Editing Arwen (section)

== Analysis ==

{{further|Women in The Lord of the Rings}}

As related in ''[[The History of Middle-earth]]'', Tolkien conceived the character of "Elrond's daughter" late in the writing.<ref name="warofthering" group=T>{{harvnb|Tolkien|1990}} p. 370 "Finduilas Elrond's daughter"</ref><ref name="saurondefeated" group=T>{{harvnb|Tolkien|1992}} pp. 59, 66-67 "Many Partings"</ref> Prior to this, he had considered having Aragorn marry [[Éowyn]] of the royal family of [[Rohan (Middle-earth)|Rohan]].<ref name="treason" group=T>{{harvnb|Tolkien|1989}}pp. 83-84</ref><ref name="Fontenot 2020">{{cite web |last=Fontenot |first=Megan N. |title=Exploring the People of Middle-earth: Arwen Undómiel, Evenstar of Her People |url=https://www.tor.com/2020/10/29/exploring-the-people-of-middle-earth-arwen-undomiel-evenstar-of-her-people/comment-page-1/ |publisher=Tor.com |access-date=25 March 2021 |date=29 October 2020}}</ref>

Arwen is depicted as extremely beautiful; she is in Melissa Hatcher's view in ''[[Mythlore]]'' "a symbol of the unattainable, a perfect match for the unattainable Aragorn in Éowyn's eyes."<ref name="Hatcher 2007">{{cite journal |last=Hatcher |first=Melissa McCrory |year=2007 |title=Finding Woman's Role in The Lord of the Rings |journal=[[Mythlore]] |volume=25 |issue=3 |at=article 5 |url=https://dc.swosu.edu/mythlore/vol25/iss3/5}}</ref> Carol Leibiger wrote in the ''[[J.R.R. Tolkien Encyclopedia]]'' that Arwen's lack of involvement follows the general Elvish pattern, already established in ''[[The Silmarillion]]'' and continued in ''The Lord of the Rings'', of retreating to safe havens.<ref name="Leibiger 2013">{{cite encyclopedia |last=Leibiger |first=Carol A. |editor-last=Drout |editor-first=Michael D. C. |editor-link=Michael D. C. Drout |title=Women in Tolkien's Works |encyclopedia=[[The J. R. R. Tolkien Encyclopedia]] |year=2013 |orig-year=2007 |publisher=[[Routledge]] |isbn=978-0-415-86511-1 |pages=710–712}}</ref>

The scholar of English literature Nancy Enright wrote that Arwen, like [[Christ]], is an immortal who voluntarily chooses mortality out of love, in her case for Aragorn. She granted that Arwen is not a conspicuous character, and unlike Éowyn does not ride into battle, but stated that her inner power is "subtly conveyed" and present throughout the novel.<ref name="Enright 2007">{{cite journal |last=Enright |first=Nancy |title=Tolkien's Females and the Defining of Power |journal=[[Renascence (journal)|Renascence]] |volume=59 |issue=2 |year=2007 |pages=93–108 |issn=0034-4346 |doi=10.5840/renascence200759213}}</ref>