In the new thread where we are discussing The Appendices to LOTR, we have started a conversation that is ultimately about how women are treated by Tolkien in his writings. This led me to think about Arwen and Aragorn. I was looking up several writings ... new essays and theses that deal with their relationship and I was struck by something that I found disturbing. In every single one of these papers/writings a point is made (strongly in most cases) that Arwen was the cause of siginificant strife and animosity between Elrond and Aragorn ... that it caused a permanent rift between them. I must say that I completely disagree with this premise and in each case I feel strongly that the writers have been unduly influenced by the way this is portrayed in Peter Jackson's films.
There is no doubt in my mind that it was Tolkien's desire to show how both Elrond and Aragorn agonized over the choice that Arwen would have to make someday whether she stayed in Middle-earth with Aragorn or sailed to the West with her father ... BUT ... I do not believe that Tolkien wrote this point of contention as permanently dissolving the bond between Aragorn and Elrond. Even PJ did not take it that far, yet these writers (without mentioning the films at all) all make it seem that the romance ended the relationship between the two.
Tolkien writes that Elrond was steadfast in that Aragorn must re-establish his kingdom and his kingship before he would agree to the union. Tolkien, indeed, has Elrond state, "And now a shadow lies between us." But, he still calls Aragorn, "my son" and Tolkien writes ... "Then Aragorn took leave lovingly of Elrond ... ". There, of course, is none of this in PJ's films to a point where the opposite is depicted, far more forcefully.
My point for discussion is ... have we/they/writers/Tolkien scholars succeeded in blending film and book on this point? Have these writers been overly influenced by the films' portrayal of this relationship and lost Tolkien's true intent that although the love between Aragorn and Arwen was fraught with heartache and difficulty, the relationship between Elrond and Aragorn remained respectful and loving? If you read a few of these essays ... you would not think so. (I Googled women in Tolkien)
What say you?
