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An Analysis of Gender in Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings Trilogy

Lily Amidon

Spring 2022 SOC 220 ONLINE

March 6, 2022

INTRODUCTION

Peter Jackson’s film adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings transformed a

beloved fantasy series into a cinematic masterpiece. The technologically impressive trilogy

captures the struggle between men, elves, dwarves, hobbits, wizards, Ents, orcs, and Sauron for

control over Middle-earth. In the films, Jackson expands on the female characters with the help

of two female cowriters, Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens, to create a more complete and

representative female characterization (Berglind, 2017, p. 5-6). Despite fighting many battles, the

plethora of male characters in Jackson’s adaptation do not possess overly masculine qualities,

participate in several “feminine” activities, display great emotional range and affection, and have

strong and deeply emotional homosocial friendships, highlighting the performative, social

constructionist, and symbolic interactionist nature of gender in a striking departure from the

typical male-centric fantasy adventure saga.

LITERATURE REVIEW

The idea of ethnomethodology highlights how societies construct gender even in a

fictional society like those in the Lord of the Rings films. Ethnomethodology considers how

social life, individual identities, and interpersonal relationships create gendered ideas through

interpersonal interactions and language (Brickell, 2006, p. 93). For instance, the medieval-

adjacent, paternalist, patriarchal hierarchy of Middle-earth creates gender roles that limit

women’s opportunities (Kroeneiss, 2020, p. 98-9). The limited gender roles, coupled with the

lack of female characters, lead to three possible outcomes for the female characters: idolized,

vilified, or trapped. In these societies, women only have power through the incorporation of

masculine characteristics and qualities: Éowyn only has masculine power when her society is at

war, and Tolkien and Jackson imply that female characters Galadriel and Arwen need protection

because they do not have masculine power or qualities (Kroeneiss, 2020, p. 129). By the end of

the films, the female characters all renounce the objects or structures that give them power to

follow conventional female norms (Kroeneiss, 2020, p. 127; Jackson, 2003).

Arwen, the elven love interest of Aragorn, appears first in the Lord of the Rings movie

trilogy in The Fellowship of the Ring (Jackson, 2001). Arwen reflects the idea of the “angel in

the house;” undergraduate research argues that she highlights the pedestalism and hyper-

idealization of elven women in Middle-earth as an unattainable “princess in a tower” (di

Giovanni, 2011, p. 9-10). Though flattering, this gendered idea removes her from reality and

disempowers her because of her seclusion and safety in Rivendell, according to undergraduate

research (di Giovanni, 2011, p. 9-10). Her “action sequences” occur in The Fellowship of the

Ring, where she evades the Nazgûl with an injured Frodo; in the latter movies, she appears

briefly and always in connection with Aragorn (Jackson, 2001; Berglind, 2017, p. 4).

When viewers meet Éowyn, she serves as her uncle’s caretaker despite being a princess

and a shieldmaiden (Jackson, 2002; Kroeneiss, 2020, p. 113). She challenges her society’s ideas

of how women should “do” gender by expressing the desire to not conform to traditional gender

roles; however, Éowyn returns to more traditional female roles at the end of the trilogy (Brickell,

2006, p. 94; Kroeneiss, 2020, p. 113-4). Éowyn embodies masculine characteristics when she

disguises herself to fight, given the association between combat and masculinity (Jackson, 2003;

Kroeneiss, 2020, p. 120; di Giovanni, 2011, p. 12; Maddox, 2018, p. 7). Through her actions in

combat, she challenges the ideas of male military prowess and role theory, which emphasizes

specific roles for men and women. However, her concealment of her gender and use of

masculinity as a form of strength can transform her actions into acts of gendered oppression, as

they make strength a gendered monolith limited to ideas of male-coded strength (Gould & Kern-

Daniels, 1977, p. 185; Kroeneiss, 2020, p. 119; di Giovanni, 2020, p. 22).

Galadriel, the Lady of Lothlórien, appears in the third act of The Fellowship of the Ring.

Galadriel demonstrates many “masculine” qualities as her husband’s political equal – her

wisdom and power are key to her role in the trilogy (Madill, 2008; Kroeneiss, 2020, p. 106).

Jackson and Tolkien romanticize Galadriel’s spiritual perfection as a pure, feminine, unattainable

sexual object (Maddox, 2018, p. 3). Her near-deification reflects the angel in the house and

further isolates her (Jackson, 2001). When offered the Ring, she does not take it, revealing her

strength of will and heroic qualities (Jackson, 2001; Kroeneiss, 2020, p. 106). However,

Galadriel does not attend the Council of Elrond despite being one of the greatest individuals in

Middle-earth, an indication of the gendered hierarchy in Middle-earth (Maddox, 2018, p. 4).

The representation of masculinity in the Lord of the Rings rejects traditional expectations

and highlights the social constructionist aspect of gender, as “female” qualities strengthen

characters’ moral standing (Kroeneiss, 2020, p. 131). An elderly woman identifies Aragorn as

Isildur’s heir by his healing ability, not his military strength; a feminine quality gives him power

(Kroeneiss, 2020, p. 123; di Giovanni, 2011, p. 40). Sam gardens, Legolas has a strong

connection to nature, and several characters sing (Kroeneiss, 2020, p. 131). Tolkien and Jackson

also challenge hegemonic masculinity, which legitimizes male dominance through aggression,

physical strength, and stoicism. The Ring tempts Boromir, a strong and gruff warrior, to his death

while his father Denethor, bitter, angry, and power-hungry, refuses to act against Sauron; Faramir

survives because he rejects hegemonic masculinity (Jackson, 2001; Jackson, 2003; Madill,

2008). Éowyn and Aragorn incorporate masculinity and femininity in their identities – a warrior

princess and a warrior, healer, and king (Kroeneiss, 2020, p. 127-8; Jackson, 2003).

Symbolic interactionism focuses on how individuals create, modify, and act out meaning

through social interactions; the friendships of the Fellowship go beyond American homosocial

interactions and suggest that Tolkien and Jackson have modified viewers’ expectations of male

friendships (Brickell, 2006, p. 94; di Giovanni, 2011, p. 25). The intimacy of these friendships, to

some, suggests romantic homosexual relationships (di Giovanni, 2011, p. 30; Madill, 2008). This

alternate interpretation allows LGBTQ+ viewers to feel empowered through symbolic

interactionism, as they modified the depiction of the Fellowship to create a new meaning

(Brickell, 2006, p. 94; Madill, 2008). According to undergraduate research, the male characters

express affection, from handholding to forehead and hand kisses, without censure (di Giovanni,

2011, p. 34). Furthermore, undergraduate research notes the male characters experience a wide

range of emotions without stigma (di Giovanni, 2011, p. 27, 35-6, 38).

PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS OF DATA

Arwen’s driving force appears to be love; she has little agency beyond her love for

Aragorn and her father Elrond (Jackson, 2001). Elrond refuses to let Arwen and Aragorn marry

until Aragorn takes the throne of Gondor; Aragorn and Arwen reunite at his coronation, a clear

indication that Arwen is a reward for Aragorn (Jackson, 2001; Jackson, 2003). Arwen remains at

home fulfilling her filial duty to her father at the expense of her happiness; she agrees to sail west

at Elrond’s wish, but she disobeys him for love of Aragorn (Jackson, 2002). Galadriel lives in

sheltered seclusion as the angel in the house, purifying and protecting Lothlórien (Jackson,

2001). Galadriel best resists the Ring, and her purity strengthens her deification (Jackson, 2001).

Others seek to confine Éowyn to gender roles despite her unhappiness; she fears a cage

because she wants more than what her society allows (Jackson, 2002; Jackson, 2003). When

Gandalf restores Théoden, Éowyn no longer needs to remain a caregiver, which may be why she

insists on fighting because she will not neglect her duty (Jackson, 2002). Éowyn declaring that

she “is no man” while fighting the Witch-King (who cannot be slain by a man) highlights her

subversion of gender roles; in her society, women cannot fight, but she received shieldmaiden

training (Jackson, 2003). Éowyn’s decision to highlight her gender indicates the social

importance of gender, and her military success highlights the constructionist nature of gender

roles (Jackson, 2003; Brickell, 2006, p. 93).

Elves appear androgynous and sexless with long hair and long, flowing clothes, perhaps

an indicator of their purity (Jackson, 2001; di Giovanni, 2011, p. 43). The high-fantasy genre also

allows greater flexibility in male hair styles, as most characters had long hair despite their other

masculine qualities (Jackson, 2001; Jackson, 2002; Jackson, 2003). By visually subverting the

expected appearances of male characters in a proto-medieval warrior society, Jackson conveys

the different emphases on gender performance in Middle-earth and demonstrates how gender

performance reflects gendered values, qualities, and expectations in a society.

CONCLUSION

Despite the lack of female characters, Peter Jackson expanded on the roles and

personalities of Éowyn, Arwen Undómiel, and Galadriel in his adaptation of The Lord of the

Rings. The men that display hegemonic masculinity struggle more than those who have

masculine and feminine qualities. The male characters also display their emotions and affection

and have strong friendships with other male characters, qualities demonstrating the performative,

social constructionist, and symbolic interactionist nature of gender. With the new Lord of the

Rings television show airing in September 2022, the new cast reveals more female characters and

characters of color, addressing where the books fell short. A reimagining of Middle-earth for a

modern audience, the show will bring Tolkien into the twenty-first century.

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