The LOTR Movie Site
December 3, 2000

A Different Reason for Arwen Not Being in the Fellowship
Laura J.

After reading many of these articles regarding Arwen and her possible inclusion in the fellowship, I would like to offer a completely different argument against it. Many people have been discussing the question of women's roles, feminism, etc. My personal feeling is that the story should be kept as Tolkien wrote it, regardless, but I would like to suggest that there are very good reasons for Arwen doing what she does (and not doing what she doesn't).

If one reads the appendices, Arwen's whole situation becomes perfectly clear. There are many reasons that Arwen does not (and should not in the film) join the fellowship.

1. It is silly that she and Aragorn would agree to Elrond's condition that Aragorn not marry Arwen until he is king if she could so easily slip away from home and go with him (elves did not require parental blessing or permission for marriage).

2. Arwen has lived in virtual retirement for many years (in Lorien). Aragorn grew up at Rivendell and never knew she existed. It is a break with her character if now emerges and begins to fight.

3. Elrond is concerned primarily for his daughter's physical safety (that is why he hid her at Lorien and later, when Lorien became more dangerous, brought her back to Rivendell). Arwen's mother was captured by orcs and most likely raped, an incident from which she never recovered. Elrond would be insane to allow his daughter to face the same risk by going out to fight the orcs. I doubt Arwen's brothers would have let her, either. Arwen loves her father dearly and is very loyal to him and her family, and I do not think that she would do something foolish and cause them so much pain.

4. As somone mentioned in another essay, the Eowyn story would not work if Arwen were there.

5. I think it is a consolation to Aragorn that he knows that Arwen is safe while he is fighting. She at least is one unchanging thing in his life which has been turned uside down by this war.

6. If she were at the Pelennor fields, we would miss the significance of Aragorn's discovery of the white tree, and his excitement as he waits for her to arrive.

7. It must be remebered that Arwen is no young woman. She is nearly 3,000 years old at the time of the War of the Ring. With 3,000 years of life exerience, I doubt she would do anything rash or silly.

8. Arwen and Aragorn have been betrothed for over 30 years, and during all that time he has been going into dangerous situations and fighting. He even went to Mordor. Arwen knows that he can handle it, she does not need to come to rescue him, or "help" him fight his battles.

These are just a few scattered reasons that I can think of to reason against either Arwen's inclusion in the fellowship or her presence at Helm's Deep or the Pelennor.