Before looking at polders in other fantasy novels, it is important to compare the above mentioned three safe havens to Middle-earth in general, as they are presented in a different way to the rest of the world. At the centre of them is a motherly figure who protects ‘children’ from evil influences from the outside. Besides the three polders described, there are two more and one of them is actually the first one that Frodo reaches on his long journey through Middle-earth. It is Farmer Maggot’s house, where a motherly figure, Mrs. Maggot, gives Frodo a basket full of the mushrooms that he loves (Fellowship 95), and shows affection and care for the hunted hobbits. In contrast to the three safe havens already mentioned this place is protected by fierce dogs instead of by magic. At first Frodo does not perceive it as a safe place because of his past encounters with Farmer Maggot, resulting from expeditions as a young hobbit to steal the farmer’s mushrooms.
Another safe haven and the last safe place that Frodo and Sam reach before they enter Mordor is Faramir’s hiding place in Ithilien. This place is maintained by soldiers (not magic) and it consists only of men led by Faramir. Frodo is afraid of Faramir and hides the purpose of his journey, but once Sam feels safe, he starts talking about Galadriel, which finally gives away their purpose to Faramir. Faramir does not desire the Ring for himself, but Frodo does not trust him completely and waking from sleep he finds “Faramir bending over him, [and] for a second old fears seized him and [...] he shrank away” (Towers 668). It is actually Sam who trusts Faramir, comparing him with
Gandalf (Towers 667), while Frodo, only after leaving Faramir’s company sees that he was safe with him and orders Gollum not to speak ill of Faramir and his men (Towers 680).
When compared to other safe havens this one is definitely without a motherly figure at the centre of it. Perhaps this is why Frodo never feels completely secure there. This absence is replaced with a strong character who refuses the temptation to use the Ring, cares for Frodo, gives him advice before they depart to Mordor, to “beware of [his] guide, Smeagol” and, as he said so, “[he] sighed” (Towers 678), indicating that Faramir is represented as a strong but also caring fatherly figure and that his hideout is another safe haven for Frodo. However, this is only fully appreciated by Frodo as he continues his journey into the heart of Mordor, while in other safe havens it is immediately obvious that the place is a sanctuary.
However, Faramir is a warrior and clearly a brave one as his post is the closest to the Mordor. Other main figures in safe havens, even if they are not exactly warriors, also possess warrior characteristics. Galadriel is the only female who is the maintainer of the realm, but again she is more a general in the background than a soldier who fights her enemies face to face. Moreover, in
LotR it is hard to find a woman who is important and at the same time is free to wander the world;
Eowyn must conceal her femininity in order to ride with the Riders of Rohan into the battle, i.e. leave her domesticated sphere. Even evil Shelob is confined to her cave, waiting for her prey to come.
Certain spheres are completely female free, such as the Fangorn forest where the Ents live without their Entwives. In the realms of Rohan and Godor women are barely mentioned and in the two ‘evil’ realms of Isengard and Mordor, there is not a single mention of females. The race of orcs live there and logically they must breed, but there is no mention of orc females.
Theoden, the King of Rohan who rides with his army into battles, is depicted as a ‘good’2 character and at the same time his role as a father is emphasized throughout the story. This is best shown when Theoden falls off his horse, and Dernhelm (Eowyn in disguise) “wept, for he had loved his lord as a father”, and Merry remembers that he said to the old king “[as] a father you shall be to me” (Return 822).
Denethor, the Steward of Gondor, is presented as a self-centred father who thinks only of himself
2 ‘Good’ characters in LotR are presented as those allied with Frodo, the ring-bearer, and ‘evil’ characters those allied
and does not care for his son. Talking of the death of his brother Boromir, Faramir asks: “ ‘Do you wish then,’ said Faramir, ‘that our places had been exchanged?’ ‘Yes, I wish that indeed,’ said Denethor. ‘For Boromir was loyal to me and no wizard’s pupil. He would have remembered his father’s need, and […] would have brought me a mighty gift [the Ring]’ ” (Return 795).
It is thought-provoking that Denethor, although a Lord and Commander of Gondor, who all his life guarded Middle-earth from Mordor, at the end of his life confines himself willingly to a female sphere by not leaving the safe haven, fails as a father and ends as a villain. Saruman, Sauron and Denethor are portrayed as cowards commanding their armies from confined spheres which are, in Middle-earth, traditionally female spheres. Sauron loses his chief servant, the Lord of the Nazgul, but it seems that for the Dark Lord this is just another lost pawn on a chessboard. Only Grima the Wormtongue stays with Saruman after his defeat, until Grima kills him.
Thus it is clear that female characters are highly praised and appreciated when they restrict themselves to the confined sphere of home, as wives, mothers and daughters. However, men are appreciated when they are brave, confront their problems directly, are active in the outside world and try to be good and righteous fathers.
LotR clearly emphasizes and favours distinct male and female spheres and distinct gender roles:
male warriors and female nurturers. In spite of Tolkien’s tendency to represent those few females as very complex and important characters, men of Middle-earth “operate within a system that is overtly patriarchal” and Tolkien maintains “accustomed gender hierarchy” (Fredrick and McBride,
Women 109). However, a safe haven needs to be represented by both a female and a male in order to
be perceived as a safe place, which indicates that males are appreciated first as good fathers, such as king Theoden, and then as rulers and warriors, while females are appreciated as good mothers, for example Galadriel or Goldberry.