I already got in a fight once when somebody insisted that Eöl was totally treated unjustly because after all Aredhel wasn't unwilling. She was not wholly unwilling! That's worlds away!
People can be awful. :(
But to be fair, I don't think the "without gift or leave" concerns Aredhel's consent. Rather, it concerns her family.
I was wondering if someone would challenge me on that! I think you're absolutely right about the correct interpretation of the line. The value system in this chapter is so uncomfortably...chivalrous. All the men in the story (Turgon, Eol, Curufin) think they deserve to have a say in what happens to Aredhel, and the narrative punishes her every time she steps out of line.
My handwavy reinterpretation of Curufin's line was an attempt to mitigate that somewhat--I think it works as a fic explanation, but less well as a true reading of the text.
(Unless my conspiracy theory about Aredhel wanting to be followed touches upon the truth after all! ;))
no subject
People can be awful. :(
But to be fair, I don't think the "without gift or leave" concerns Aredhel's consent. Rather, it concerns her family.
I was wondering if someone would challenge me on that! I think you're absolutely right about the correct interpretation of the line. The value system in this chapter is so uncomfortably...chivalrous. All the men in the story (Turgon, Eol, Curufin) think they deserve to have a say in what happens to Aredhel, and the narrative punishes her every time she steps out of line.
My handwavy reinterpretation of Curufin's line was an attempt to mitigate that somewhat--I think it works as a fic explanation, but less well as a true reading of the text.
(Unless my conspiracy theory about Aredhel wanting to be followed touches upon the truth after all! ;))
I love this theory--it gives her more agency.