Appendix: Action Elves Are Canon

*Many people seem to think that Legolas's stunts in the films are over-the-top, and deserving of scorn. They say that such stunts are a deviation from Tolkien. This list is to show that the contrary is true – Tolkien created and used such 'action elves'. It is, in fact, an inherent part of being an elf.*

Arwen Undómiel

*This essay is a part of my 'Tolkien and Gender' series. You must read my Intro before reading this essay.*

Arwen is my favorite character, and I became a Tolkien fan because of her. Yes, you read that right. Arwen is an amazing character, and I find the way a lot of people frequently interpret her incredibly problematic.

Most people say that 'she doesn't do anything' and that she is 'passive' or 'submissive'. Passive means “accepting or allowing what happens or what others do, without active response or resistance.” Submit means “to yield or surrender (oneself) to the will or authority of another.” They mean that Arwen does nothing to assert herself, influence events around her, or change her place in life. That she is, in short, a trophy bride.

Nothing could be further from the truth. With as little page time as Arwen has, she has quite an active role and an enormous effect on the plot.