At the time, Gollum. Sure he died having retaken the ring but he would have also known that the ring was doomed and above all other things, even his own life, he would have wanted to keep the ring safe. I think it was my first real taste of a character who was completely irredeemable, despite Frodo and eventually Sam offering him kindness and friendship. Was pretty hard ending for a young me to think about that some people cannot be saved.
But my serious response is that Bilbo, Frodo, and Sam all chose to go to the Undying Lands rather than live without the ring, even though that would mean certain death as they approached it in the ship and likely oblivion as they not of the Eldar. All three had lives worthy of envy in a virtual paradise before and after their time with the ring, Sam even held on till Rosey died, but all three chose death.
The fact that the Shire is a paradise is exactly why Frodo couldn’t stay. The people there could never understand what he had been through. The horrors of war, the hardship he endured.
At the time, Gollum. Sure he died having retaken the ring but he would have also known that the ring was doomed and above all other things, even his own life, he would have wanted to keep the ring safe. I think it was my first real taste of a character who was completely irredeemable, despite Frodo and eventually Sam offering him kindness and friendship. Was pretty hard ending for a young me to think about that some people cannot be saved.
Smeagol was redeemable, but it couldn’t be done in the middle of a warzone by two desperate men who are carrying the source of his addiction.
Smeagol needed years of therapy by trained experts far away from the ring.
Bro had centuries of essentially the opposite of a therapist. Not sure anyone would be able to fix that.
Ha, I can imagine Elrond actually trying that.
But my serious response is that Bilbo, Frodo, and Sam all chose to go to the Undying Lands rather than live without the ring, even though that would mean certain death as they approached it in the ship and likely oblivion as they not of the Eldar. All three had lives worthy of envy in a virtual paradise before and after their time with the ring, Sam even held on till Rosey died, but all three chose death.
The fact that the Shire is a paradise is exactly why Frodo couldn’t stay. The people there could never understand what he had been through. The horrors of war, the hardship he endured.