I think that Éowyn’s character change in the second half of The Return of the King is a significant but often overlooked moment in The Lord of the Rings. In the Houses of Healing, after Aragorn has left to go to the Black Gate with the Army of the West, Faramir and Éowyn fall in love. To be specific, here is the quote where Éowyn changes:
“I will be a shieldmaiden no longer, nor vie with the great Riders, nor take joy only in the songs of slaying. I will be a healer, and love all things that grow and are not barren... No longer do I desire to be a queen....” (The Return of the King)
What do you think about this character change? Do you think this quote sheds a different light on her actions earlier on the Pelennor Fields? Why or why not? It seems to me like the modern audience prefers to remember her as the slayer of the Witch-King on the Pelennor Fields, not the changed character we see here. What do you think Tolkien intended readers to take away from her character?
~Ulmo
3 comments:
I really like this idea you've brought up that we haven't discussed in class. The quote you've included that demonstrates Eowyn's change reminds me of the Biblical principle that a woman is to be under the covering of their husband. I guess her and Faramir aren't technically married at this point, but I think the concept could still be applied. Ephesians 5:22-23 says, "Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, as also Christ is the head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body." So I think Tolkien might have been drawing from his Christianity, which we have seen in other places in his work. It's not that Eowyn didn't have ambition or personal life goals anymore, but she did decide that she no longer desired to be her own master. Her heart was softened by love (Aww...), and she wanted to prioritize honoring her man by complementing his strong personality with a soft, feminine spirit. Wow #relationshipgoals <3
While Eowyn's deed is incredible when she slays the Witch King, I do think that her character change here is significant and good. She learns to stop being selfish, in an interesting way. Before, she despises having to stay behind and look out for her people. She wants glory and honor in battle... She may even want the affections of Aragorn. However, by the end, she realized the utility and necessity of being there for others. She has achieved what her greed set out for her to achieve, and now she is devoted to selfless action. Perhaps this is because she sees the example in Aragorn when he takes the time to heal his people, or perhaps she gets this example from Faramir, who also has denied any claim he may have had to nobility and royalty in order to serve the common good.
While it is easy to get caught in thinking about this from a Feminist standpoint, I think there is ample evidence here to suggest that she has actually learned her traits from men. I also think that this may be speaking to the value in caring for others above oneself, not necessarily in a manner that belittles it or women. Perhaps Tolkien is putting this type of action on a pedestal for men and women--especially since he was coming from a place (The Great War), where he would have felt that consideration for fellow man was a great need at the time.
Thanks for brining this up! This change is something I see as both a realistic reaction to a wartime ordeal and also a symbol for the maturation of one's character. Those gung-ho for war are often scarred physically and mentally by battle and return cherishing their life in a way they had never considered before. This change is also symbolic of an increase in maturity. Yavanna hit the nail on the head by saying Éowyn is now, "devoted to selfless action." This selflessness marks her as more of an adult. Sometimes in getting what we want, we look back only to realize that giving of ourselves is more fulfilling.
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