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Gollum/Sméagol

 

While most of the main characters in The Lord of the Rings are either good or evil, the wretched creature Gollum constantly struggles between the two. Gollum was once a good hobbit named Sméagol, and this past identity comes to represent Gollum’s good side, the part of him that loves and wants to help his “master,” Frodo. However, Sméagol the hobbit had a glaring weakness. During a fishing trip, his companion found the ring in the water, and Sméagol wanted it so much that he killed the other hobbit to get it. This evil act eventually transformed Sméagol into the slimy, hunched Gollum who follows Frodo. Gollum, the dark side of Sméagol, covets the ring, which he calls “my precious,” so much that he is willing to kill for it again. Gollum and Sméagol struggle with each other, often arguing about what course of action to take and how far to go to gain possession of the ring. The evil Gollum side usually wins, and in the trilogy, Gollum serves as a symbol of how the ring can transform a basically decent person into a dirty, smelly, swamp creature. Gollum is a complex combination of good and evil, and this ambiguity sets him apart from other characters in the trilogy, who are usually completely good or wholly evil. Gollum’s history provides a window into his psyche, and, with him more than with any other character, we can see what motivates both his actions and his anxiety. Gollum’s utter helplessness in the presence of the ring renders him, to some extent, an object of sympathy.

Gollum serves as a foil to Frodo, his physical presence implicitly emphasizing the younger hobbit’s strength and purity. However, Gollum is not pure evil—that distinction goes to Sauron. Instead, Gollum is pure servility, and this characteristic unites both his good and dark sides and allows him to function as a guide for Frodo. The opposite of servility—strength of character and individual will—become those qualities that a good ring-bearer must have, qualities that Frodo clearly has in abundance.

Sam

 

Sam views Frodo much as Frodo views the ring, as something to be protected and guided to a final destination, and Sam’s dedication makes him one of the most important members of the fellowship. While Aragorn is the star fighter of the group, it is Sam who proves the most indispensable to Frodo, and the two are so isolated in their journey that they usually don’t know what the other members of the fellowship are doing or facing. Though the other members make it possible for Frodo and Sam to continue on their journey, Sam himself makes it possible for Frodo to carry on. Sam takes his responsibilities as Frodo’s companion very seriously, and he upholds his vow never to leave Frodo even when circumstances are at their most dangerous. When an exhausted Frodo falters near the end of The Return of the King, Sam literally carries his friend the rest of the distance to Mount Doom. Sam is loyal as well as pure, and this purity helps him resist the power of the ring. Sam has countless opportunities to steal the ring from Frodo, but he takes it only when he believes Frodo is dead. He returns the ring with little hesitation, a selfless act that suggests that had Frodo actually died, Sam would have had the strength to carry out the destruction of it on his own.



 

Frodo’s strength at times seems almost otherworldly, but Sam’s is very much of the world, and this distinction becomes clear at the end of The Return of the King. While Frodo struggles to readjust to normal life in the Shire, Sam thrives. He bravely approaches the woman he has always loved, marries her, and soon is a father of two. The journey to Mordor gave Sam new confidence and maturity, and our final glimpse of him shows him to be on his way to a long, happy life. Frodo, however, has been changed by the journey in a way the Shire can no longer accommodate, and his only option is to leave.

Merry

Merry is a likable, brave, and humorous character in The Lord of the Rings trilogy.

Merry is one of the members of the fellowship dedicated to protecting Frodo, and guiding him on his way to destroying the One Ring. Throughout the book, Merry develops as a very entertaining character. He has a dedication to Frodo's quest, and he proves that you can find an immensely brave soul in even the smallest characters. He shares a deep bond with another member of the fellowship, Pippin. They are rarely seen away from each other, and they are great friends. During the trilogy, many things happen to Merry. He fights off enemies, defends Frodo, and travels across Middle Earth. Overall, Merry is a valiant, entertaining, and thoroughly likable character in The Lord of the Rings.

 

STUDY QUESTIONS

Study Question 1

Frodo and Gollom in The Lord of the Rings act as foils or doubles for each other.? How does this relate to the broader themes Tolkien explores in his novel?

 

Answer for Study Question 1

 

Frodo and Gollum function as doubles, embodying the two opposite consequences of bearing the Ring. Both are small, but Gollum is smaller—a shriveled, black, and dirty version of a Hobbit. In one sense, they are opponents, united only by Frodo’s mercy and forbearance. In another sense, Frodo and Gollum are one and the same. Gollum represents Frodo’s ego or inner self—the portion of Frodo that longs for the Ring. Frodo, when he tells off Gollum while ascending Mount Doom, appears to Sam as though dressed in white, as if he has mastered his darker, blacker self. When Frodo hesitates at the edge of the Cracks, he puts on the Ring and disappears. In the following struggle, Gollum is the only visible enemy, symbolizing the brief victory of Frodo’s evil side. It is unclear who is responsible for Gollum’s mistaken fall. What is apparent, though, is that the inner spiritual and external physical threats to Frodo’s goodness are difficult to distinguish, rendering the portrayal of evil in The Lord of the Rings still more ambiguous.

Study Question 2

 

What are some of the physical symbols of evil in The Lord of the Rings? What do these symbols suggest about the nature or reality of evil? What is Tolkien’s view of evil?

Answer for Study Question 2

 

In one sense, the physical symbols of evil in The Lord of the Rings depict evil as an overwhelming external physical force. At the opening of Book V, a thick blanket of gloom spreads out over the land of Gondor. The Darkness, or Shadow as it is often called, dulls the senses and makes the air stifling. The effects are similar to those of the Ring as Frodo nears Mordor and Mount Doom. Like a heavy magnet repelling its source, the Ring drags Frodo down, exhausting him until he can no longer walk. Furthermore, as Frodo and Sam approach the heart of Mordor, they increasingly feel the presence of the Great Eye of Sauron, fixed atop the Dark Tower where Sauron resides. The Eye conveys Sauron’s will. The strength of Mordor’s forces and the damage that is wrought upon the physical world all flow from the power source of the Eye.

 

In another sense, the physical symbols of evil seem to derive their evil quality from those who perceive them. A “physical symbol” cannot be entirely physical, as a symbol must possess a constant quality that suggests there is more to the object than expected. The Darkness does not abate while Sauron rules; yet, as a shadow, the Darkness is immaterial, without power, and only a means of frightening onlookers such as Pippin. The Ring also manifests a certain ambivalence in its nature. Frodo feels the Ring is a giant weight, but Sam carries Frodo up Mount Doom with surprising ease, indicating that the Ring itself does not actually exert a real force. Evil is, in a way, a human creation, for while frightening or overwhelming events occur in the physical world, individuals must interpret these events and label them as evil. Tolkien, however, does not clarify this picture of evil. The physical world and the mental life of Middle-earth’s inhabitants play reciprocal roles in defining evil.

 

 


Date: 2015-12-24; view: 743


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