Eowyn is appointed to remain at Edoras, despite her obvious desire to ride with them to Gondor. More surprising, Theoden orders Merry to also remain, since "none of my Riders can bear you as a burden," and "what would you do, Master Meriadoc, sword-thain though you be, greater of heart than of stature." Though for different reasons than Eowyn, Merry is to be left behind of who he is, and what others assume he is capable of. But there is a change of fortune.
Merry looked up and saw that it was the young Rider whom he had noticed in the morning.
‘You wish to go whither the Lord of the Mark goes: I see it in your face.’
‘You wish to go whither the Lord of the Mark goes: I see it in your face.’
‘I do,’ said Merry.
‘Then you shall go with me,’ said the Rider. ‘I will bear you before me, under my cloak
until we are far afield, and this darkness is yet darker. Such good will should not be
denied. Say no more to any man, but come!’
until we are far afield, and this darkness is yet darker. Such good will should not be
denied. Say no more to any man, but come!’
‘Thank you indeed!’ said Merry. ‘Thank you, sir, though I do not know your name.’
‘Do you not?’ said the Rider softly. ‘Then call me Dernhelm.’
Merry will get his war.
Dernhelm, we all know, is Eowyn. Sick of being left behind at every turn, she finally goes rogue and disguises herself as a rider. We understand.
What is more difficult to understand is why she decides to take Merry with her, thus doubling the chances she will be noticed. She could presumably be an antisocial rider relatively easily, if she's worried talking to other will give herself away. But hiding a second person is going to be considerably more difficult. So why does she take Merry, when it makes her own success more doubtful.
Intersectionality is the idea that all social struggle is connected. That the fight against racism and the fight against antisemitism and the fight against Islamophobia and the fight against sexism are not four separate fights, but four battles for the same fight for social justice. If those who fight sexism also fight racism, and those who fight racism also fight sexism, each benefit from the cooperation. It also prevents people from winning 'their' fight and calling it a day. White women will fight sexism, but black women obviously must fight both sexism and racism. By intertwining all struggles, all of these fights have more resources.
Eowyn understands intersectionality intuitively. She is able to wear armor and pass as a man. Merry, due to his size, will never be able to do that. He will need some help. Rather than leave Merry behind, Eowyn ties their fate together by taking him with her.
Intersectionality is like a ladder. As you fight for your rights, you go up the ladder. Once up, you use your new elevation to help others climb up. It calls on me, a white Jew, to use my whiteness to assist Jews who face more antisemitism because they appear more obviously Jewish. It also demands I use my whiteness to assist other groups, like Muslims and people of color. It also says that fighting only antisemitism isn't enough. Resting once antisemitism is defeated (a tall order to be sure) would make me part of the problem. Of course, the inverse is true: I can depend on Muslims and people of color to stand up to antisemitism with me. Viewing our struggles as connected makes it harder for others to be pit us each other - no longer may blacks feels Latinx success comes at their expense. Justice is not a pie - There isn't a finite amount.
Eowyn realizes leaving behind Merry would be unjust. His struggle is her struggle - he also wants to fight but has been denied. Eowyn could leave him behind, but why? If they both go, they can support each other. If they both go, she won't have to completely isolate herself to avoid being caught. If she gets Merry's back now, he will have her back later. The cooperation benefits them both. Such as it is with social justice.
Another thing to note is to look at Theoden's words more closely, which reflect a privileges and unreflective viewpoint. He says since "none of my Riders can bear you as a burden," and "what would you do, Master Meriadoc, sword-thain though you be, greater of heart than of stature." Let's look at these separately.
"None of my Riders can bear you as a burden" makes the assumption that NO ONE wants to bring Merry along. Theoden supposes that since he considers it too difficult that everyone else will agree with him. He doesn't consider that other people may disagree and be willing to take on a burden to assist another's cause. He considers only the cost of bringing him to battle and not the benefit.
That brings us to the other issue, that Theoden considers Merry only a burden. He admires Merry's energy, but expresses doubt he can really do anything. Again, Theoden's thinking is very self-centered. He can't imagine someone different from himself (in both size and training) making an impact on the battlefield. Theoden's picture of an effective warrior is very narrow.
This narrow thinking suppresses the potential of those around him. While Theoden thinks he is protecting Eowyn and Merry by not letting them come, this protection is actually a prison. They may live, but they will not thrive. It is essential to a fully realized life that one not only survives but flourishes. But there are many ways to flourish. In order to help others thrive we need to broaden our sense of what a full life is - otherwise we are only forcing square pegs into circular holes.
Lastly, it's worth noting Eowyn and Merry do in fact make a difference on the battlefield, and they do so precisely because they are not men (Eowyn is a woman, and Merry is a hobbit). Had they allowed themselves to be left behind Theoden's forces would have been slaughtered.
I will say it again and again: Just because you do not see what someone's potential is does not mean they have none. In the critical moment, having a diverse array of skills on hand can only increase the chances of success. But diversity rarely happens on its own. We must cultivate and encourage it.
Like this project? Want to learn more? Want exclusive access to behind-the-scenes content? Go to my Patreon site and see how you can become a part of the action!
Eowyn understands intersectionality intuitively. She is able to wear armor and pass as a man. Merry, due to his size, will never be able to do that. He will need some help. Rather than leave Merry behind, Eowyn ties their fate together by taking him with her.
Intersectionality is like a ladder. As you fight for your rights, you go up the ladder. Once up, you use your new elevation to help others climb up. It calls on me, a white Jew, to use my whiteness to assist Jews who face more antisemitism because they appear more obviously Jewish. It also demands I use my whiteness to assist other groups, like Muslims and people of color. It also says that fighting only antisemitism isn't enough. Resting once antisemitism is defeated (a tall order to be sure) would make me part of the problem. Of course, the inverse is true: I can depend on Muslims and people of color to stand up to antisemitism with me. Viewing our struggles as connected makes it harder for others to be pit us each other - no longer may blacks feels Latinx success comes at their expense. Justice is not a pie - There isn't a finite amount.
Eowyn realizes leaving behind Merry would be unjust. His struggle is her struggle - he also wants to fight but has been denied. Eowyn could leave him behind, but why? If they both go, they can support each other. If they both go, she won't have to completely isolate herself to avoid being caught. If she gets Merry's back now, he will have her back later. The cooperation benefits them both. Such as it is with social justice.
Another thing to note is to look at Theoden's words more closely, which reflect a privileges and unreflective viewpoint. He says since "none of my Riders can bear you as a burden," and "what would you do, Master Meriadoc, sword-thain though you be, greater of heart than of stature." Let's look at these separately.
"None of my Riders can bear you as a burden" makes the assumption that NO ONE wants to bring Merry along. Theoden supposes that since he considers it too difficult that everyone else will agree with him. He doesn't consider that other people may disagree and be willing to take on a burden to assist another's cause. He considers only the cost of bringing him to battle and not the benefit.
That brings us to the other issue, that Theoden considers Merry only a burden. He admires Merry's energy, but expresses doubt he can really do anything. Again, Theoden's thinking is very self-centered. He can't imagine someone different from himself (in both size and training) making an impact on the battlefield. Theoden's picture of an effective warrior is very narrow.
This narrow thinking suppresses the potential of those around him. While Theoden thinks he is protecting Eowyn and Merry by not letting them come, this protection is actually a prison. They may live, but they will not thrive. It is essential to a fully realized life that one not only survives but flourishes. But there are many ways to flourish. In order to help others thrive we need to broaden our sense of what a full life is - otherwise we are only forcing square pegs into circular holes.
Lastly, it's worth noting Eowyn and Merry do in fact make a difference on the battlefield, and they do so precisely because they are not men (Eowyn is a woman, and Merry is a hobbit). Had they allowed themselves to be left behind Theoden's forces would have been slaughtered.
I will say it again and again: Just because you do not see what someone's potential is does not mean they have none. In the critical moment, having a diverse array of skills on hand can only increase the chances of success. But diversity rarely happens on its own. We must cultivate and encourage it.
The Lord of the Rings: An Ethical Guide is a Patreon-supported project. Thank you to all those who have contributed.
Like this project? Want to learn more? Want exclusive access to behind-the-scenes content? Go to my Patreon site and see how you can become a part of the action!
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