Document Type
Unpublished Paper
Publication Date
Fall 2017
Abstract
J.R.R. Tolkien is well-known for his feats in literature and the fantasy genre, especially concerning his legendarium of The Lord of the Rings and his creation of Middle-Earth. However, Tolkien lacks the necessary inclusivity of realistic females in his works. The legendarium is dominated by male figures, and the few women characters that Tolkien includes are underdeveloped and have minimal roles in the progression of the plot. Women are mainly used in his works in order to create an ideal coupling, to explain how creatures came to be, to be a prize for a man to win, or, in the instance of few characters, to give women the illusion of a power role. Tolkien's characterization of women is often thin and hardly dynamic, imprinting the idea on his readers that he cannot help but succumb to typical gender roles.
Recommended Citation
Berglind, Gwen, "The Female Presence in Tolkien's Masculine World" (2017). 4610 English: Individual Authors: J.R.R. Tolkien. 17.
https://epublications.marquette.edu/english_4610jrrt/17