[HairOfTheDog]

I agree, Happygal...

The point is, it’s easy to see why Tolkien could come across as having a dislike of women.

Her statement there is pure bull pucky. The women in the story are either beautiful, powerful, or both, and all have virtue and grace. LoTR is a lot of things, but it spends much of it time being a grand war epic. That is the realm of the male. Chicks in the 40's when Tolkien was writing, did not go to war. And yet, in his story he creates one who bravely did just that.

Only a very shallow person could find dislike of women in this story.

Miss HairOfTheDog....

[JameRetief]

The author is not saying that Tolkien dislikes women, only that some people have mistakenly concluded that he has. I thought the author of this piece did well at deconstructing the idea that Tolkien didn't like women.

[Scott from the Left Coast]

I'm not so sure...having been an elf from Lothlorien so recently...I'm feeling a bit unsure of myself here.

My wife is having no such problem with the Lothlorien part though.

[sneakers]

I absolutely agree! What I love about Tolkien's book is that men are portrayed as men really are. Men being men. Actually - and I don't care what other women say - I think the story would be ruined if he had put a female in the fellowship. The women in the story are strong, intelligent and leaders in their own right, but each character has his or her own role to play. The book reflects the standards and culture of Tolkien's time - not our time. If anybody has a problem with that, well, too bad! What is - is. :-)