brave, loving woman who was not stronger than her adversaries, and a little hobbit who was also not stronger than his adversaries, and the trust, love, and courage they carried onto the battlefield together. That's just beautiful.
One of the scenes that struck out to me was when Eowyn pulls Merry up on her horse. The complex wonder, pride, and strength he displays in that moment was so moving. The way her bravery takes him from frustrated and aimless to resolved and courageous was almost embarrassing in its honesty.
@@Jamoni1 (at the charge) "Courage Merry. Courage for our friends..."
Yes! Everyone else is too busy focusing on the battle to come. Because that's masculine strength. There's evil threatening their homes and loved ones. And they're all fired up to fight it. Which is good.
But Eowyn's femininity enables her to see that Merry is a soul mate in this moment. He wants to ride to battle as much as her. And she, being the Rohirrim shield maiden that she is, is the expert horsewoman, and she takes him along with her. They strengthen each other.
And thus they're able to work together to deal the fatal blow to The Witch King. An evil so powerful that it takes the exploitation of a loophole to beat him.
@@Redrosewitch There's more to characters and people than being traditionally masculine and feminine.... I always find traditional characters extremely boring.
@@gunap337 I wouldn't say I find them boring. But, of course there's more to characters being traditional. Variety is good.
As a woman… I’m so happy I found this video. Excellent break down!
Ditto. It always makes me so happy when legitimate depictions of feminine strength are lauded and applauded by those who can truly appreciate them. I adore Eowyn as a woman and I love her as a warrior. ❤️
where do you live? I'd like to use the Force on you
courage make Eowin become strong women not have to be masculine. Mother who give birth, raise child while helping her husband in term of cash by working but still taking care their child is a strong women. Even be a house wife need courage knowing anything can happen. We need each other, men and women build differently and we complete each other.
Exactly
Yeah still love my economic independence and not only have to be a housewife anymore mate. And men has a duty for their child too. Just working and not taking care of them is a bad representation of fathers as well.
It takes a lot of courage just to give birth and raise children today.
@@rebeccacampbell585 do it then no one's putting a knife on your throat and demand you to not have them jeez
@@berilsevvalbekret772 true and maturity too.
You make me think of how awkward and ungainly I felt learning choreography in my first musical theater performance. This was made all the worse by my first dance partner who struggled against me for control until I became flustered and increasingly apologetic. I just wanted to give up. That is until I met my next dance partner, a gentle, reassuring young woman who smiled calmly at me and reassured me that I could trust her and we were in it together.
I didn’t immediately show grace, indeed I have often felt apprehension learning choreography, but she made me feel safe and strong and thereby more capable of leading.
For me it speaks very clearly of the ability of feminine strength to nurture and activate masculine agency.
Perfectly put.
I know what you mean, one time when I was in a summer camp we had an activity where we formed pairs and one would lead the other through the forest while they were blindfolded. The boy I was paired with was hesitant and trembling and I don't know what came over me but I just guided him as gently and encouragingly as I could (we weren't allowed to speak) with touches in his hands, back and arms. I felt it was my responsibility to make him feel safe and cared for, before I knew it he was actively walking confidently no matter where I nudged him to. It was incredible to watch such confidence grow in a matter of a few steps.
Beautiful story, beautifully told. I won't try to steal your thunder by telling my own story here, but suffice it to say, I know EXACTLY what you mean!
This is fascinating. I've also noticed that with dance, one of the reasons why women can almost feel like they are flying is that they are playing an entirely different role with physical (as in physics) forces than the man generally is.
Really good analysis and it helps prove that Tolkien fans do NOT have a "problem" accepting strong women or women warriors. Tolkien fans LOVE the portrayal of Eowyn and Arwen (played by Liv Tyler) in the original trilogy. The Nazgûl demanded that Arwen turn over Frodo to them and Arwen responded by drawing her sword and saying: "If you want him, come and claim him." Which is elven for "over my dead body, suckers." But Arwen also had feminine vulnerability, as shown in her romance with Aragorn, and was clever, besides, luring the Nazgûl into a trap in the waters of Bruinen, which she caused to rise so that they swept away the Ringwraiths.
Daniel Bradford the problem with the woke crowd is that they are so arrogant that any criticism of their very flawed work is immediately rejected. It must be the viewer's fault for not understanding how genius they are....
Woke Media: "Tolkien and his fans hate women!"
Luthien: "allow me to introduce myself..."
Well to be fair, that never happened in the books. Although I think it’s a great scene in the movies! (my only gripe being it makes Frodo look weaker than he is, as in the books he rides solo as the Nazgûl pursue him. The swelling of the river is made by Elrond.)
Arwen in the books is a steady 'she pondered these things in her heart' character. Her constant faith in who Aragorn can become, and the strength it will give to the world of men. We can see the effect that has on Aragorn. Even though he's willing to lose her to following her people to The Undying Lands. It's clear how much this would hurt him to do. Arwen's faith is so strong that she's ready to lose her immortality, to be able to have a mortal marriage with Aragorn.
Don't you feel embarrassed by your ignorance? Many Tolkien fans trashed Arwen, and to a lesser degree Eowyn, when the movies came out. The PJ movies and all its stupid changes are still heavily criticized by the Tolkien fandom.
Arwen replaced Glorfindel. In the books Frodo defied the Nazgul at the Fords of Bruinen, despite being heavily injured. In the movies however Frodo is nerfed and Arwen says the embarrassingly stupid line: "If you want him, come and claim him."
And the movies mishandled Eowyn and the confrontation between her and the Witch-King. In the books Eowyn wanted to ride with the Rohirrim because she wanted to die in battle. In the movies she wanted to fight because of feminism. And in the movies Eowyn said the dumbified Hollywood-line: ''I am no man.''
No surprise fake fans love the PJ movies. Please read the books and educate yourself.
Surprised you didn't point out that Eowyn's aim in that fight was not so much to destroy the Witch-King, but to protect her uncle Theoden from being killed and fed to the Wyvern. She begins the fight not by threatening to kill the Witch-King but by telling him not to touch Theoden.
Of course, you might also mention that she was a character who until then could not find her place in the world. Her betrothed had died. She rejected Wormtongue and was rejected by Aragorn. She wanted to be a soldier (to be useful in some way) but was denied the opportunity. She didn't feel at home among the women. She was not the domestic type. She had no family apart from a brother who she didn't seem close to and her uncle, who was the only person who seemed to care for her. Wormtongue was not lying when he painted a bleak view of her future. So in this moment, she fought to protect the only thing she loved.
Who was Éowyn betrothed to? 🤨 I hope you're not thinking it was Théodred, her first cousin with whom she had been raised as a sister.
@@rbrtck Yes. That was stated in the movie.
@@dramaticwords Where is it stated? I don't remember this from either the movies (extended editions) or the books, and it would be inappropriate in any case because they were too closely related. EDIT: I just rewatched every part of _The Two Towers_ that involve Éowyn herself or might involve her indirectly, and saw nothing that would indicate she was betrothed to anyone.
Back to the subject (sorry), I agree with almost everything you said, except that glory was originally part of Éowyn's desire to fight. She knew she was useful, but she wanted more than that. By the end, though, I think she'd had her fill of combat, much like Faramir, who was fed up with it all. Not that either of them couldn't or wouldn't ever fight again, especially since Faramir would remain a steward and captain of Gondor after Aragorn ascended the throne, but neither would have desired glory after everything they had been through (and fortunately they didn't have to do a lot of fighting later, either).
@@rbrtck I'm not sure if it's in the theatrical release. But in the extended version, it's pretty clear that Theodred was to marry Eowyn. When he dies, that's when Wormtongue gets the idea that perhaps she'll marry him, having no other options. Personally, I infer that Wormtongue may have made sure Theodred died so he could have his chance with her. It was his reward for serving Saruman. It might have worked, if Aragorn hadn't shown up giving her a new option.
Of course, in many cultures at that level of development, it was not uncommon for kings to marry a first cousin or even half-sister.
@@dramaticwords I just rewatched _The Two Towers_ (extended edition), and saw nothing of the sort whatsoever. Grima foolishly thought he could take advantage of Éowyn's grief over her dead cousin and the fact that her brother had been exiled, but of course she wasn't nearly *that* vulnerable, and would have slain Grima herself if she had to. No one said she was betrothed to her cousin, and the poor guy was out of action the whole time. I suppose you can guess or assume that they were betrothed, but there is no direct, conclusive evidence that they were, and this is the first time I've read or heard this suggestion from anyone (and I am a member of related forums and such).
Exactly, I was actually looking forward to see Galadriel as a mother and how she nurtures her daughter and even as a yoda-like teacher to elrond. I really thought they would explore that, not “I have seen what I’ve seen” line to Elrond.
Yeah, fat chance of Amazon doing something wholesome like that.
It could have started with "You have not seen what I have seen". That's a setup for a mentor role.
But sadly we needed to show how badass she is by having her beat up bunch of Numenorian kids.
The writers think that Elrond and Galadriel are same-aged, buddies who went to college together. Instead of, you know, the in-laws.
the daughter of Galadriel would have made a much more appropriate protagonist. Having that daughter-mother relationship in the show (and also a warm romance-cooperation with Elrond, and of course Celeborn as the father figure) could have been amazing to watch.
@@benjaminthibieroz4155 choosing Galadriel for the boxes they had to tick for their protagonist was sooo wrong on so many levels. Even for experienced writers, using a legacy character that has been a ruler for the last 4000 years and turn it into the plucky warrior-like underdog is suicidal. It would've been passable had they created a new character.
Great video. Especially the conclusion made my day. Men and women need to boost each other by feedback - that cooperation can generate infinite powers.
My favorite thing about eowyn is that she shows visible fear and overcomes it to protect her friends and family. When she sees the witch king stand the look in her eyes is so relatable
This video is perfect and I hope more people see it.
It goes against all this woke agenda crap.
Women don’t have to be man strong to be strong. We all know how the women in our lives keep everything together and that is a type of strength that isn’t flashy and sometimes overlooked, but is essential in our lives.
You can be "woke" in a good sense. Problem nowadays is that people argue against feminism when in reality it's not about woke or not, it's about good writing and bad writing
Well said MrPiestro! 👏
@Meatman419 if woke means diverse cast and interesting female characters, it's good, as long as the writing supports it. Watch Arcane, come back and stop making excuses
@Meatman419 i am trying to tell you that there's nothing wrong with diversity and strong female leads as long as the writing is good. If you just want to send "a message" without any logical or believable writing, then, yes, i am against wokeness. Like Rey in Star Wars. My point is: going for diversity, representation and agency for female characters can make some really good stories if you are willing to walk the extra mile in writing
@Meatman419 no, it’s not. It may have started out that way, but wokeness today is a perverse sense of ripping men down at all costs, even to the detriment of your story, and specifically your diverse and / or female characters. It’s a cancer that only perpetuates hate and falsehoods.
If the current rejection of femininity is because it is seen as lesser/ weaker/ passive, then this trilogy asserts femininity's power.
Three scenes I love all include mighty warriors who have always been stoic (as they must be in war) become vulnerable, emotional, gentle, or ecstatic because of a woman.
Eomir's broken grief on discovering his sister in the battlefield.
Theoden's peaceful gratitude for his niece's protection.
Aragon's joyful, ecstatic reunion with his beloved.
We have seen these men go through every trial and pain. We know their public faces of composure. But their intimate, private, and vulnerable emotions are reserved for women alone. That is powerful.
By the way, your commentary on Merry blew my mind! I have never heard of this before. Thank you
Also Gimli's serenity and charm at the sight of Galadriel
And Boromir's sorrow at his failed duty toward his kin, followed by faith in his friend and liege.
And though Sam isn't really a warrior, the bravery and optimism he forces himself to keep for the sake of his friend made his tears of departure so much more striking.
This is so cool.. YES!
This was amazing dude, eowyn is one of my favorite characters and as a woman she inspires me a lot. Writers need to realize that you can make a strong female character while giving her weakness and being feminine.
I wouldn't say weakness; I think a better word would be vulnerability.
Aragon nurtures and trains the hobbits also, its what friends and good people do, not just women. Guyladriel teaches nothing only beating down nonbelievers like a cruel monster
The two play off each other in the films/books. Aragorn teaches the hobbits the physical aspects of battle: how to wield weapons, how you use one's distinct physical advantages (being small can help in some cases). Eowyn nutures the hobbit's (specifically Merry's) self confidence and courage. And thats the whole point of the video. The world needs both types of strength to create the best.
HAhahaha I hope guy-lad-riel was a hilarious pun 😂😂
@@alanmorton5303 i pray we never find out 😆
I agree🎉 I would also like to add that Aragorn is a natural nurturer, but needs Arwen’s reassurance in the spaces of his self that he finds weak, the spaces that he’s scared of (aka his patrilineal lineage). He learned well the art of healing in the House of Elrond, which is why he is the one divinely chosen to bring in a new age of Man. He is Healer, Hunter, Wiseman, King. He couldn’t become a King until Arwen pushed and nurtured him to do so, and the hobbits gave him a purpose to grow. The mission, and the Hobbits, represented the last task of his masculine journey to enlightenment.
@@amonbeck a wise man and leader notices what others bring to the table, he is not jealous he plans and prepares, and if he did it right all the pieces are in thier place 😉
I so appreciate this right now. Nurturing a marriage and family seem so thankless and underrepresented in film. This essay points out one of thousands of reasons why if I was stuck on a deserted island with only one film series it would be Lord of the Rings.
Probably the best articulated video I've seen yet on the masculine and feminine. Well done!
Eowyn was superb in her acting and the way the script was done for was excellently done. It wasn't preaching anything gender, it wasn't saying women stronger than men, but instead she showed vulnerability, she showed femininity, she also celebrated masculinity of other men. She showed what a strong woman is, which is femininity, showing vulnerability, celebrating the men too. I mean look at how she loved her father, look at how she admired the other men fighting against evil. Even when she was terrified, literally scared she put her armour on, without even her father knowing, without glamourisinig who she is and how she leads, and went to fight. Look how to shows compassion and empathy as gets one of the hobbits ride with her and calms him down, helps him to be brave. She nurtures. She cries, she talks to men and her father with respect. She stayed strong for her people, for the king, for everyone even in the darkest times of battle. You cannot help but like this character and enjoy her screen presence and want to see more of her.
Tbh movie Eowyn wasn't that good nor accurate the book Eowyn. Book Eowyn wanted to die in battle because she craved the glory the men of Rohan received in such valor on the battlefield. Basically, Book Eowyn wasn't trying to make a gender statement about how women should be allowed to fight at all. You're supposed to pity how misguided she is in wanting such a thing, even in spite of the great deed of slaying the Witch King in a prophetic way. It's supposed to be an example of how Catholic Tolkien wanted to take the noble pagan virtues of courage and will and separate them from the glorification of war. Her arc ends when she falls in love with Faramir who she says 'tames' her, swears-off ever fighting again and embraces a life of feminine love, nurturing and growing.
Movie Eowyn is the opposite. She wants to go to war because she believes that women have a right to be able to fight and throws constant temper tantrums because she cannot because of her gender. Her movie arc ends, not with realising that she was wrong, but in being VALIDATED for it. She is only ever validated and rewarded. Her victory is not in overcoming this dark. misguided depression of wanting to fight0 but in overcoming those who doubted her because of her gender. Which is not at all the story or point Tolkien was making. She even becomes the new queen of Rohan at the end despite having a living male relative who is captain of the Rohirrim and therefore the only one of them who has a claim to the throne
Because Eowyn was outclassed, but simply would not stop.
Her strength wasn't physical, it was strength of will.
She stayed feminine, but displayed strength of character.
The current idiots make "strong women" by making them physically strong. She Hulk is absolutely the pinacle of this current trend.
I also wish more movies could show femininity for men. LOTR had this, showing Aragorn to be nurturing (as someone else commented), and Boromir being drawn to the hobbits. Tolkien was very focused on mercy, and it was pointed out that Frodo sparing Gollum was one of the most important actions, even though nobody would celebrate and sing about that.
As someone who's been mostly a tomboy, I do like seeing more active female characters, as opposed to the stereotypical sidelined one. It's nice to see more women as main characters, and more women with other interests than makeup (don't get me wrong, I love legally blonde and don't mind girly girls, I just also want to see someone more like me on screen). Maybe my main problem is how femininity has often been portrayed as just a sidelined female supporter, whose only existence is to give motivation to the main character and to look pretty, without being allowed to have a character development of her own. Still it is a problem that both masculine and feminine female characters are often lacking this development, the essential thing to make them grow and to make them human.
Maybe it was a bit clumsy written, but I miss seeing femininity on screen, especially for men, but also to make feminine women on screen more interesting (like Eowin was awesome!). From my understanding of masculinity and femininity, every character should have some of both, as active characters are moving the plot and caring characters just give them more soul. But femininity is probably harder to write, so they just avoid it too much.
I personally wouldn't go so far as to call Aragorn nurturing or having feminine qualities. I believe he showed more protection and duty to defend and care for the hobbits which tend to be masculine qualities, rather than nurturing. I suppose one could see it as nurturing, but I believe that term should be reserved for women. however, It would be interesting to see other ways of masculinity that could go hand in hand with "femininity" in film characters besides the common hack, bash, protect, fight, and fierceness. I relate to your second paragraph a lot though!
@@elizabethmalone7820 That's a very good point with Aragorn! I'm still kinda cloudy on exact what I think about this topic. So far I think it's: I miss feminine values on screen, and hate that modern films and series are claiming to be progressive by removing it entirely. But I also want variety on how masculinity and femininity are portrayed, and more variety of how men and women on screen portray those values.
@@elizabethmalone7820 It's not included in the movie, but in the book Aragorn has some sort of healing power and does a lot to get Faramir, Eowyn and Merry back to health again after the battle. Now, if that's a purely feminine thing can be debated, but i guess Tolkien wanted to show that a great king doesn't necessarily live only for glorious deeds in battle but is also capable of a more nurturing role.
I love that you mentioned legally blonde! Such a great example of a doormat to kickass gal transformation without losing her (version of) femininity! Also, it called out that side chick's "I'm not like other girls" mysogynist worldviews. So spot on.
I don't even mind having the odd shemale hopping around in screen. (These gals exist and ... why not? Just as there's pink-loving treehugger kindergarden teacher boys. Each after their own fashion.) What's problematic is that this is portrayed as the only road to success. Only shemales are presented as deserving respect, for their violence. This does absolutely nothing to fight the patriarchy, either, as they simply eliminate the feminine/nurturing values from the equation. *gah* 😑
@@elizabethmalone7820 Cinema Therapy has an interesting video about Aragorn and masculinity.
"The strength we are given is meant to be given away." Woah, hit me right in the gut. An amazing nugget of wisdom.
If only Amazon understood what you do with respect to Galadriel... bravo!
They're too busy writing fake womanhood to pay attention to writing true people and real women.
But. . . .she has a TEMPEST in her.
What a superb presentation. And awesome connection to Christian lore. Tolkien was indeed heavily into that kind of symbolism. Personally I just found Eowyn' s scene more powerful because she's an actual woman, on a battlefield with men 3x stronger than her... and she pulls off the impossible. That contrast is what made it awesome for me.
I personally wish they had given a bit more notice to Merry. His stabbing of the Witch King with the blade he carried weakened the Witch King and gave Eowyn her opportunity to slay him. Merry is not Man either. Eowyn's understanding of Merry's need to participate and her unselfishness in taking him with her ALL contributed to that moment.
The LOTR movie gave the females that "woke-ish" moment but in reality the moment was so much MORE profound. The males told him no, for caring reasons but she told him yes for bigger reasons. And together, they slew the Witch King.
@@cindyknudson2715 good point! I see what you mean.
@@cindyknudson2715 Even more precisely, the Witch King would not have been able to be killed without Merry's action at that moment. It wasn't just that Merry stabbed the Witch King and distracted him, but his blade broke the spell that had kept the Witch King "alive" for centuries, thus enabling the final blow by Eowyn. It really did take the two non-men working together.
It isn't given any time in the movie, but Merry's blade was recovered from the Barrow Downs and was forged to be a weapon against the men of Angmar, and imbued with spells to that effect. Merry's knife would have been one of the few weapons still existing that would have been able to break the spell upon the Witch King.
@@deadcatbounce3124 I was just about to say this. If Merry had not struck the Witch-King first, Eowyn's strike would have done pretty much NOTHING. The Barrow knife wound brought the Witch-King into the mortal world the same way that the Morgul blade was pulling Frodo into the wraith world.
I'm so glad you include the Blessed Virgin in your description of femininity. I consider Mary the ultimate heroine, one who made the hardest decision imaginable under the circumstances and kept her dignity and faith in something larger than herself
This is why Galadriel in the LOTR series (not shitty amazon show) is so amazing. She is one of the most powerful beings in the world, but she is feminine. She is strong! But she does not need to lean on aggression and haughtiness. She is calm collected, and guides. Looking deep.
The Galadriel in this new fanfiction series is like her with the one ring. Overtaken by rage and no forethought. It doesn't matter that she is young. She is so misrepresented. Thinking that strong willed means childish, brazen, and raging. The fools of the modern Era thinking that a strong woman means a ball of aggression. We can be strong and skilled and deserve respect, not be so callus.
But whole point is that Galadriel isn't young at this time point. She is already older than Celebrimbor and Gilgalad. Some 5000 years already. Yet she acts like a pentulent teenager.
I'm not sure of the direction of the writers and I'm not all the way through the series yet but I very much saw it as this is her "touching the darkness" so to speak, she is grieving and lashing out and hasnt yet found the balance of the masculine and feminine that makes her the most powerful being yet, if that makes sense...
@@emmasmith4664 It makes zero sense, as Galadriel is already old at this point.
@@emmasmith4664 Also to add Galadriel actions in this show actually creates the evil that comes later. She pushes Halbrand into returning to the Southlands when he did not want to go, she manipulates and gaslights him. She causes the very evil she pledged to destroy. That makes her evil.
Eowyn is young too at that time
Dude… this is really good, please do more videos like this.. this video alone is very important for our day and age.
Working on more. I appreciate the support
God yes. I would even argue it's never been more important.
Eowyn never exerted her dominance forcefully by telling people that she is their leader, their rightful princess, shouting and denying stuff and showing her anger or stubbornness to her own people. Eowyn helps her people just like the others. Eowyn went undercover as one of the cavalrymen when she defied her uncle's order because she wanted to join the fight without exposing herself. She was afraid and she knew she's vulnerable, but she did all she could to fight for everything she held dear. She only showed utter confidence when she faced the enemy boss up front because she knew that's finally her cue to fulfill the prophecy, and that's not because of ego, but a desire to end it all in that one weak but sure move (she just swung it anyway even though she knew she's not that strong, because she got to do something for the sake of the good). That's a very justified anger (and feeling fed up) from a "no man".
Yes! Also, the way humans tend to behave when they are afraid can be surprising. I've had some DH mountain bike crashes and either during the crash (a 4 ft fall) or afterwards, the things that go through one's mind aren't always what you might expect. As in "Oh well, I guess I'm fucked so I might as well just stand up to this thing that's going to probably kill me" or Hmmm. well, here we go.. or even "Oh, shit, this is going to be expensive."
It's not exactly bravery.. it just IS.
I suppose it's a protective mechanism, or a combo of a fight/flight/freeze response. I dunno why I brought that up but it adds another dimension of humanity, and I agree with this video that the reason the characters are so believable and that the reason many care so much about these characters is because of the blend of masculine and feminine traits. Not blended to death so that everyone, male or female is the same, but preserving essential femininity or masculinity while still acknowledging that both sexes have a blend of both
I'll be honest, Eowyn saying "Smash the patriarchy!" before slaying the witch king would've been hilarious 😂
I'd be okay with it coming from her 🖤
Please, someone make a meme😅
:: shudders ::
no.
@@jimmycraig221 I agree with you on that. lol If she smashed the patriarchy, they would have all landed up living in grass huts after the battle. lol
I thought "I am woman, hear me roar" would be pretty good too
This is such an important video! And I never made all these connections with Eowyn's story like the crushing of the head, or her mother-role towards Merry. The sad part is that in the book Eowyn doesn't even recognize her own femininity as strength, much like many women of today. She wanted to die in battle, and if Faramir hadn't been at the houses of healing with her she would have lost the will to live. His saving her life is another example of that positive feedback loop you mentioned.
Yes, a brilliant point! I was disappointed that there wasn't more interaction between Faramir and Eowyn in the PJ movies. The extended edition scenes, while they couldn't capture the arc Tolkien provided them, were nonetheless beautiful and a gentle example of that feedback loop described in the video. I add my gratitude that this video was made, and hope for many more like it.
But isn't healing a feminine thing, not masculine? Therefore isn't Faramir disrespecting his inherent male nature by healing violence instead of causing it? Or do men get to do everything?
@@mattmorehouse9685 I think it's good to always apply the word "traditional" when we talk about masculine and feminine traits, while also recognizing that the reason they are traditional to each gender is that men and women tend to be more inclined to, and better at, certain traits.
But really the ultimate would be for a person to be developed in both masculine and feminine characteristics. It's good for a man to be nurturing, it's good for a woman to be protective. As an example from Christianity, Jesus, the only perfect person, displays strong masculine AND feminine traits. Other religions may have similar figures. Krishna comes to mind.
It is interesting that Eowyn and Faramir have a bit of a role reversal in the story. I think it just goes to show that each person has a mixture of masculine and feminine traits in them and it's good to learn our own strengths and work on our weaknesses.
She wants to die in battle because Wormtongue had convinced her that her destiny was unbearable. In the book, when Éomer wonders at finding her on the battlefield, Gandalf spells this out for him. It wasn't only King Théoden who was poisoned, but because she wasn't psychologically paralyzed like he was, no one saw it.
@@LindyLime Very well put! BTW, love your online name. Because my wife & I both love rabbits ... and Margaritas!
Amazing job! I'm glad someone finally created an explanation for why Eowyn's moment in LOTR films struck me so deeply and boom here it is! Definitely an underrated video.
Good points on the masculine versus feminine strength. I think one of the best movies to cover feminine strength is 300 where Lena Headey plays Leonida's wife. Her comments, "There is only one woman's words that should effect the mood of my husband, and those are mine." Then she asked him, "It is not a question of what a king should do, instead ask yourself what should a free man do." It's her words that leads to the scene of Leonidas gathering his 300.
Plus her line of “only Spartan women give birth to real men” was a badass boast
Great analysis! As much as I adore the Peter Jackson movies, I really wish they had kept some of the original language of this moment in the films because it packs so much more of a punch than the film script: "But no living man am I! You look upon a woman. Éowyn I am, Éomund's daughter. You stand between me and my lord and kin. Begone, if you be not deathless! For living or dark undead, I will smite you, if you touch him." Nobody writes like Tolkien does.
Another interesting note: if the Rohirrim army was full of female warriors like modern media insists on showing, then Éowyn's feat of bravery would have been severely diminished. It's the fact that she did something that wasn't expected of her that creates the impact of that moment.
"It's the fact that she did something that wasn't expected of her that creates the impact of that moment."
The end of Twelfth Night, Orsino makes the same observation about Viola.
"Your master quits you; and for your service done him,
So much against the mettle of your sex,
So far beneath your soft and tender breeding,
And since you call'd me master for so long,
Here is my hand: you shall from this time be
Your master's mistress."
Tbh movie Eowyn wasn't that good nor accurate the book Eowyn. Book Eowyn wanted to die in battle because she craved the glory the men of Rohan received in such valor on the battlefield. Basically, Book Eowyn wasn't trying to make a gender statement about how women should be allowed to fight at all. You're supposed to pity how misguided she is in wanting such a thing, even in spite of the great deed of slaying the Witch King in a prophetic way. It's supposed to be an example of how Catholic Tolkien wanted to take the noble pagan virtues of courage and will and separate them from the glorification of war. Her arc ends when she falls in love with Faramir who she says 'tames' her, swears-off ever fighting again and embraces a life of feminine love, nurturing and growing.
Movie Eowyn is the opposite. She wants to go to war because she believes that women have a right to be able to fight and throws constant temper tantrums because she cannot because of her gender. Her movie arc ends, not with realising that she was wrong, but in being VALIDATED for it. She is only ever validated and rewarded. Her victory is not in overcoming this dark. misguided depression of wanting to fight0 but in overcoming those who doubted her because of her gender. Which is not at all the story or point Tolkien was making. She even becomes the new queen of Rohan at the end despite having a living male relative who is captain of the Rohirrim and therefore the only one of them who has a claim to the throne
@@crimsonthumos3905 You're definitely interpreting movie Eowyn very badly imo. Her arc is very rarely made to be about her gender. She has one line about "women of this country" and Eomer has one line about the "province of men" but he's applying that as much to Merry as to Eowyn. Generally speaking, the people around her don't let her fight because they instead give her other duties that are important but thankless.
Movie Eowyn's motivations are a little different than they are in the books (her despair comes across as stemming from the fact that she is sending everyone she loves off to war and she can't do anything to help them) but she's mostly the same character. If anything she's less validated in the movie than in the books. Nobody ever acknowledges her deeds in the movies, but they do repeatedly in the books. And the movies say nothing about who succeeded Theoden so I don't know what you're referring to there.
@@aperson9847 Agreed. Eowyn wants to fight out of a need to protect the men she loves, not to prove that women should be on the battlefield. She has a noble cause, unlike a lot of current female leads who fight out of selfish motives for glory or superiority
@@aperson9847 lmfao what. Her motivations have literally nothing to do with wanting to protect thr men of her country. She literally envies their glory. Thats not interpretation, that's literally what it is
I've always found feminine strength more difficult to define, compared to masculine strength. But you've articulated this so well. Sharing this! It's so important for people, especially women, to realise. Thank you for your video essay.
great job!!! you nailed it.
perfectly explained. current Hollywood writers should see this. 👍
Why absolutely everything, I think, about Éowyn's character works so beautifully is because she's the most human character we're following in LotR. We see everything about her. Her fear, her bravery, her vulnerability, her strength, all of those collerating and leading to another, we see her pride, her confinment by societal rules and desire to break free and make her own choices, her love and disappointment and longing in this love, her ability to fight and carry on despite rejection, her loyalty, her sweetness, her nurturing, her sadness, her happiness, we truly see the most sides to her like with no other character, no matter how wonderful and beloved they may be. She's the most human with all the good and not so good qualities that come with it, and that's why every moment of her journey feels SO incredibly earned and triumphant
YES!! Agree 100 percent..
This was so honest and raw! I love this video and what you had to say about the DIFFERENCE between masculine and feminine power, because they are different but should be used to help and build one another!
Dude your using of the Blessed Mother as the ultimate example of virtuous female strength was enough to make me a subscriber! 🙏 This video rocks!
Love, love, LOVE your video. To be honest the whole new media message of "strong women" within Hollywood who give out the idea that they need no man and that they want no man is a really bad and toxic message to give out to young girls in particular who may well actually grow to believe that they. likewise need no man and that it's alright to also look down on men, both within their families and outside of their families. This in-depth analysis of yours also really shines a light on how Tolkien understands women far, far better in all of their divine strength than Amazon Prime ever could. It's also deeply insulting to the everyday woman who thrives on her own innate wisdom borne of fierce emotional intelligence and womanly instinct, who seeks to better herself and others while knowing and understanding that just because she's a strong minded woman doesn't make her better than a man. The women of the "Lord of the Rings" are, as you so aptly and eloquently put it way more intuitive and intriguing than any of the women of "The Rings of Power" since none of the "strong" badass women in that show can hold a candle to them; Arwen, Galadriel or Eowyn. All three of them embody the pinnacle of womanhood with the only weapons a woman ever needs; the weapons of her mind, her heart and the immense level of emotion that only the true biological woman in general feels from deep down in her womb. I myself, from the very earliest stage in my teens all the way up to now have unfailingly stood and will continue to stand by Eowyn, now and always, the one prime example of a woman in any adaptation of Tolkien's work that todays young girls would be wiser to emulate than any "strong" woman in "The Rings of Power", the better to hold onto their own innate femininity and preserve that which makes them women.
This should have more views!
Thanks. I’m just getting started and I appreciate the support.
This video was amazing and such a good breakdown of both feminine and masculine traits. This channel deserves way more subscribers!
Oh my goodness, was this a literary analysis? This is amazing! The tie to classical works and archetypes is very well presented!
I see the timeless beauty of the One, Holy, and Apostolic Church underpinning this video. Tolkien would approve. Ave Maria!
I don't see any problem on making women more masculine, in fact Sarah Connor and Ripley are good examples, because their motivation is intrinsically femenine and their arc is overcoming the stereotype, the problem with modern portrayals is that the motivation is just not there anymore, Rey from star wars doesn't have even any real reason to push forward for example, it's an outsider on the story from start to finish.
It's a problem when it's implied that it makes them somehow better. Then the message is that masculinity > femininity. And that women need to be improved by turning them into imitations of men.
Going by the book, rather than the movies, Eowyn didn't anticipate her pivotal role. She didn't go to fight to fulfill prophesies or turn tides of battle. She went because she didn't want to be left behind. She envied Eomer and the other men who could ride to "glory" creating songs for later generations. Also, she would be left to fear for her loved ones, with no chance of assisting them.
Her role, no less important, was to lead the people into the refuge of Dunharrow and rule them in her uncle's stead. This, when compared with the adrenaline of battle, was a thankless task, possibly resulting in a forgotten, futile death, or slavery, if the Riders failed.
In this way, she also pitied Merry, in that he too would be left behind while those he loved would fight.
She failed in her duty, but in the way that so many other failures affect fate, this ensured that she was there when it mattered.
After her ordeal, and her recovery, she rejected her "shield maiden" role. She, like so many of Tolkien's contemporaries, had seen the horrors of war and wanted no more of it. Consequently, she became well matched to Faramir, who had a similar outlook, and had always fought to live, instead of living to fight.
She went to the Pelennor because she wanted to be like a man, and despite her unexpected success, came to realise that she wanted that no more.
Exactly. The movies told the exact opposite message Tolkien made in the books. In the books, her motivation is one which you are supposed to pity her for. In the movies she is only ever validated for it
Exactly so.100%!
I was always mad at her for shirking her duty in the movies. (I’ve read the book but i barely remember it)
There is a reason for power structure. Had she and her brother and theoden died, there went the power structure! Her people would have wasted time trying to figure out who to follow.
I thought that was pretty clear in the movies she was being kinda silly. Although I do like how Tolkien shows how people’s mistakes can still end up having good unintended consequences
YES!! Wonderful analysis! As a practicing Catholic, this really resonated with me. Keep up the great work! ❤️
I loved your point about men obtaining and defending resources and women nurturing them. It reminds me of something William Golding once said: "Whatever you give a woman, she will make greater. If you give her sp*rm, she'll give you a baby. If you give her a house, she'll give you a home. If you give her groceries, she'll give you a meal. If you give her a smile, she'll give you her heart. She multiplies and enlarges what is given to her."
I think it's a truly beautiful thing, even though some may scoff at it and say it's oppressive to women. But really, traditional femininity is anything but. People have a special kind of love for nurturing maternal types -- even bad men love their mamas.
It's a beautiful sentiment. However, I'm none of these things. Never had a baby. I'm an expat and not interested in becoming Martha Stewart. (However I must concede that I still can make a home from the simplest of dwellings.. to me this just seems natural :) ) Cooking is for both partners to enjoy. I don't give my heart to people that just smile at me.. that doesn't even sound like a good idea. I was never interested in playing supportive roles like being an assistant. I'm interested in mastery.
This is not a feminist statement. Just that according to this sentiment, I've failed as a "woman."
I'm not trying to ruin this. Fill in "woman" with "mother archetype" and it makes more sense. I'm more of a scholar and explorer. I'm curious. I'm resourceful. I'm innovative. I take risks. I love drumming, and business, and learning new languages. I get curious about things like aircraft instrumentation and music production, and get bored with talk about relationships.
Give me an idea, and maybe I'll make it better. Give me situation that many may find challenging, and I'll figure out a way.
This is only ONE archetype, not a definition of a woman. However, my maternal instinct does show up in the care of 3 dogs. I've made a home for them.. and we have a routine that includes plenty of things that help them thrive. Including love, nurturing, and creative ways to keep them comfortable and entertained. Things that probably don't occur to a lot of men.. but I've seen men do some cool things for animals.. like build them special houses and shower them with LOTS of play, love, and nurturing. It makes me smile to see this blend of masculine and feminine traits. :)
Having said all this I still do agree that I love the female characters in LOTR just the way they are. I also very much enjoy the mother archetype. It's just not, whoever, who I am, just because I'm female. (Could be the INTJ in me)
Edit: I also very much appreciate masculinity. I'm amazed at things like how "scary good" young men can be at the sport of DH mountain biking (which I was honored to participate in.. ) . and the things that are invented, typically by men. (even though I'm aware that we don't hear as much about what women invented, I'm still in awe of what many men have done) Instead of feeling threatened by this and labeling it as "patriarchy" I try to learn and absorb all I can. I may not be a genius or contribute much to the world, few do, but I do think I find my purpose in more "masculine" pursuits.
I also get that this is only the tip of the iceberg, and I'm also fascinated by the contribution of the Queen or Crone archetypes, which I think are often dismissed. I think that a woman can skip most of the mother archetype and still graduate to Queen or Crone for her accomplishments wisdom, insights, and contributions. And to a certain extent, you are right.. by giving back and perhaps nurturing something else.. like a another person's desire to learn or master something, we also tap into feminine qualities.
Interesting humans have a blend of each. I love how Aragorn was mostly masculine with some feminine traits, and how Eowyn was mostly feminine with some masculine traits. The way their characters interacted was superb, both in the book, and how the actors played this out, even subtly.
I also agree that the warrior archetype that has been pinned on so many female characters lately is extremely boring. I find that I don't care about the character. The female hulk character isn't relatable to me. In fact, I would watch the movie just to see her get killed off, from what I see so far I find her to be very, very annoying.
This is brilliant. Deeply researched and understood. I no longer have a Christian faith but I believe in teachings of it such as this. The reason they hold true for me and are found in the Bible is because they are absolutely true of the role of men and women.
So much truth in this! When you pointed out that Eowyn followed the "skull crusher" archetype, I wanted to applaud! As a further reflection on these topics, I'd strongly recommend the work of John and Stasi Eldridge (Wild At Heart) if you haven't discovered it already.
This is exactly what I needed to hear today. A thoughtful and inspiring analysis. Thank you.
Thank you ! We live in a society that works actively towards confusing man and women about what roles they can and should claim. There is no more division than dividing human nature at its foundation by mixing up the sacred duality we have been gifted. Honor your masculinity and feminity equally. And come together to see each others strenghts.
Thanks for this video, I really like the perspective of how the masculine and feminine nurtures the other through a giving loop.
Further, I also feel what makes Eowyn so memorable is how she is inherently feminine but also displays some masculine traits. Similarly, we have inherently masculine characters like Aragorn and Boromir who also display nurturing behaviors (Aragorn has healing knowledge/abilities, Boromir cares for the hobbits).
Rejecting masculinity in a man or femininity in a woman makes the character feel one dimensional and shallow, these are not the characters I respect or want to emulate.
Exactly! Although I would add that some traits are more neutral, such as nerdiness, curiosity, sense of adventure, or storytelling (Bilbo) I do very much agree that when it comes to the the hero's journey there has to be an interesting blend of masculine and feminine or I find myself not caring if the main character dies.
As a woman I absolutely loved this video! Thank you!
In the orginal Mulan she embraces her feminine and beat the guy with a fan.
In the remake she uses the more masculine sword and always is stronger, faster, and better. Like huh?
This is the best description of the masculine and the feminine I've ever heard. Great job!
Amazing video! Loved the context of feminine vs masculine, also it does indeed account for why ROP is failing. ❤❤❤
Merry being wounded by striking a blow was part of the prophecy protecting the witch king.
Beautifully put! I wanna help your channel grow! Sharing with friends! Men and women need to see this!
That’s great, thanks! Any help to grow is much appreciated.
Instant subscribe, literally the best analysis video on the masculine and feminine I’ve found. Great research and explanations, awesome video quality! Please make more on this important issue and others! 🎉❤
Thank you for using footage from The Chosen in this video. It is such a beautiful and amazing show. 🙏
A quote from Brene Brown: "Vulnerability is not weakness; it's our greatest measure of courage.”
Even for male characters, they truly become our heroes once we see them at their most vulnerable, on the verge or past the point of breaking. So whether a character is male or female, let them have a moment of despair or uncertainty. Allow them to be VULNERABLE, and have their courage shine through.
Exactly! Without this, it's hard to care about a character. Male or female. I always respect a male character when he goes through some kind of pain as well.
This is very much based on the traditional male view of what ideal feminity and womanhood should be ...the ideal woman builds, supports, and nurtures men, making things better for the men around her. Women providing the psychological support that makes men "strong". Good wives, good daughters, etc., ever cheerful and caring, self-effacing and self-sacrificing. They stay in the back ground until required to play a breakout role when, and only when, men have failed.
But in this worldview, little thought is given to how women might perceive themselves in this role. Or how stressful and unfulfilling the role of emotional support human might be, or that being the strong silent support might take a toll. Tolkien points this out in the Return of the King, when Eowyn is lying near dead in the houses of healing. Eomer wonders why she is struggling to recover and Gandalf surmises that the damage is psychological, and began years before. When Eomer expresses confusion, Gandalf points out that while Eomer had "horses, deeds of arms and the free fields", Eowyn had strength and courage equal to Eomer's, but was confined to Meduseld to look after their ageing bewitched Uncle King Theoden, because she was a woman, and women are supposed to nurture.
Eowyn is desperate to break out of this role, and prove herself in battle, in the tradional masculine role in stories and film. Not as the supporting cast but as the main player, taking action in the centre stage. That's why she disguises herself as a man and goes to war.
This is a good point. I think what often leaves me discomfited is the idea that strength looks only one way for women. Either she is physically strong or emotionally nurturing. Are we not often both?? And if we are not both things all the time, that doesn’t mean we are less feminine or more masculine, but merely that we are, like men, human. I think the video points out some important things too, but I wish it left room for an even broader view of what women offer.
Well done! I understand why you focused on the movies but I wish you had also discussed the source, i.e. the book. As a man, Eowyn was my 2nd favorite character, second only to Faramir, who fell in love with her, and helped her to embrace her feminity even more whole-heartedly and her melt th icy exterior that she had developed in order to protect and preserve the full strength of her feminity. Eowyn was a feminine woman with the lion-heart of a man, Faramir was her ideal counterpart as a lion-hearted warrior of great bravery who yrt yearned for a fuller expression of the full depth of his heart, including a uniquely masculine gentleness. I hope I'm making some sense in this short post. It's a love affair that will never fade for me and continues to inspire me through the wasteland that the modern world has become. Thanks for this.
Existing to be in the background, quiet, a mother, and support the masculine. I guess I’m not a very good woman, then 😂.
Edit: it’s ironic because when I saw this movie in high school, Eowyn’s story really resonated with me because I wanted to join the military to protect those I love and fight for my country, and I felt like this instinctive, core desire was minimized or looked down upon because I wasn’t a man. It was as if my drive to defend my loved ones through war (if necessary) was somehow less “valid” than a man’s.
I totally get feeling like you're not a "good woman" because you want to fight and protect. Trust me, I've been there. However, I think this video did a wonderful job of explaining how those things can be done in an authentically feminine way. I believe that there are many different ways to live out one's feminine strength depending on your personality, talents, interests, etc. Being a soldier and fighting for your home and loved ones can certainly be one of them. One of my favorite examples of this in a modern context is Captain Walden from the movie Courage Under Fire. While being as tough and competent as they come, she still seems very motherly in the way she guides her men. If you haven't seen it, I encourage you to give it a watch.
@@maladjustedmaverick6619 I’ll watch it, for sure, I do think that there’s no “right” or “wrong” way to be a woman, and I’m not a fan of this arbitrary division between “masculine” and “feminine” traits, which has its origins in Ancient Greece and doesn’t really have basis in biology (Aristotle taught that women are incomplete men, for example, and thus lesser and more fragile and childlike). A model I find more useful and accurate to my experience is one that was popular during the Medieval time period (especially among female scholars like Hildegard von Bingen) who postulated that instead of men and women existing as separate (or on a “spectrum”), what is “masculine” and what is “feminine” are rather like a Venn diagram. What is “feminine” is everything a woman can experience, and what is “masculine” is the same for men. There are some inherent differences (and what is biology and what are stereotypes don’t really align), but VAST majority of traits overlap-we are all human, after all.
I’ve never related to the kind, warm, subservient, and gentle “ideal/peak femaleness.” It’s a mask that doesn’t fit well and feels inauthentic. Even as a child I was more interested in “male” activities and a lot of my friends are men. Do note that this isn’t that I have any problems with women, I just reject the idea that a woman’s power has to be submissive and meek and in a supporting role rather than being a doer and changer and the one who takes action.
@@Mayakran Yeah, this is basically what I think as well. As I've gotten older I've related more to the "warm, nurturing" aspects of femininity, but I know that doesn't happen for everyone, and that's perfectly fine. God created us with unique personalities for a reason. Also, I didn't know that the Venn diagram idea originated with medieval scholars. I'll have to look into that! Thanks for sharing.
@@Mayakran I'm kind of the same way. I've always been more interested in masculine pursuits. Before it was physical (military and DH mountain biking) but later it was more about intellectual "doing" rather than anything passive or supporting. I was never interested in motherhood.
One thing that has been helpful for me is to see masculine and feminine qualities from the perspective of the yin and yang theory in Chinese medicine. Neither is assigned specifically to men or women, but are standalone traits.
Rather than take all the traits and put them in a blender (which makes for very boring characters) it's nice to see a blend that preserves a bit more of one than the other. Like having an essence or a base note and a top note. Also makes for interesting character arcs and interactions, I think. But I also think you have a great point.. not all women are interested in motherhood. Although I have 3 dogs that I'm caring for now and one could say that the mother archetype has taken on a more predominant role.
Anyway, humans are fascinating. Tolkien's characters are as well. Can't say the same for a lot of movie characters today.. I'm so bored and find that I don't care much about their fate.
You"re absolutely correct about this. I love strong female characters but lately many of them are portrayed in a way where I'm unable to suspend my disbelief. We need more characters such as Ripley from Alien, Scarlet O' Hara from Gone with the Wind and Josephine from LA Femme Nikita. These are the true strong heroines that we empathize with and root for.... not the shifty ones like Rey, Galadriel, and She-Hulk. Hollywood, it's time to get your head out of your asses an stop creating woke ass feminist characters that we don't give a shit about.
Wow wow wow this analysis is SO great. And I was literally talking to a friend about how annoying tv/film is now with women and how I loved Peter Jackson’s portrayed with Eowyn. And then I found this video. Amazing. Thank you!
Amazing video! So much truth have been spoken.
Glad you liked it. Thanks for watching and interacting. Hope you found the ideas useful.
Sir, this one video was so good that, even though I’ve never even seen your channel before it, I subscribed within the first 3 minutes. God bless you for the bravery you had to put this out there and for how beautifully articulate you were.
Thank you so much for this breakdown! You have given me so much to think about with this in my future writing endeavors.
Honestly this video gave me chills. Absolutely amazing and on point
"I _am_ a warrior. But I'm a girl too." - Suki - Avatar: The Last Airbender
Tolkien’s created world displays a mind that is shaped by a life that is steeped in Catholic faith and tradition. (Which in my opinion helps to make them so great). Jackson did a great job in finding the spirit in his writings and let them guide his directing. Unfortunately, Amazon found the spirit of the age and let it take the reins.
Thank you for your video. It was well done.
Wow…after the dumpster fire they turned Rings of Power into, this is EXACTLY the video that needed to be made. Cheers and thank you🤘
This video is so beautiful. It's exactly what I needed to see!
She loved Theoden too much to leave him. That love overcame the magical terror and madness of the Witch Kings presence and enabled her to defy him. Very female.
Very interesting! 🤩 I hope you make more similar videos!
Working on it! Thanks for supporting
Mate it's so much simpler than all that: eowyn was written by someone who actually knows how to write.
That having been said, what an eloquent speech!
The reason Eowyn worked and Galadriel didn’t is because one acted like a hero rising to the occasion not for pride but to protect others. And then there’s WOP Galadriel she acted like a villain putting revenge and pride above the lives of her ally’s. Amazon legit made Sauron more of a hero then Galadriel.
This is quite possibly the best teaching I have ever heard on this. It ministered to me greatly as I have known for most of my life this moment in time was coming. I saw this movie when I was young and I was balling my eyes out at this scene. I remember it as if it was yesterday, ‘ The Holy Spirit said this is You. I was mortified at the time. But have been since trained and processed over my life and walking this out It is the case for many of us, all of us who will exept the calling.
I think the main difference is that Jackson understood that 'hero' doesn't mean having to be male. Eowyn could be a hero, and still be a woman, still be feminine, still show vulnerability and fear. He understood that a character is more of a hero if they feel that fear, but do the right thing regardless, rather than just being stoic and fearless.
Unfortunately the modern view of a strong female is to make her as masculine as possible with little, if any weaknesses.
I'm a woman (who didn't just get into Tolkien post Big Bang Theory) and I have always said this. Women are great underdogs in fantasy if you let us be women. Like the Hobbits, Eowyn was physically weaker so her bravery was 10x that of the men fighting beside her.
I love your point about women finding strength not in response to others but just from within. 2 counter-examples are Arwen and Galadriel from the movies. "What grace has been given me, let it pass to him. Let him be spared." And then, in flashback, "And you, Frodo Baggins, I give the light of Earendil, our most beloved star. May it be a light for you when all others have gone out."
Yes. The Arwen line is a perfect example! - "What grace has been given me, let it pass to him. Let him be spared." - Well done.
Amazing ... I support this channel
Yes!!! This portrayal of feminine women is sorely lacking in Hollywood these days and it’s getting very old. Thank you for lining it out point by point for us. I always knew that the modern view of strong women wasn’t right but I couldn’t really put it into words.
Your thesis is ridiculous - a movie or character working or not isn’t about adhering to feminine or masculine character traits. The success or failure is based on the enjoyment one gets from the story and development of the character. Contrasting Eowen from the well written Lord of the Rings movies and Galadriel from the ham fisted Rings of Power is pretty silly - Rings of Power is inferior in every way.
I’d say True Grit is a pretty good example displaying how wrong your arguments are.
It worked much better in the book because we didn't know Dernhelm was feminine until she pulled off her helm. Merry wasn't even aware. It's that moment of shock that truly sells the moment.
It’s because she was written as a woman and not an insecure man.
Absolutely amazing video! I came from watching the Aragorn and Masculinity video, mostly to see how the theme of femininity is tackled in this video in contrast to that video, and man, this video knocks it out of the park. I really enjoyed how you delved into the topic and showed us why femininity is important. Also, Eowyn is really awesome.
You absolutely nailed it. You perfectly described why as a man, I just cannot bring myself to enjoy most of the modern movies with heroic lead women. They're doing it wrong! It's not that women cannot be heroic, it's that feminin heroism looks different than masculine.
Tolkuen understood this and write truly strong female characters who were feminine; whereas the writers of the horrible rings of power, deconstruction Amazon has vomited up, are desperately trying to make a woman with masculine characteristics somehow likeable, and are failing miserably.
WOW. Just WOW. Thank you for existing and creating this video. I just subscribed. Please send more truth like this out into the world. It is sorely needed.
I really do disagree with you because whatever qualities listed for being feminine like receptive , not in public glory , willing to step aside are infact qualities of coward or least to say they will never be qualities of Hero or heroine ....irrespective of gender , seriously nobody wants that ...people are quite complex ...characters do not work because they dont have character archs to begin , you don't relate to them ...that's these female characters don't work ..not something because bullshit biblical feminine qualities ...that's why mulan works
Well thought-out, well-presented, well done. This person should have more than 1,800 subscribers.
I found it interesting that in the book, Eowyn reveals herself before she fights the Witch King, and he hesitates briefly before assaulting her.
My favourite line in My Big Fat Greek Wedding is when the mom says: "the man is the head, but the woman is the neck and she can turn the head in whatever way she wants".
It is so true. When done right, it is loving guidance and when done wrong it is manipulation.
I am rather ateist, yet I can appreciate what you said. You explained it well, and it doesn't matter where you take your examples from.
This was an amazing video 💗 Thank you so much