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Does Tolkien propagate gender stereotypes?

To propagate something means ‘to transmit (characteristics) from one generation to another.’ Stereotype is defined as ‘One that is regarded as embodying or conforming to a set image or type.’ In Tolkien’s work we see many occasions where he does conform to the gender stereotyping of his day. The stereotype of women in Tolkien’s day were largely ‘homemakers’ and many women did not work, a women’s place was not in the battle field but at home. The men on the other hand were the protectors and providers of their families.

These first stereotypes are displayed most evidently in Lord of the Rings and the Hobbit. Women do not fight. There is only one exception to this in Lord of the Rings with Eowyn, but the society Tolkien has created does not encourage her involvement. We cannot forget the stereotypes of men in Tolkien’s world either. The men are the protectors; they are the ones that fight in the battles. They are very similar to the stereotypes found in Tolkien’s world. The men of Gondor are like the soldiers as are the men of Rohan. The portrayal of these two countries seems to be very Middle Ages based, though is relevant to Tolkien’s day as well. The men were the ones who protected and provided for their families, the wife’s place was in the home. The elves, though not technically ‘men’ also show a different portrayal. Once again there are very few female elves mentioned, with the exception of royalty. The elves have a strong patriotism as seen when the Fellowship enters Lothlorien. They are artistic and very much ‘thinkers’ but also amazing warriors. This Tolkien uses to show the academic men in his own world.

Take Arwen for example. She is very much of what a woman should be, according to Tolkien's world stereotype. She is beautiful, supportive and ready to sacrifice for her husband. It says in the appendices that she watched over him in thought while he was away. Even at the end she takes her fate without complaint to Aragorn and throughout it we see she does not ever speak of her own troubles to him. She does not talk about how hard the decision she has to make is for her. Like the women in Tolkien's world, she was devoted to her husband and his well being at the cost of her own.

Another character that could be mentioned is Morwen from the Sil. She is a very strong woman in her own way but she never rides to war but does her duty to her husband instead. She believes it important that she protects her husbands heir and waits for his return in a land now plundered by easterlings.

As far as the men go there are numerous examples of the stereotyping present in Tolkien's world. To begin with, Eomer Third Marshal of the Riddermark. He is driven solely by a love for his country. He is willing to sacrifice everything for the protection of his people, even if it means falling out of favour with the King. He is extremely protective of his immediate family, especially his sister Eowyn. When he hears she has fallen in battle, he is filled with grief and insists on a proper and honourable burial for her. The character of Faramir is very similar to this as well.

Boromir is also a character showing the stereotypes of Tolkien's own world as well as showing how they can go too far. It is Boromir's love for his people that the Ring uses to tempt him. He knows that the Ring should be destroyed but he is willing to sacrifice everything to protect the country he loves. To the point of turning on a companion that has gained his trust over the time they have travelled together. His love for his country is shown even more by the fact that he (in the books) welcomes the opportunity for Aragorn to come to Gondor. Even if he knows that his own position would become second to him. If it meant the restoration of his country he was willing to give up pride (keeping his word) and position for the people he loved.

Elrond. This is an interesting character. We see Elrond is very protective over his family. When his wife is attacked by orcs he does all in his power to heal her, when even he fails to take away the grief of her injuries he allows her to pass over the sea where she can be healed of her wounds. He does not like the thought of his daughter choosing death so she can marry Aragorn and while not placing a ban on their relationship he does similar to what Thingol requested of Beren. Created a task that looked near impossible to complete. Saying that Arwen would not be the bride of any man unless he be the King of both Gondor and Arnor. However this in some ways is wiser then the task of Beren because by doing this Elrond ensures that his daughter will have a 'good life' as a mortal if it should come to pass. By this he shows the protective nature of men over their families. Elrond is also renowned as a great warrior and an expert in lore.

Here are just a few examples of the way that Tolkien attempts to pass on (propagate) the stereotypes of his generation throughout his work.

Tolkien made lots of exeptions: like Galadriel.
She didn't leave Aman because she followed a beloved one, she wanted her own land, she wanted glory, she wanted to be a leader. Even if she had met Celeborn in Aman, she still would've searched that glory in Arda. Maybe she didn't fight, but that doesn't mean she was a gender stereotype. And Galadriel may be described as beautiful, but she wasn't entirely dependant of Celeborn, they were equals. And when the one ring was destroyed, she travelled without Celeborn to Aman.

Not every male being fought for their beloved, if we take a look at Fëanor: he didn't fight for his country, nor for his family. His main reason was revenge. Fëanor wanted to take his Simarils back, and wanted to avenge the death of his father.

The topic does not state that all of Tolkien's characters displayed gender stereotypes, it says does Tolkien propagate gender stereotypes. Not that there cannot be exceptions. As shown in the earlier examples there are plenty of characters that conform to the gender stereotypes of Tolkien's day.

However in the case of Galadriel I would still argue that she does display some gender stereotyping. Women were leaders in Tolkien's day as well, they did rule but did not fight. Tolkien lived from 1892-1973, during this time both Queen Victoria (from 1837-1901) and Queen Elizabeth 11 (from 1952) both ruled England. The concept of a woman ruling was by no means unreasonable in Tolkien's era.

In the character of Galadriel we see a large change occur after her time in Doriath in the first age. She is mentored by Melian and this seems to show her that a woman can rule with a man. She has a lot of respect for Celeborn, as seen by her words to the Fellowship when they arrive in Lothlorien.

For the Lord of the Galadhrim is accounted the wisest of the Elves of Middle-earth , and a giver of gifts beyone the power of kings. He has dwelt in the West since the days of dawn and I have dwelt with him years uncounted; for ere the fall of Nargothrond or Gondolin I passed over the mountains, and together through ages of the world we have fought the long defeat.

Also at the end of the War of the Ring, when Lothlorien took Dol Guldur it is said that Celeborn led the army. And that Galadriel threw down the walls and the forest was cleansed. It seems Tolkien used her more as a 'healer' and one who gave wisdom. This doesn't necessarily challenge the stereotype of women in Tolkien's day. The first age Galadriel who 'stood with the princes' might but what she becomes does not.

Not every male being fought for their beloved, if we take a look at Fëanor: he didn't fight for his country, nor for his family. His main reason was revenge. Fëanor wanted to take his Simarils back, and wanted to avenge the death of his father.

This does not challenge the gender stereotype of Tolkien's day either. As in every culture there are people who don't fight for their family but for themselves. Feanor though, I would argue did fight for the honour of his people, in part. His main objective was of course to take back what had been taken from him but how many wars of modern times (the last 200 years) have been fought because people wanted to take back what had once been theirs? Feanor does not challenge a gender stereotype, he might be said to challenge the stereotype that we normally assosciate with elves but not a gender one.

Males are believed to be strong (of mind and body), skilled in the art of war, and handsome. Tolkien didn't apply the gender stereotype to hobbits and elves. Though elves are described as beautiful, and skilled in the art of war, they rely mostly on their knowledge, and on creativity. They are very sensitive to hurt and grief. Unlike the men in Middle-Earth.
Hobbits are happy, merry, gay. Anything but skilled in the art of war, and even if they are wise, they don't use it the same way the men or the elves do. A typical hobbit has excess weight. and handsome in their eyes, maybe cute in ours.
Not a gender stereotype.

Males are believed to be strong (of mind and body), skilled in the art of war, and handsome. Tolkien didn't apply the gender stereotype to hobbits and elves. Though elves are described as beautiful, and skilled in the art of war, they rely mostly on their knowledge, and on creativity. They are very sensitive to hurt and grief. Unlike the men in Middle-Earth.
Hobbits are happy, merry, gay. Anything but skilled in the art of war, and even if they are wise, they don't use it the same way the men or the elves do. A typical hobbit has excess weight. and handsome in their eyes, maybe cute in ours.
Not a gender stereotype.

The stereotypes Tolkien used for Men, elves and hobbits each display the different types of men Tolkien saw around him. He believed himself to be most like a hobbit, thus hobbits must definitely figure in being a stereotype passed on by Tolkien. Hobbits are the fun-loving and hardworking (usually manual labour) men. Those that as Pippin says in the movie 'feel like they are putting their feet up after a hard day's work.'

Tolkien was a professor so around him he would have also seen a lot of 'elves' men who studied and lived fairly quiet and peaceful sort of lives. He uses the elven strength in arms to show how this though 'soft' is not weakness. Though many men in Tolkien's day had to be seen like the 'Men' of middle earth Tolkien uses the stereotype of the elves to give a voice to the more sensitive men that he saw around him. So yes even though Tolkien's world was largely concerned with 'Men' it also had many 'hobbits' and some 'elves' as well.

I think few men were senstive and elvish-like in Tolkien's time. He wrote his stories after the Second World War, which was very crucial to him. He was confronted with lots of 'macho' men, there was no room for sensitivity. I think he dreamt of a place where some people could stay sensitive and where some men could enjoy life, and think of nothing else but that year's harvest. And where workaholics existed too. All those different types of people together in one world, united against the greater evil.

The topic is not asking if all Tolkien's races display stereotypes but if Tolkien 'passed on' (propagate) gender stereotypes. Even if men of the elven race do not fit into Tolkien's society it doesn't mean he doesn't propagate gender stereotypes. As has already been established he used stereotypes of gender n many cases... both men and women as seen by earlier examples.

Elven men in Tolkien's work though are not without stereotypical attributes. If one were to look away from the hair obsessed, make up and manicure focussed elf of the fanfiction and return to Tolkien's work there is very little that make the elven men unstereotypical. The only examples of a lack of 'macho' behaviour is in the odd phrase like

'and upon his fair elven face there was great distress'

(Council of Elrond, FOTR) and

For Legolas was fair beyond the measure of men...

(ROTK)... Tolkien never calls the elves 'pretty' just 'fair' . The word fair means

Of pleasing appearance, especially because of a pure or fresh quality; comely.

Obviously Tolkien uses this to show the purity of this race, not so much a reference to their lack of 'masculinity'. As shown by many elves: Feanor, Fingolfin, Legolas, Elrond, Gil galad, Celeborn, Fingon, Turgon... the elves were great warriors as well as great scholars. As Tolkien was in a war perhaps he used this stereotype to show some of the men he saw change from being seen as 'un-macho' to show great courage under pressure. As many scholars (including Tolkien himself) left their academic pursuits for the war years this stereotype is not unrealistic at all.

I want to add another argument:

Where do dwarves fit in the gender stereotype? As far as I know the women were not much different from the men. They were equal. In one of Tolkien's extensions, I think the appendixes he talks about the female dwarves. They are few, and not all women marry, some of them prefer working, and a lot of the men don't marry too.

I will just answer Nazgulli's final argument by restating one of my former ones

The topic does not state that all of Tolkien's characters displayed gender stereotypes, it says does Tolkien propagate gender stereotypes. Not that there cannot be exceptions. As shown in the earlier examples there are plenty of characters that conform to the gender stereotypes of Tolkien's day.

In addition to this, as far as dwarf-stereotyping is concerned, there are not enough female dwarfs discussed or even written about in Tolkien's world to gain a decent understanding of what their characteristics were and whether they truly were different from women of Tolkien's era. If you look only at the representations of men, elves or hobbits in the Appendices, we see that it does not give anywhere near the depth required to accurately decide the level of gender stereotyping.

All right, time to declare the results...

Both of you did a great job, found good arguments, and defended them well. However, I will have to give this one to EM because she managed to give better reasons for her arguments.

Congratulations to both of you, and thank you for an interesting debate!

congrats EM, I knew you would win, my arguments always seemed a bit empty . glad it's over though, the subject was more difficult than I thought it'd be

Thanks for a great debate Nazgulli ... and thanks so much for judging Morwin

Not every male being fought for their beloved, if we take a look at Fëanor: he didn't fight for his country, nor for his family. His main reason was revenge. Fëanor wanted to take his Simarils back, and wanted to avenge the death of his father.

Tolkien felt that women ought to be beautiful, and that they should know their place and they should serve their men. And whether the world at large agreed with him or not, this is the view he chose to express in his books.