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Eowyn - Overrated? Eowyn of Rohan - she's often seen as one of the strongest female characters in literature history. However, there are those who will tell you that Eowyn was anything but strong - she's a coward, a sell-out, and overrated. Now, seeing as how I'm an Eowyn fan, I might be a little biased. [Okay, I am biased.] However, it all depends on how you interpret her character; considering her character, in my mind, the end of her story in LOTR makes perfect sense. When we first meet Eowyn, she's at what she percieves as the end of her life. Rohan is going to fall, her family and kin will die, and due to her gender and place in life, she can do nothing about it. She is utterly without hope. Then, she meets Aragorn, who is much like Earendil, in that he was born as hope for Middle-earth. He's amazing to her - Aragorn, to Eowyn, is hope embodied, who can do what others cannot and can save Rohan - and the world, for that matter. Eowyn is suicidal at this point. For anyone who's ever been suicidal and survived to tell the tale, they can understand how Eowyn felt, and how she must have felt when Aragorn came into her life. However, it isn't when Eowyn discovers that Aragorn has a lover that her hope falters [in the book, I don't think she ever knew - Aragorn only said he would rather be in Rivendell, but not why]; it's when Aragorn refuses to let her ride with his company to Gondor. She does not desire to stay behind, and she assumed that Aragorn would understand; however, being told to stay put was like a slap in the face. Then, her previous state of mind returns, and she decides that if there is no hope left and if death is really unescapable, then she mine as well die with honor. She disguises herself as Dernhelm, a warrior of Rohan, and is then allowed to ride out into combat. There, she slays the Witch King, but is wounded. She is near death, but Aragorn saves her. When she awakens, she is still in a state of hopelessness. Why? Well, for one thing, Theoden, who was a father to her, is dead. Also, she does not know what to make of Aragorn; she still has feelings of adoration and love for him, but to her it is obvious now he does not feel the same way. Then, she meets Faramir, who falls in love with her at first site. He brings hope to her yet again; he shows her that there is something yet worth living for. This is not weakness on Eowyn's part, but to her, the world is doomed, she is doomed, and now she's alive when she wishes she was dead. She is healed when she meets Faramir, and decides to no longer be a shieldmaiden - why? weakness? Oh no. Eowyn has finally learned to love life for what it is; she can assume she was sorrowful and in a state of depression her entire life, for she was born in a dark time. She has also been oppressed her entire life, unable to charge out into battle because she is a woman. Happiness does not come easy to her. But, after finding hope after loosing hope, and learning to love life, she decided that she rather heal. There was no threat of a shadow left, and nothing left to fight - being a shieldmaiden would be a lonely and aimless job. Her choice is a typical reaction of those who come out of depression; I know that once I left that state of mind, I stopped hating humanity and wanted to help people, not hurt them. My case and Eowyn's case are hardly the same thing, but...let me put it this way; Eowyn did NOT sell out. She did not choose to people a helpess damsel in a tower, unable to fight for fear of breaking a nail. She learned to love life. If there was another war, Eowyn would surely take part in it. However, the threat was OVER. Gone. At that point, the only shadow that hung over Eowyn was the shadow that had been with her throughout her entire life. Also, there is no shame in being a healer; Elrond, who is one of the strongest among living beings on Middle-earth, is a healer. Like Eowyn, he saw horrible things in his youth and had many loved ones die; after going through terrible times and seeing horrible things, wanting to help is not a strange reaction at all. At the end of Return of the King, she finally learned to enjoy life again, and wanted to help the people. Being happy and being a healer is in no way being weak, and learning to enjoy life after wishing to die is a blessing, not a curse.