Friday, September 18, 2009

Arwen vs. Eowyn

Okay, I want to hear each of your opinions on each of these woman from LOTR. Here are my likes and dislikes...


Eowyn: I like Eowyn for her good heart. She's very brave and not because she killed the Witch King. She stood up for what she felt was right and I like that about her! What I don't like is how they make it seem like (by using her) that girls can be like guys. I mean, they had Eowyn dress like a man to get into the battle. What I mean is, girls need to be feminine. God created women to be women, not to be like men. There's nothing wrong with fighting with men, I'm not saying there is, it's just that we need to make sure that when people see us, they know we're a woman and they don't have to go, "Okay, is that a woman or a guy, 'cause the long hair makes it look like a woman, but the outfit is that of a man". We just need to keep our feminine side also and not try to be "a man".


Arwen: I love how Arwen is a "homemaker". I've read some girl's comments on how they don't like that about her, but that's what God intends for us to do. He intends for us woman to stay at home and take care of the house and feed the kids and wash the dishes. Some girls have a problem with that because they like to be tough and strong like men. You can be tough and strong, but still be feminine. There's nothing wrong with staying at home and "baking cookies" (as I've heard some girls put it), you're doing what God intended for you to do. Now, what I don't like about Arwen is how she is all... kissy, kissy with Aragorn and they're not even married. I mean, she didn't "save herself" for him, she "gave herself" to him. I believe in saving myself in heart, body, mind and soul for my future husband.


Now, give me your opinion on each woman. Why you don't like each and why you do. I love to hear what people have to say. Just one rule: No swearing or nasty language. Keep it Christ-like. Thank you!


~Eldarwen Failariel~

14 Greetings from Elven Friends

Anonymous said...

I love both of them so much, I could never pick!

Anonymous said...

I do like Eowyn, don't get me wrong, but especially in the movie, they make her seem like a medieval feminist. She's always mad when she can't go do something (even though she does what she is told to do well enough afterwards) and then the whole thing about her cutting her hair, dressing like a man and running away to join the army throws me through hoops.
I love Arwen. She is my favorite woman by far in most all of the fantasy stories i've read, and i would love to be her. She keeps her heart for the man she loves, is submissive to her father, and yet is still courageous in battle. What more could you ask?! She's gorgeous, too. And she's an elf.
so, i like Eowyn and she has the perfect big brother and marries Faramir and because of that i'm jealous, too, (:P) but i really think that Arwen is best. :)

that's just my two cents worth, though.

Maddilynn said...

http://arwenalsfate.blogspot.com/2009/05/thoughts-on-eowyn.html

Read this post to see why I prefer Arwen to Eowyn.;) Everybody else in this world seems to state better then I ever could! I just LOVE Arwen because she went through SO many things, and unlike Eowyn, she did NOT become bitter.

I respect everyone's opinion, though. I have many friends who prefer Eowyn.=)

^^I also agree with what Tinydancer has already said.:)

Izori said...

I love both of them, but I also see that Eowyn is a feminist. In the books, Arwen isn't all 'kissy-kissy'.

hazel marie said...

Well,
I like Eowyn best because I can relate to her and her actions. I'm a tomboy, there's no denying!
I like Eowyn because, unlike Arwen(in my opinion), Eowyn is down to earth and deals with the problems at hand, helping the cause as best she could instead of wishing it could be different or laying on a velvet couch.

Don't get me wrong; Arwen is a great character, but it feels to me like she isn't pulling her weight. It's not like she asks what she can do to help with the war. The war that would decide all! She just sat there, hoping for the best.
It would be the equivalent of just standing by while WWII happened. Worrying, yes. Crying about lost lives, yes. But not doing anything to help. Does that make sense? It almost sounds selfish.

That's my op. *shrugs* ;)

Emily Ann said...

Hmm, I agree with what you have said Eldarwen. They both have their faults, because no one is perfect.

I could turn this into a whole other debate but I shant... I will leave you with the fact that I am neither a Arwen Hater/Eowyn Lover nor a Eowyn Hater/Arwen Lover. I am simply in the middle for I neither love and adore nor hate and slander. Neither of them is my favorite fictonal heroine... I leave you with my two cents also.

Emily

Anonymous said...

I agree with Gwyn, though I don't hate Arwen.
I prefer Éowyn because she knows what needs to be done and does it. She doesn't leave all the dirty work to the men just because she can; she wants to fight for her country and the freedom of Middle Earth. I don't see what's wrong with being feminist- I believe that women should have equal rights as men, not be looked upon equivalent to livestock or slabs of meat or something. As she says, "the women of this country learned long ago that those who do not fight with swords may still die upon them." She won't let herself be cooped up in a nice safe cave, she knows what has to be done and does it.
I do think Arwen shirks a little, but don't take me wrong, I think she's a great character. She's just very wistful, like she hopes and hopes it will all turn out all right instead of actually doing something like Éowyn. She's proven she's a good rider; whether or not she can wield that beautiful sword is another story. But she does HAVE A SWORD, she just prefers to lie on her couch thinking about Aragorn, who is fighting for her and everyone else. I see nothing wrong with being a homemaker (though I don't aspire to be one), but why can't the cookie-baker trade her spatula for a sword and bash some bad guys?

Just my 2¢. As I said, I'm not too obsessed the whole "homemaker" thing, I'd prefer to do what's right to save people than to please God. But I'm not extremely religious (church on Christmas and Easter and that's kind of it) so I may be lacking something here.

Hannah Marie said...

I like Arwen much better. I think she was much more pure at heart, and she was strong, but she didn't have to fight to prove it. I admire her because of that.

Eldarwen said...

Thank you all for your honest opionions and being respectful to other peoples views!

~Eldarwen Failariel~

Princess of Ithilien said...

Arwen. Arwen. Arwen!! I could go on all day how I much I love her! Not to say that I don't like Eowyn! She is also one of my favorite characters, but for much differents reasons. I'm really tired of hearing people say that Arwen was a coward. She was nothing of the sort!! Giving up your immortal life is a much bigger sacrifice then people give her credit for. To quote Liv Tyler: "You don't have to put a sword in a woman's hand to make her strong".

Besides, Arwen actually only kissed Aragorn three times in the movies. In the books, ZERO.;)

I love them both. Eowyn becuase I relate to her(and she marries Faramir), and Arwen because I want to BE like her.=)

Eldarwen said...

I know they didn't kiss in the books, I meant in the movies. I like JRR Tolkien's LOTR version better than Peter Jackson's. He has Arwen dress inappropriatly and he has her kiss Aragorn a few times. JRR Tolkien meant for her to be a good role model for girls that are young and in love. Tolkien's portrayel of the Characters is much better!

~Eldarwen Failariel~

Anonymous said...

A good role model? Arwen and especially Luthien are based directly upon his wife. He and his wife were separated first by his guardian and then by the war. Arwen was not created to show good behavior. Arwen represents his wife who had to stay behind in WWI while he went off to war. She is present in the story to show the love and devotion Aragorn feels for her even when separated by distance and circumstance. Her character is a tribute to a real person not a lesson.

Hannah Barta said...

I don't really like how they are portrayed in the movies. Arwen sometimes is accurate, but Eowyn I don't find to be true to the book. She should have been far colder in her manner. And I felt that it was implied in the movies that Arwen and Aragorn didn't save themselves until their marriage, but in the books the only kiss mentioned at all is between Faramir and Eowyn, and you hardly even realize that Arwen and Aragorn are together. I feel that the reason Eowyn dressed like a man for battle was because if she hadn't they would never have let her go, and she wanted glory and renown--and in death if she could get it no other way. I think to truly understand at least Eowyn, the books have to be read.

Tora said...

Olive tree- a better question is, what ISN'T wrong with feminism?? Implying women are the same as or better than men when we are equal but different.

Seriously? Your post actually offends me (not you, but the message) because it is exactly what is wrong with society today. Women who correctly show their strength in their love, patience and hope are condemned as useless, mindless and weak excuses for women, while women who are tomboys or buttkicking warriors are PRAISED as strong role models.

Yeah.... no. Your implication that a woman needs to have a sword or fight men is sexist, anti-woman and flat our wrong.

I don't want to sound rude. I'm not mad at you, I'm just disgusted with this sexist belief the world has. at least, the Western world. it's so offensive to BOTH genders!

Personally I like Galadriel best, but I respect and admire Arwen. when I was little and saw LOTR I thought Arwen was pretty and cool but being a little feminist, I thought Eowyn was awesome whens he went: "...But I am no MAN!" Now I see that trying to be a guy is wrong.

So no disrespect meant to anyone who likes Eowyn. But don't call homemakers weak and "ladettes" good. It's just the opposite.