Y’know, I think that might be the most apt characterization of the two of them I’ve heard.
It does kinda boil them down to their essence, doesn’t it?
Wait…are you saying you’re not actually him?
This does not take into the account that Eowyn is a lot better looking. Arwen wins out only in …
Well, there must be something.
Arwen is almost three thousand years old, and is tied with Galadriel as being considered the most beautiful woman in Middle-earth. She’s split her entire life between two of the most powerful beings in Middle-earth, Elrond and Galadriel. I think she probably has an interesting story or two. And being the spitting image of Luthien come again, she probably could sing pretty well.
Eowyn was brave, but she was primarily a fame-seeker until after the Houses of Healing. She was motivated by a desire for renown, understandable given her culture, but maybe a tad tacky by ours. Arwen had a much stronger sense of her own worth, and didn’t feel the need to go out with a sword to prove how valuable she was. Eowyn was all emo and essentially suicidal; she rode to what she assumed (and rather hoped) would be her death, with a little hope that maybe she’d get some glory on the way.
Apparently slaying a Nazgul is cathartic, because I’ve never been able to account for Eowyn’s sudden change of heart the moment a decent guy came on to her.
Chicks dig new clothes. 
Your mileage may vary, I suppose. Anyway I was going by the movie version, as it is an even day and thus I am free to acknowledge that Peter Jackson exists.
:eek::eek::eek::eek::eek:
:mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad:
I am agog at the baseless slander in the above. You, madam, are no gentleman.
Everybody knows that was because Faramir let her be the man in every way. I would describe the wedding gift they received from Gimli to assist in this but I am afraid that Curtis Lemay or one of our other underagers might wander in.
Curtis Lemay is a teenager? That explains a lot.
Skald, she says herself that she wants renown and glory, and let’s face it: that culture is very much oriented to glory in death (The fact that it brings tears to my eyes when Theoden gets all Death and Glory doesn’t change the fact that basically he’s talking like a suicide bomber when you think about it from a contemporary viewpoint). She also is repeatedly described (as Dernhelm/Eowyn) as one who does not look to survive. When she is revived in the Houses of Healing, she asks “Why did you bring me back” or something of that sort.
Look, you know I love the Rohirrim. But I love them because they make a wonderful culture in a story. The fact is, I wouldn’t really want to be around any of them in real life. The Vikings were people who would kill you for inadvertently insulting their beard. The records actually reflect that it was not unusual for them to kill each other off for what we would consider trivial reasons. They make great stories, but they would have been really awful to live with. An “honor”-driven culture is not what it’s cracked up to be.
She was motivated (in part) by glory, but she was not motivated by fame. They’re not the same thing. It’s possible to die gloriously in a noble last stand that nobody living will ever even hear of. And she wasn’t entirely motivated by glory, either. It seems to me that that takes second place for her to love: Love for her country, love for her people, and love for Theoden. Remember, it’s not until the Witch-King is threatening to prey upon Theoden that she’s inspired to defy him.
I am with those who think Eowyn was suicidally depressed myself. She didn’t care about fame at all; in fact she didn’t think fame was even a possibility, because she thought Rohan and Gondor were doomed. But she could not commit suicide by her own ethics and thus needed a valorous way out.
The above should not be read as implying that Faramir healed her of her depression, incidentally. She was healed, but not by him.
Even by the movie version Arwen beats out Eowyn (in beauty) hands (and other body parts) down, any day of the week. Not even a contest. 
:: looks around vainly for shrugging smiley, finds none, snarls & kicks passing raccoon in irritation ::
Dicussions of which hot chicker is hotter are pointless. I mean, I think Peggy Olsen is the best looking character on Mad Men, but no one agrees.
Oops, was corrupted by the movies. Again. Sorry, it happens.
You’re right; Eowyn looks not for renown, but just the opportunity to do great deeds, and to be with Aragorn. Once she thinks that Aragorn has gone to his own death, she is basically suicidally desperate for both her perceived loss of Aragorn and desperation to get out and about like the men, but she does not speak of gaining renown for herself.
I’m too tall to be a hobbit, but goddammit, all I wanna do is sit around and eat all day.
Y’all can have your adventures; I’ma go grab another beer.
But not edgeless, if you’re discussing with a dwarf.
Die gloriously in a noble last stand that nobody living will ever hear of? Aragorn pointed out that this could be her fate, and she said:
Well then I doubly identify with her…
Can everybody play?
Found here…
Nicely done.