I had an interesting chat with a friend on Facebook re The Hobbit and I thought I’d drag the conversation/discussion/surely-not-an-argument here to my little blog. Someone had posted an article decrying Tolkien’s perceived misogyny, or at least his ambivalence towards females, and my friend had shared the link. The question was, “Why are Tolkien’s worlds so devoid of females? How did we get hobbit/goblin/orc/dwarf families if there were no females?” Good question. “And, where are the strong role models for girls, in Tolkien’s books?” Another good, but different, question.
If one reads the books – The Hobbit and then the Lord of the Rings trilogy – it soon becomes clear that there are female hobbits/dwarves/elves and humans. The answer is not so clear when it comes to orcs. Is it possible they’re a sort of zombie goblin? Are they corrupted and mutated goblins/dwarves and/or men? Not sure. Of course orcs are creatures out of ancient anglo/saxon/jute mythology from the so-called Dark Ages and back in those days one didn’t have to explain where such creatures originated: they just were.
(By the way, I’m currently reading Brian Branson’s, The Lost Gods of England. Although it needs a good edit, it’s a fascinating read. I was particularly struck by how much of ancient English mythology has made it’s way into Tolkien’s works. What a clever fellow.)
What about the lack of strong role models for girls in Tolkien’s books? Well, there is barely a mention of any in The Hobbit, so that’s a fair call. Again, there are few females in LOTR but the ones that are there are all very strong characters and, I think, all excellent role models. They’re women who make a difference in their world; they’re willing to break the mold of “weak, submissive” women, and they have dynamic, intriguing and appealing personalities. The only problem is that there aren’t many of them.
The thing is, Tolkien began this enthralling story by telling his grandson bedtime stories. It started as a boy’s own adventure, and what an adventure! It was also written in a time when it was inconceivable that women would leave home in the company of a group of men, fight orcs, wield swords etc. If the story was written today, we could be certain there’d be some women in the company of dwarves and even, maybe, Bilbo or Frodo or Sam Gamgee would be a woman. But, it wasn’t written today.
Although we read books through our 21st century filters, we must make allowances for the era and culture in which the stories are written. I read these books as a young girl and loved every bit of them. Who were my female role models? There weren’t many back then: Joan of Arc, Madame Curie, Wonder Woman, Pippi Longstocking and my local (female) doctor topped the list. However, I had parents who told me I could be anything I wanted to be. I assumed this meant that if I ever had the chance to go on an adventure in the company of dwarves, elves and a wizard, I could do it with their blessing. It’s just a pity the opportunity never arose.
We live in a different era now, and it’s time we got some new role models: women of strength of character; women who are passionate for a cause; women who dare to challenge the status quo. We need new stories that will inspire our daughters and grand-daughters to live up to their potential and even, maybe, beyond. The young Afghan girl who asserted her right to an education, and was shot for it, is one who leaps to mind. Hilary Clinton (whether you like her politics or not) is certainly a strong woman. Of course, these are real women, and there have always been fine examples in real life.
What about female literary characters of the non-conservative type? Any suggestions?
Tolkien wasn’t to know this at the time he penned his famous works, of course, but so much of the fantasy created post-Tolkien has been inspired and influenced by Tolkien’s works, and the messages regarding women and the lack of female characters have inadvertently filtered through. It’s a sign of our culture that this lack is barely noticeable. Girls are too busy being groomed to become the next generation of consumers and beauty regime adherents to notice that their sex is not well represented when it comes to adventure and heroism.
It could also be because for a long time most of the fantasy writers were men, with the exception of a few such as Madeleine L’Engle and Ursula LaGuin. Oh, and Anne McCaffrey has some interesting female characters in her books. One of the really annoying things about the Twilight series is that it perpetuates the “woman as passive/victim” persona. Drives me nuts!
While watching the Hobbit, I too wondered why there was no sign of females. I just thought because they’re always fighting there was no time for the gentle sex in these guys lives.
These days there are many strong female characters who are good role models. We just need to give them credit where credit is due. First up Wendy Noble comes to mind. Go Wendy Go! I love your blogs.
Flattery will get you everywhere, Pamela.
To understand the whole story of Middle Earth one has to read the “Silmarillion”. Orcs were ‘created’ when the original dark lord, Melkor, captured some elves & through horrible torture twisted them into Orcs, but no mention is ever made of how they breed although it does say that they have been multiplying in the “Hobbit”. If you do read the “Silmarillion” I suggest you photocopy the genealogies & have them near you so you can follow the story!!!
:0)
Ah, Cal, you make me so proud. I read “The Silmarillion” in ages past, but found it hard going. A bit like reading Leviticus cross-bred with the genealogies in Matthew. 🙂
The Inklings met in a pub for drinking, smoking and reading each other’s work. Probably explains the absence of females. The women they depict are suitably abstract. In LOTR, Arwen is a symbol when only Eowyn is a woman.
Things do change. In the American TV series Once Upon a Time a recent thread had 4 female characters engaged in quests of derring-do without any male support.
Good point, Ken. I’d forgotten about the Inklings meeting in a pub, until you mentioned it. That would have been in the era when women sat in their own section in the pub. It would have been a totally male domain.
Foregrounding women today too often results in the sword-wielding fantasy babe. You would think that with so many women being writers today there would be plenty of examples of real women in fiction.
Indeed!