Gollum is one of the most known and popular characters in The Lord of the Rings. It is important to note that he is not only a popular character but an important one as well. According to one scholar, “Gollum offers us a cautionary tale: addictions can destroy us, moral choices have real consequences, and few people are immune from evil's continuous search for surrogates.” The character of Gollum illustrates many important ideas within The Lord of the Rings. These include the metaphor of addiction and the importance of mercy and grace. By exploring the importance of Gollum in The Lord of the Rings a better understanding can be reached of the ideas, metaphors and themes that pertain to this character.
Gollum was originally a hobbit called
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It appears that at one point Gollum might actually turn good. Due to Sam’s harsh treatment however this good behavior is short lived. In fact, Tolkien has said that this can be seen as the most tragic element in the story. In letter 246 he states, “If he had understood better what was going on between Frodo and Gollum, things might have turned out differently in the end. For me perhaps the most tragic moment in the Tale comes in II 323 ff. when Sam fails to note the complete change in Gollum's tone and aspect. 'Nothing, nothing', said Gollum softly. 'Nice master!’ His repentance is blighted and all Frodo's pity is (in a sense) wasted. Shelob's lair became inevitable.” This is important to note just how different the events of the book could have turned out had Gollum changed. It does seem however that Frodo always knew the strong connection to the Ring Gollum had and never fully trusted him. Yet he still had mercy on Gollum. Frodo decided to have pity on Gollum just as Bilbo once had. Tolkien states in letter 181, “To 'pity' him, to forbear to kill him, was a piece of folly, or a mystical belief in the ultimate value -- in -- itself of pity and generosity even if disastrous in the world of time. he did rob him and injure him in the end -- but by a 'grace', that last betrayal was at a precise juncture when the final evil deed was the most beneficial thing anyone cd. have done for Frodo!” Here is a very clear example in how providence played a role in the actions and outcomes of the story. It is important to note that Frodo does not simply cast the Ring into Mt. Doom. Frodo has become corrupted enough to the point where he cannot get rid of the ring. Here at this moment of despair Tolkien shows the work of a higher power by turning a selfish and evil act into a redeeming one. On essay in the book The lord of the rings and
It will be the contention of this paper that much of Tolkien's unique vision was directly shaped by recurring images in the Catholic culture which shaped JRRT, and which are not shared by non-Catholics generally. The expression of these images in Lord of the Rings will then concern us.
Learning Module Seven - “Human Action” Myth in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
In Tolkien’s lecture, “Beowulf: The monsters and the Critics,” he argues that Beowulf has been over analyzed for its historical content, and it is not being studied as a piece of art as it should be. He discusses what he perceives the poet of Beowulf intended to do, and why he wrote the poem the way he did. Tolkien’s main proposition, “it was plainly only in the consideration of Beowulf as a poem, with an inherent poetic significance, that any view or conviction can be reached or steadily held” (Tolkien). He evaluates why the author centers the monsters throughout the entire poem, why the poem has a non-harmonic structure, why and how the author fusses together Christianity and Paganism, and how the author uses time to make his fictional poem seem real. He also discusses the overall theme of Beowulf and other assumptions of the text. To support his viewpoints, Tolkien uses quotations and examples from the poem, quotations from other critics, and compares Beowulf to other works of art. Tolkien discusses several statements in interpreting Beowulf as a poem.
...Pity 2. Self-sacrifice B. Evil 1. corruption (Gollum) 2. greed (Smaug) II. Characters, Christian and anti-Christian A. Christian 1. Comparing to Christ a. Bilbo b. Gandalf B. Anti-Christian 1. Satan a. Saruman b. The Ring III. Power of the Imagination A. Creates secondary belief B. Escape through imagination
Humans exist between two distinct beliefs, one being that of individualism where the person is only focused on benefiting their self and their tribe, and the other being altruistic where the priority is put on the betterment of the group at the downfall of the individual. In nature, animals only exist in the belief of self betterment but humans have the moral dilemma between self preservation and group preservation. Through new perspectives, this inner conflict can be transformed to become more altruistic or group minded. Whether that be through the journey of saving Middle Earth or the simple journey through high school. This theme is explored in J.R.R Tolkien's novel, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. This novel takes the reader through
The paper will begin with a look at the life of Tolkien. This will serve the purpose of providing some context for the novel. Looking into the life of Tolkien will also serve to give the reader some insight into the mind that gave birth to such a rich land and why the novel may have some importance for sufferers of mental illness. Next will likely be a short summation of the
Although JRR Tolkien is notorious for his numerous, and often seemingly irrelevant, minor characters - the necessity of an index of names in The Return of the King proves this without a doubt - one of the most crucial and fascinating characters of The Lord of the Rings physically appears in barely more than one-sixth of the novel. The character Sméagol, often referred to by his alter ego Gollum, on a basic level serves only to guide Frodo and Sam to Mordor, as well as to destroy the Ring when Frodo cannot. However, in the course of doing so, we are revealed, hint by hint, of the enigmatic and contradictory character who "hates the Ring and loves the Ring - just as he hates and loves himself" (Sibley 170). In The Lord of the Rings, JRR Tolkien uses the character Sméagol, forged from a collection of historical and historically mythological tales, as a foil for the central hero Frodo Baggins as well as the Christian example of hope, despite the powerful corruption of evil.
Gollum cannot resist the Ring’s temptation because he has no knowledge of the Ring and no guidance to form good habits and prevent addiction to the Ring. Gollum, originally, Sméagol wanted the Ring because of Its beauty but his friend, Déagol found it first. After Déagol refused to just give the Ring to Sméagol because it was his birthday, “…he [Sméagol] caught Déagol by the throat and strangled him, because the gold looked so bright and beautiful. Then he put the ring on his finger,” (58). But after he found the Ring, he had no guidance to form good ...
Tolkien, J. R. R., and Douglas A. Anderson. The Lord of the Rings. Boston: Houghton Mifflin,
J.R.R. Tolkien can be considered the founding father of the genre fantasy. Most of Tolkien’s texts revolve around the same themes. An author will often write about important messages that pertain to society as a whole. His texts often have hidden messages that relate to his themes. In the fantasy novel The Hobbit and novella “Farmer Giles of Ham”, J.R.R. Tolkien demonstrates that possession ears to overconfidence, greed and selfishness.
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, by J.R.R. Tolkien, is the first book in the fantasy-based trilogy of the Lord of the Rings. The book begins with Bilbo Baggins celebrating his one hundred and eleventh birthday. After his party, he then decides to leave everything behind and join a Fellowship, which has a task of destroying the ruling ring, which will give supreme power to whoever has possession of it. Just before he leaves, Gandalf asks Bilbo for this ring. Due to the power in which the ring possesses while it is in his possession, he does not want to give it up. The novel ends with the destruction of the Fellowship due to the power in which the ring contains. One of the prime facts of the Middle Earth is power. Power is not neutral, but is always evil. It gives wicked the chance to dominate. The good is corrupting and inescapable. This is shown repeatedly throughout the novel, from when Bilbo gives up the ring, to when Boromir tries to take the ring, and finally, to seeing the control that the ring has over Frodo. One incident in the book, which corresponds with how power is evil, would be when Bilbo had to give up the Ring. The ring is very powerful. The power is so enticing that Bilbo is very weary to give up that ring. When Gandalf asks Bilbo if he wishes to give up the ring, Bilbo seems unsure saying yes and no. When it came to having to give it up he didn't like parting with it at all and didn't see why he should have to . Due to the power in which Bilbo feels that the ring had given him, he doesn't want to part with it. By no means does Bilbo want to use the power in an evil manner to dominate all. It is just the thought of power itself that causes this greed to come over him. Although Bilbo in general is a good character, the power of ring corrupts his ways, showing his thirst for power, which he deserves. Another incident, which portrays this corruption of goodness to evil, is when Boromir approaches Frodo and tries to take the ring from him. Boromir has authority, which is being heir to the throne of Gondor, but not the supreme power that he desires.
Throughout, J.J.R Tolkien’s The Hobbit, many themes come into place to give a better understanding of the novel. The underlying theme of the struggle between good vs. evil while Gandalf and the dwarves fight the evils during their journey through middle earth. The battle is manifested in the goblins, Trolls, and spiders where good always triumphs evil. Even though the journey is about stealing the gold back from the dragon there is still some moral clarity to this, the dragon stole the gold and torched the city. The dwarves want to make this right and get back what was rightfully theirs.
It is likely for one to assume that a classic piece of literature set in a fantasy oriented stage will have no merits to the youths of today. The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien, however, with its crafty of usage symbolism, displays its relevance to issues that often trouble teens. As the story progresses from a children’s tale to an epic, the main character Bilbo undergoes a series of development, his experiences often overlapping with ordinary people. Reading the Hobbit will provide teens with opportunities of exploring the importance of several common but serious topics. People may encounter many of the themes presented in the book elsewhere repeatedly, but it’s possible that they never appreciated the applications it might have on themselves. When teens read the Hobbit, they perceive it as a simple fiction of adventure. Under proper guiding, they will be able to recognize and utilize the lessons of the Hobbit, and improve their attitudes and ideas about life.
After he stole it, he hid in the mountains for hundreds of years protecting the ring. The ring was more important than anything to Gollum. Gollum said “It came to me, my own, my love... my... preciousssss.” When Gollum lost the ring to Bilbo, he spent the rest of his life trying to get it back. He found the fellowship and followed them on their journey.
However, Frodo’s victory does come with a price. All of the Hobbits return from Mordor, happy and ready to go on with their peaceful Hobbit ways. For example, Sam marries his sweetheart and starts a family. Frodo, on the other hand, is forever scarred with the knowledge and feel of evil from the ring. Even though he left the ring and its power behind to melt in the lava of Mordor, Frodo leaves Middle-Earth with the elves for other shores; for he is unable to live in the world he has saved.