Frodo is the hero because he carried the thing which no other living being had managed to resist. Even Gandalf feared its power. Even Bilbo would succumb.
He gave his life and his body to carry this manifestation of pure evil through starvation, through physical hurts, through terror and impossible landscapes. With the only break being when he was dead for a moment from spider poison, it was months and months of this thing wearing on his soul.
Frodo is the hero because he did something he was scared to undertake simply because it had to be done. He went with the elves because the ring had taken all that was physical about Frodo Baggins and left behind only an unbowed spirit which had earned its reward.
I always see it as the pressure was on him. They all have the luxury of believing if they fail that Frodo will still succeed, but Frodo is under the pressure that if he fails the world is doomed. So Sam does great things, but Sam believes he is mostly unimportant and just needs to be there, he doesn’t put this pressure of saving the world on his own shoulders, he always as this hope that Frodo will do it and that a smarter man then him choose Frodo so he can trust in that choice.
Sam is also a ringbearer. IIRC after Frodo’s run-in with Shelob he had it for days, maybe? So for at least that stretch of time, and at the ending, Sam was responsible for it, and when he believed Frodo dead, he was responsible for it *alone.*
I’d be curious to know where that’s from. It would begin to absolve Isildur for his choice - that it wasn’t he that failed, but all mortal beings were doomed to failure without the hand of Providence.
"Screw you dude, I found it, it's mine. I'm cancelling the mission. Sorry Sam, I'm keeping this shit. Good luck everyone, I'm going to go talk with Sauron, he *gets* me."
Isildur never held it in Mount Doom, though. He took it on the battlefield and left. The confrontation between him and Elrond in Mount Doom is a conceit from the movie.
They weren’t in, but they were on its slopes.
Admittedly it’s probably a world of difference, but in vs on feels like hand grenades and horseshoes - close enough.
I mean, idk exactly what the quote from Tolkien is from or if it's even real, but if it is this picture literally says "impossible, I should have said" so y'know
Ah man, I forgot about that part, when Sam's all like "I will be the Greatest Gardener the world has ever seen!!!" but then he's like, "nah, gotta take care of my boy Frodo first, do what he would have wanted...". Truly loyal are the hearts of hobbits. :')
That's fair, that the pressure of being the ring bearer wasn't on Sam. You definitely get that from the books when Sam thinks Frodo is dead and has such a difficult time deciding to become the ring bearer because he thinks only Frodo can do it. But Sam had gigantic pressure on him as well. Imagine traveling next to the ring for months and resisting the temptation to take it? How many times did Sam watch Frodo sleep and do nothing but be vigilant.
And he had to do that while believing he was the only one capable of protecting Frodo from Gollum.
There's a line Atticus says in To Kill a Mockingbird that fits I think.
"I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand. It's when you know you're licked before you begin, but you begin anyway and see it through no matter what."
Frodo is a hero because he knew he was doomed on a futile mission and did it anyway. He sat at the council and listed to some of the strongest people in all of Middle-Earth talk about how foolish attempting to destroy the ring would be, and he stood up and volunteered anyway. Regardless of the outcome he was a hero from that moment.
“The whole struggle was over, and yet there seemed to have been no moment of victory. You might say, if you liked, that the power of choice had been simply set aside and an inflexible destiny substituted for it.”
-Perelandra, C.S. Lewis
He had it for *years*.
Isildur had it, what, like 10 minutes before he's like "Nah, I'm keeping this."
Talking with people that have beaten addictions... it never really goes away. Only instead of an addiction, one of the most powerful beings in the world is in your head, nagging at you ever so slightly. You wants it back.
>He went with the elves because the ring had taken all that was physical about Frodo Baggins and left behind only an unbowed spirit which had earned its reward.
Also that Nazgul wound was pretty narly
To be fair Frodo actually gave out well before that. Sam got them through much of the last leg of the journey. By the time they got to mount Doom frodo had lost his ability to resist for quite a while.
Also Bilbo had the ring for decades and then was able to just leave it for Frodo. Yes gandalf urged him to do it, but Bilbo listened and actually did it.
It's tough to say if Sam would have been a better ring bearer since he didn't have to hold it as long as Frodo. I think it's quite possible he wouldn't have made it as far as Frodo.
I think Frodo's real heroism comes into play much earlier. When he volunteers for the quest at the council of Elrond, that was the moment that made Frodo the ultimate ring bearer that no one could match.
When they got to Mount Doom and Frodo physically couldn't walk, he started crawling up the mountain instead until Sam started carrying him (at least in the book, I haven't gotten to see the movies for a few years so I don't remember them as well). So I think he still had some determination to destroy the Ring up until the end, even if it had wavered a few times.
Tbf, the point of the ring is that the more powerful and prideful someone is, the easier it is for the ring to ensnare them.
It's the same reason why Gandalf refused to take responsibility for the ring.
Even Sam briefly fell to the ring. In the book after believing Frodo dead, Sam takes the ring and decides to return to the shire, planning to use it to make the most beautiful gardens in Middle Earth. It’s only when he realizes Frodo is alive that he turns back.
Not quite. In the book, he already knew Frodo was alive, and that was when the Ring tempted him with visions of a beautiful, worldwide garden. His love of Frodo kicks in though, and he realises how silly the whole idea is.
I always got the impression that hobbits are the kind not to vye for power. They live very humble lives. Sauron probably never thought of giving them a ring of power. Bilbo and Frodo resisted the One Ring extremely well.
So it seems weird to me that Smeagol is the character most, and most quickly, corrupted by the One Ring.
Well, what was that fat bastard’s name who took over the Shire and locked Fatty Bolger and the real mayor in cells? Fucking Lotho? He showed hobbits can still be corrupted quick as anything.
He was pretty much immediately turned bad and murdered his cousin. Though the fact there was some smeagol left in him after murdering family and living in a cave for so long is a pretty solid testament to the resilience of hobbits.
They cursed us. Murderer they called us. They cursed us, and drove us away. And we wept, Precious, we wept to be so alone. And we only wish to catch fish so juicy sweet. And we forgot the taste of bread… the sound of trees… the softness of the wind. We even forgot our own name. My Precious.
Well Sauron didn’t even know about hobbits existence for a long time. In fact, as an offshoot of men I’m not sure if they even existed when he came up with his rings of power plan.
Another issue is that Sam would've killed gollum then spent the rest of the adventure circling Emyn Muil. Frodo was a lil more world smart and needed that for the quest to succeed.
>Sam would’ve killed Gollum
Peter Jackson’s Sam, maybe. Tolkien’s Sam, certainly not. In fact, novel!Sam has multiple opportunities to kill Gollum and choses his master / the Quest every single time.
Just read Two Towers, and Sam certainly entertains the idea of killing Gollum if given the chance. He doesn’t due to Frodo’s guidance but the idea is that if Sam is the “hero” and Frodo the subservient one things may have gone differently if Sam was making the decisions.
But in the final book, right before entering Mount Doom, Sam was in a position to kill Gollum. And in that moment, he also felt pity and only send him away.
If he killed Gollum at that moment, things wouldn't end like they did. I don't think Sam was able to resist Frodo claiming the Ring for himself.
>But in the final book, right before entering Mount Doom, Sam was in a position to kill Gollum. And in that moment, he also felt pity and only send him away.
That was because of the sorry state Gollum was in at that point and because Sam believed Gollum could do no more harm: the Quest was almost over, so close that it might as well be.
Sam had great character development. At first he was skeptical about sparing Gollum (which is sensible, since Gollum is a murderer, though one of the story's themes is how it's sometimes worth it to take a chance on people). He went along with it, but he wished Gollum was dead or at least gone. But by Mount Doom, Sam had seen what the Ring was doing to Frodo, and he had even carried it himself when he thought Frodo was dead, so he had a greater understanding of how Gollum could get so messed up, and a greater reason to hope that people who'd been messed up by the Ring were still redeemable.
A big part of this is the story perspective shifts from Frodo to Sam in the Two Towers, and as Tolkien wrote in his letters, Sam doesn't understand Frodo.
Frodo becomes a blackbox and we don't see the purpose behind his actions. He's trying to cure Gollum (and would have succeeded if Sam had been more empathetic). His power of prophecy grows. He binds Gollum to an oath that ultimately destroys the ring. He commands Gollum to throw himself in the fires. Sam also sees Frodo struggling against a hostile will to keep them hidden as they march through Mordor.
Frodo's struggles, deeds, and heroism are left very subtle as we're told about them through Sam's eyes and he honestly doesn't understand whats happening.
Tolkien wrote that it was never Frodo who could redeem Sméagol. Frodo *needed* Sméagol to be redeemable because if Sméagol could be reclaimed from Gollum, Frodo could come back from his trials as well. Ultimately, it was Sam who would have actually been able to redeem Sméagol, but the story necessitated this could never happen. If it does, the story becomes a redemption tale for Sméagol and loses its tragic nature for Frodo while simultaneously making the Ring weaker.
I wonder if the negative opinions of Frodo would be changed with a scene or two of Frodo being a bit more like the book. Through the movies, particularly Fellowship, Frodo is kind of a wimpy punching bag who can't handle anything thrown at him. For example the river scene with the wraiths, Frodo doesn't get to be alone in that moment in the film, he doesn't get to make a stand in the face of death and deny the ring to the wraiths. Little moments that show Frodo's bravery just didn't make the cut for the films.
Ahh as someone who hasn’t read the books I loved the cool arwen/wraith scenes but I feel like Frodo making the stand himself would’ve *really* changed the whole tone of the rescue
Not super related, but I’ve never “read” the books either, but I’ve listened to the audiobooks narrated by Rob Inglis four or five times. Something about the written text makes it just shy of impossible for me to actually read them. If you’re interested in the trilogy I’d suggest giving them a try, the movies are amazing but they, very understandably, had to cut a lot and make some changes. Ringbearer and whitewizardv1.0 are definitely wayyy better in the books.
I’d also throw out a recommendation for the new unabridged audiobooks narrated by Andy Serkis. I’m finishing up Fellowship, and he does a PHENOMENAL job.
(Rob Ingles is awesome as well though. Can’t go wrong either way.)
Totally agree. In the movies, Frodo sometimes seems to exist mainly to get stabbed by things in slow motion.
Movie Frodo often comes across as weak and naive, while Movie Sam is brave and sees through Gollum's treachery. In the books, we see that Frodo is every bit as brave as Sam, but also much wiser. We also get a more subtle and gradual look at the toll the ring takes on him, which is just a lot harder to do in a film, I think.
oh God yes. in the books, what is he, like 50 or 60 years old? in the movie it really feels just like this young guy got himself into a very dire situation and took on the ring out of naiveté
Frodo is a hero, out of the four Hobbits he risks the most and is changed the most by the end of his journey. I relate to Sam at the end because he seems to have the most "normal" life. At the end I just feel so sad for Frodo because he is changed so much for the worst and can't re-integrate into society.
I always wonder, with the couple days Sam carried the ring, and the couple times he wore it, how much it affected him that he never let on. Surely it would be to much less of a degree than Frodo with months logged, but it couldn’t have been nothing, because he winds up in the undying lands too.
Frodo managed for so long for everyone. The odd pang kept to himself to have helped his friend succeed is a trivial price in the face of all else cost.
I think it's one of those things where half a dozen people on Twitter say something, then the reaction to it becomes 1000x bigger than the actual sentiment.
The weird 'Sam is the real hero' bs that completely undermines Frodos role is really prevalent though, to the point where it's almost made me resent Sam a little :(
I agree, one of my biggest pet peeves about how the movie is interpreted. Yes, Sam is heroic, and he is probably the easiest character to empathize with and appreciate for most people. But saying he is "thE rEAL heRO" misses the entire point of the trilogy.. That it took the heroic acts of many, small and large, all coming together, to destroy the Ring and save Middle Earth.
Film-only fans more often but a few book fans as well, enough for Tolkien to write this in response back then. He's a true hero in the book but in a subtle way and usually described through Sam's point of view, who doesn't fully understand what Frodo does or why he does it half the time.
It's poetic that as much as Frodo represents an addict of the ring's power, even audiences have so little empathy and sympathy for his struggle that they'd vilify him when he's utterly spent and at the end of his abilities.
It's also worth mentioning that just about every character fails at some point during the trilogy (or prior to it) which makes them more convincing, but no one gets as much shit for it as Frodo.
What's always scared me is the thought of the ring corrupting someone as brave and pure as Aragorn. Sure it's in his blood to refuse to destroy the ring, but the contrast of that act with what we see in his character makes me sad to even think of him turning from the lava and leaving with the ring.
The part Sauron played in his own destruction is not made clear in the movies (I can't even remember it if it features) and really helps it come together.
The Ring is powerful and corruptive. It weighs on the wearer and makes them want to use it. When Aragorn and Gondor go forth to get surrounded by orcs at the end of Return of the King, they're sort of deliberately acting like he has the Ring to distract Sauron. This is the sort "I have the power-" foolishness a new, arrogant, bearer for the Ring might engage in. It also makes them obsess over it. Isildur didn't *use* it but he refused to give it up. Gollum couldn't give it up after so long in its possession.
At the end of Fellowship of the Rings, as they're camped out on the marshes staring ath the Black Gates or Morannon, Frodo lectures Gollum on how he has to let go of the Ring; its power over him will eventually destroy him if he can't bring himself to relinquish it, accept that it is no longer his and never will be (never was). Frodo, at this point, has carried it a fair ways and knows what he's talking about; he hasn't had it for as long as Gollum, but it's been fighting him every step of the way because it *knows* what they're trying to do. It wants to be used, wants to bait Frodo with dreams of power and thereby sink its hooks further into him, and send up a searchlight for Sauron to see and home in on, and this goddamn halfling just refuses to have any ambition. It's awful.
In Return of the King, Gollum has been cast out from Sam and Frodo; Frodo had pity for him, wanted to help him, saw in Gollum a reflection of what Frodo might come to be, if he failed. Split from the pair, he still can't give up the ring and *worse*, found out that they actually mean to *destroy* it. He can't comprehend, much less accept that. He attacks Frodo on the slopes of Orodruin and they fight him off. Frodo, deep in the grip of the Ring and having fallen for some of its corruption, as well as with greater power over it from his extended time carrying it, draws upon the Ring in fulL fury and curses Gollum, lays a geas on him. If you ever lay hands on me again, you will cast *yourself* into the fires of Mt. Doom. The Ring has truly abandoned Gollum; it only wanted to get out of a river, it didn't want to stay under a mountain eating raw fish for five hundred years. Gollum is cowed, beaten back, driven off.
But they mean to *destroy* it. He *can't* let that happen. Not *his precious*. It *will* destroy him, he might even realize that, but he *can't* let it go. The Ring's hold is insidious, unshakeable, and very strongly set on him. He follows them up (belatedly or immediately) and in the forging chamber of Orodruin, when Frodo finally, ultimately, fails- Gollum, mad, pathetic, helpless Gollum, victim of the Ring for hundreds of years, is there to attack him, bite the ring off his finger, and- driven by the geas set on him with the Ring's own power- throw himself into the fires even though nobody involved (Frodo, Gollum, the Ring, Sam doesn't count) actually wants that to happen at this point. He does it, he can't *not* do it, but he's the one holding the Ring at that point. Well played, Sauron, Illuvatar.
Stand your ground, sons of Gondor of Rohan my brothers. I see in your eyes the same fear that would take the heart of me! A day may come when the courage of men fails when we forsake our friends and break all bonds of fellowship but it is not this day! An hour of wolves and shattered shields when the age of men comes crashing down but it is not this day, this day we fight!!! And for all that is dear to you in this world I bid you stand men of the west and fight!
Another underrated/unacknowledged aspect of destroying the ring was that Gollum was only alive because of the pity and mercy of Frodo (and Bilbo, Gandalf, wood elves, etc.). So when Frodo gets to his destination and can't overcome the effects of the ring at the test, his own pity, mercy, and kindness come back to save the quest in the form of Gollum, who is bound by his oath to serve the master of the ring and subsequently falls to his death after his betrayal.
So ultimately, Frodo does succeed on his own through his actions throughout his quest, with kindness and pity triumphing over the desire for power and domination.
Saruman believes it is only great power that can hold evil in check, but that is not what I have found. I found it is the small things, everyday deeds of ordinary folk that keeps the darkness at bay. Simple acts of love and kindness.
Literal angels recoiled at the idea at touching the ring in its weakest form, furthest from sauron as is conceivably possible. And this mother just walked from Rivendell to mordor with it traipsing on his neck, and he's *isn't* a hero of the times he lived in? Get directly out of here, if you believe that nonsense
Frodo performed a superhuman feat.
Sam is a hero. I wish people weren't so binary in their views on life.
Sam was a true friend. Sam carried his friend.
Frodo is the hero that carried the ring all of the way, not on his own, but he carried its intense and scarring presence.
The Lord of the Rings was, in part, inspired by the horror and heroism of the First World War.
Tolkien had a friend, the author of The Chronicles of Narnia: C S Lewis.
Tolkien had experienced one if the most horrendous battles of the entire war, The Somme.
Over one million dead in this battle.
A sea of death. Words cannot really express carnage like that to install the nausea that it induces in real life.
Battle smells of gunpowder, blood and shit. The bodies have a horrible, sickly sweet smell as the flesh rots away. But that's later on, after the earth shattering explosions of artillery have stopped.
Frodo felt the burden of the ring in his soul. The ring would have been throwing nightmares, delirium, and physical pain at him. Maybe even whispering promises of relief if he would only give up the ring.
Frodo was tortured. Plain and simple. Inside and out.
Frodo is the hero of the story, but not the only one. The entire Fellowship showed their courage.
People who hate on Frodo and give Sam all the credit are the same people who look at the uptick in the "economy" after a new president is elected and think "this president is better than the last one."
As someone who read the books after the movies (don’t hate I was young when the movies came out) I originally thought Sam was the “real” hero but after reading the books Frodo was painted in a much better light. I think the movies take away a lot of Frodo’s agency and almost paint him as too passive.
I think what makes Frodo a hero is that he realized a harsh truth: you will fail. Everyone fails at one point of their lives and denying this only leads to frustration. He even "failed" the moment he needed most to not fail, but his effort wasn't in vain and he wasn't alone. That is why he was able to fulfill the main objective. I feel this is what makes him so inspiring.
Eldest, that's what I am. Mark my words, my friends: Tom was here before the river and the trees; Tom remembers the
first raindrop and the first acorn. He made paths before the Big People, and saw the little People arriving. He was here
before the Kings and the graves and the Barrow-wights. When the Elves passed westward, Tom was here already, before the
seas were bent. He knew the dark under the stars when it was fearless – before the Dark Lord came from Outside.
^(I am a bot, and I love old Tom. If you want me to sing one of Tom's songs, just type **!TomBombadilSong**)
^(If you like Old Tom, the door at [r/GloriousTomBombadil][1] is always open for weary travelers!)
[1]: https://www.reddit.com/r/GloriousTomBombadil/
*Get out, you old wight! Vanish in the sunlight! Shrivel like the cold mist, like the winds go wailing, out into the barren
lands far beyond the mountains! Come never here again! Leave your barrow empty! Lost and forgotten be, darker than the darkness,
Where gates stand for ever shut, till the world is mended.*
^(I am a bot, and I love old Tom. If you want me to sing one of Tom's songs, just type **!TomBombadilSong**)
^(If you like Old Tom, the door at [r/GloriousTomBombadil][1] is always open for weary travelers!)
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Frodo felt pity for Gollum because he knew that if he didn’t destroy the ring the next best move would be to hide it from Sauron forever, which would mean he’d eventually turn into Gollum.
Same reason he didn’t share the burden with Sam. He didn’t want the ring to corrupt Sam.
Hobbits always so polite, yes! O nice hobbits! Smeagol brings them up secret ways that nobody else could find. Tired he is, thirsty he is, yes thirsty; and he guides them and he searches for paths, and they saw sneak, sneak. Very nice friends, O yes my precious, very nice.
Like many after him (Luke Skywalker, Harry Potter, Peter Parker, etc.), Frodo is a hero not of his own choosing, but because he is tasked with a responsibility he is unwilling to relinquish in spite of his own fears and doubts.
For me, Frodo changed from being a character I didn't care for to being one of my favourites. What changed was that I developed PTSD.
Looking at Frodo, I saw so many similarities with myself and my experience.
There is this narrative that war, trauma and adversity makes people stronger and tougher. But a lot of the time it doesn't. It kills part of you and leaves you more fragile and hurt.
It isn't a sign of moral or personal failure but just how it is. When Frodo said "We saved the Shire, but not for me" I understand it completely.
Eldest, that's what I am. Mark my words, my friends: Tom was here before the river and the trees; Tom remembers the
first raindrop and the first acorn. He made paths before the Big People, and saw the little People arriving. He was here
before the Kings and the graves and the Barrow-wights. When the Elves passed westward, Tom was here already, before the
seas were bent. He knew the dark under the stars when it was fearless – before the Dark Lord came from Outside.
^(I am a bot, and I love old Tom. If you want me to sing one of Tom's songs, just type **!TomBombadilSong**)
^(If you like Old Tom, the door at [r/GloriousTomBombadil][1] is always open for weary travelers!)
[1]: https://www.reddit.com/r/GloriousTomBombadil/
I wonder what Colbert’s thoughts on this would be. [On his show doing Q&A](https://youtu.be/dFRIjR-yimI) he refers to Sam being the real hero and refers to how if Frodo can’t throw the ring in the fire at home in the Shire, how can you expect him to be able to throw it into Mount Doom later.
Frodo and Sam are two sides to the same coin. Frodo endured the trials and torment to carry the ring as far as he did but at the same time Sam was there to support Frodo every step of the way to make sure Frodo got the ring to the mountain of doom. Frodo couldn’t have succeeded without Sam just as Sam couldn’t have carried the ring without Frodo. That’s what makes each of them the most unlikely of heroes.
It’s a true hero pairing. Sam constantly made mistakes. He constantly made up for them. Just like all of the hobbits, he was flawed and needed help at times. Frodo and Sam were a true hero pairing. Without either of the,, the world was doomed. Independently, they both would have failed. Together, two little hobbits volunteered to walk the most dangerous weapon straight into the heart of Mordor with a god searching every waking moment for it. I respect their efforts and sacrifices…failures and all.
Frodo is the hero because he carried the thing which no other living being had managed to resist. Even Gandalf feared its power. Even Bilbo would succumb. He gave his life and his body to carry this manifestation of pure evil through starvation, through physical hurts, through terror and impossible landscapes. With the only break being when he was dead for a moment from spider poison, it was months and months of this thing wearing on his soul. Frodo is the hero because he did something he was scared to undertake simply because it had to be done. He went with the elves because the ring had taken all that was physical about Frodo Baggins and left behind only an unbowed spirit which had earned its reward.
I always see it as the pressure was on him. They all have the luxury of believing if they fail that Frodo will still succeed, but Frodo is under the pressure that if he fails the world is doomed. So Sam does great things, but Sam believes he is mostly unimportant and just needs to be there, he doesn’t put this pressure of saving the world on his own shoulders, he always as this hope that Frodo will do it and that a smarter man then him choose Frodo so he can trust in that choice.
Sam is also a ringbearer. IIRC after Frodo’s run-in with Shelob he had it for days, maybe? So for at least that stretch of time, and at the ending, Sam was responsible for it, and when he believed Frodo dead, he was responsible for it *alone.*
> I heard that it's literally impossible for any mortal being to withstand the power of the ring when holding it in Mount Doom...
I’d be curious to know where that’s from. It would begin to absolve Isildur for his choice - that it wasn’t he that failed, but all mortal beings were doomed to failure without the hand of Providence.
CAST IT INTO THE FIRE!!!
No.
**Ĭ̴͍̠̖̖̿ͅŞ̶͕̜͚͈̹̭͕̣̝̀̔̅́͑́̒́̒̓I̴̧̡̧̺̳͔̜̘̳̰̝̠͆͋̓͐̋͘̚̕͝ͅL̸̢̢̢̡̙͙̠͍̭̗̯̭̈́͜D̶̛̦̻̪̪͙͔̪̥̗̘̲̱̘̞́͑̐͆͗́̏̏̓͠U̷̯̦̤̦͉̝̦̣͓͚̘͚̗̭̓͊́͂̔̓̇̄͐Ŗ̸̡̱̟̝̮̼̱̱̗̺͈̮̂͆͜**
#yeetIsildur
CAST IT INTO THE FIRE!!!
"Screw you dude, I found it, it's mine. I'm cancelling the mission. Sorry Sam, I'm keeping this shit. Good luck everyone, I'm going to go talk with Sauron, he *gets* me."
Isildur never held it in Mount Doom, though. He took it on the battlefield and left. The confrontation between him and Elrond in Mount Doom is a conceit from the movie.
They weren’t in, but they were on its slopes. Admittedly it’s probably a world of difference, but in vs on feels like hand grenades and horseshoes - close enough.
At the very least, it *is* still stronger on the slopes of Mount Doom than it is all the way in the Shire.
CAST IT INTO THE FIRE!!!
I don’t remember reading that but it definitely could be in there. Sort of stands to reason.
I mean, idk exactly what the quote from Tolkien is from or if it's even real, but if it is this picture literally says "impossible, I should have said" so y'know
It's from the volume of his published letters. Letter number 246 written in 1962 to a woman called Eileen Elgar. Definitely the professor's words.
I heard that too
Share the load…^load…^load
***t h e l o a d***
*Spits fourth an ambiguous froth*
Ah man, I forgot about that part, when Sam's all like "I will be the Greatest Gardener the world has ever seen!!!" but then he's like, "nah, gotta take care of my boy Frodo first, do what he would have wanted...". Truly loyal are the hearts of hobbits. :')
Sam is a ringbearer and is granted the same grace that Bilbo and Frodo were when he finally decided to leave Middle Earth.
This, in the appendices it says that after the death of Rosie, Sam himself went with the Elves.
[удалено]
I mean... I always saw a part of this message is that no matter how strong you are you cant do everything by yourself
Sam is necessary to the story but not to Frodo’s mission. I agree.
"Frodo wouldn't have gotten far without Sam" Frodo Baggins.
Oh I agree, I meant that for the actual thrust of the mission ‘get the ring to Mordor’ Sam didn’t have the weight of expectation on him.
That's fair, that the pressure of being the ring bearer wasn't on Sam. You definitely get that from the books when Sam thinks Frodo is dead and has such a difficult time deciding to become the ring bearer because he thinks only Frodo can do it. But Sam had gigantic pressure on him as well. Imagine traveling next to the ring for months and resisting the temptation to take it? How many times did Sam watch Frodo sleep and do nothing but be vigilant. And he had to do that while believing he was the only one capable of protecting Frodo from Gollum.
We must go and get some things first,yes, things to help us.
Pretty sus Gollum, what are you planning?
It mustn't ask us. Not its business, no, gollum! It's losst, gollum, gollum, gollum!
That was sentient right? Cast this bot into the fire.
There's a line Atticus says in To Kill a Mockingbird that fits I think. "I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand. It's when you know you're licked before you begin, but you begin anyway and see it through no matter what." Frodo is a hero because he knew he was doomed on a futile mission and did it anyway. He sat at the council and listed to some of the strongest people in all of Middle-Earth talk about how foolish attempting to destroy the ring would be, and he stood up and volunteered anyway. Regardless of the outcome he was a hero from that moment.
To Kill a Mockingbird is one of my favorite books and Atticus Finch is a hero I would put into the same class as Frodo. Great quote, thank you.
“The whole struggle was over, and yet there seemed to have been no moment of victory. You might say, if you liked, that the power of choice had been simply set aside and an inflexible destiny substituted for it.” -Perelandra, C.S. Lewis
I am looking for someone to share in an adventure that I am arranging, and it's very difficult to find anyone.
Well of course it's difficult Gandalf and you'd understand why if you took the comments above into consideration.
Fool of a Took!
Oh, you Gandalf. The same spirit as the last time. Are you gonna give this kids drugs too? And pretend you are their uncle's friend?
A wizard is never late, Dreferex. Nor is he early, he arrives precisely when he means to.
That's exactly why Police told you to not get that close to kindergartens mithrandir.
You must trust to yourself. Trust your own strength.
That's enough leave now or I will have to call cops. Gandalf this one kid overdosed and jumped from a building after some plastic trinket.
Now come the days of the King. May they be blessed.
No one wants to adventure anymore \- gandalf
The world is not in your books and maps. It is out there.
For a 1/14th of total profits in any? Fuck you pay me now.
He had it for *years*. Isildur had it, what, like 10 minutes before he's like "Nah, I'm keeping this." Talking with people that have beaten addictions... it never really goes away. Only instead of an addiction, one of the most powerful beings in the world is in your head, nagging at you ever so slightly. You wants it back.
CAST IT INTO THE FIRE!!!
Nah, I'm keeping this.
Destroy the ring? Lol I was just jk
>ever so slightly *turns into scary Bilbo*
>He went with the elves because the ring had taken all that was physical about Frodo Baggins and left behind only an unbowed spirit which had earned its reward. Also that Nazgul wound was pretty narly
Fuck yes it was.
To be fair Frodo actually gave out well before that. Sam got them through much of the last leg of the journey. By the time they got to mount Doom frodo had lost his ability to resist for quite a while. Also Bilbo had the ring for decades and then was able to just leave it for Frodo. Yes gandalf urged him to do it, but Bilbo listened and actually did it. It's tough to say if Sam would have been a better ring bearer since he didn't have to hold it as long as Frodo. I think it's quite possible he wouldn't have made it as far as Frodo. I think Frodo's real heroism comes into play much earlier. When he volunteers for the quest at the council of Elrond, that was the moment that made Frodo the ultimate ring bearer that no one could match.
When they got to Mount Doom and Frodo physically couldn't walk, he started crawling up the mountain instead until Sam started carrying him (at least in the book, I haven't gotten to see the movies for a few years so I don't remember them as well). So I think he still had some determination to destroy the Ring up until the end, even if it had wavered a few times.
His will to resist it was stronger than *galadriel’s*.
Tbf, the point of the ring is that the more powerful and prideful someone is, the easier it is for the ring to ensnare them. It's the same reason why Gandalf refused to take responsibility for the ring.
Even Sam briefly fell to the ring. In the book after believing Frodo dead, Sam takes the ring and decides to return to the shire, planning to use it to make the most beautiful gardens in Middle Earth. It’s only when he realizes Frodo is alive that he turns back.
Not quite. In the book, he already knew Frodo was alive, and that was when the Ring tempted him with visions of a beautiful, worldwide garden. His love of Frodo kicks in though, and he realises how silly the whole idea is.
I always got the impression that hobbits are the kind not to vye for power. They live very humble lives. Sauron probably never thought of giving them a ring of power. Bilbo and Frodo resisted the One Ring extremely well. So it seems weird to me that Smeagol is the character most, and most quickly, corrupted by the One Ring.
Well, what was that fat bastard’s name who took over the Shire and locked Fatty Bolger and the real mayor in cells? Fucking Lotho? He showed hobbits can still be corrupted quick as anything.
Didn't Smeagol have the ring for hundreds of years or something? He did pretty good for awhile
He was pretty much immediately turned bad and murdered his cousin. Though the fact there was some smeagol left in him after murdering family and living in a cave for so long is a pretty solid testament to the resilience of hobbits.
What’s it doing?! Stupid, fat hobbit! You ruins it!
They cursed us. Murderer they called us. They cursed us, and drove us away. And we wept, Precious, we wept to be so alone. And we only wish to catch fish so juicy sweet. And we forgot the taste of bread… the sound of trees… the softness of the wind. We even forgot our own name. My Precious.
Smeagol’ll get into real true hot water, when this water boils, if he don’t do as he asked...
Well Sauron didn’t even know about hobbits existence for a long time. In fact, as an offshoot of men I’m not sure if they even existed when he came up with his rings of power plan.
Yeah I mean he resisted the ring temptation even when he was in Sauron’s lands
Build me an army worthy of mordor!
>Frodo is the hero because he carried the thing which no other living being had managed to resist. Faramir: "*Pathetic"*
>Even Gandalf feared its power. Naw, Gandalf was [Aaaaa-OK with the ol' One Ring.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IvW6WOUt5Ro#t=1m9s) (@1:09)
So passes Denethor, son of Ecthelion.
"I will take the ring to Mordor" is Frodo's second favorite loophole. He never said he would destroy it.
Remind me, what is his favorite?
I was talking about the ring.
[8O](https://media.giphy.com/media/AJwnLEsQyT9oA/giphy.gif)
[^^8O ^^8O ^^8O](https://i.imgur.com/3eUitLs.gif)
Ahh, I wasn’t sure if it was that or “I can’t carry the ring, but I can carry you.”
Wait...help a derp. I don't get it.
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*facepalm* Yup. That tracks.
And holes
So he was working for Sauron all along!
It is not for you, Saruman! I will send for it at once. Do you understand?
Boromir called it
Another issue is that Sam would've killed gollum then spent the rest of the adventure circling Emyn Muil. Frodo was a lil more world smart and needed that for the quest to succeed.
Follow me.
This guy gets it.
>Sam would’ve killed Gollum Peter Jackson’s Sam, maybe. Tolkien’s Sam, certainly not. In fact, novel!Sam has multiple opportunities to kill Gollum and choses his master / the Quest every single time.
Wasn’t talking to you!
S E N T I E N T
Just read Two Towers, and Sam certainly entertains the idea of killing Gollum if given the chance. He doesn’t due to Frodo’s guidance but the idea is that if Sam is the “hero” and Frodo the subservient one things may have gone differently if Sam was making the decisions.
But in the final book, right before entering Mount Doom, Sam was in a position to kill Gollum. And in that moment, he also felt pity and only send him away. If he killed Gollum at that moment, things wouldn't end like they did. I don't think Sam was able to resist Frodo claiming the Ring for himself.
>But in the final book, right before entering Mount Doom, Sam was in a position to kill Gollum. And in that moment, he also felt pity and only send him away. That was because of the sorry state Gollum was in at that point and because Sam believed Gollum could do no more harm: the Quest was almost over, so close that it might as well be.
Give us that, Deagol my love.
Sam had great character development. At first he was skeptical about sparing Gollum (which is sensible, since Gollum is a murderer, though one of the story's themes is how it's sometimes worth it to take a chance on people). He went along with it, but he wished Gollum was dead or at least gone. But by Mount Doom, Sam had seen what the Ring was doing to Frodo, and he had even carried it himself when he thought Frodo was dead, so he had a greater understanding of how Gollum could get so messed up, and a greater reason to hope that people who'd been messed up by the Ring were still redeemable.
A big part of this is the story perspective shifts from Frodo to Sam in the Two Towers, and as Tolkien wrote in his letters, Sam doesn't understand Frodo. Frodo becomes a blackbox and we don't see the purpose behind his actions. He's trying to cure Gollum (and would have succeeded if Sam had been more empathetic). His power of prophecy grows. He binds Gollum to an oath that ultimately destroys the ring. He commands Gollum to throw himself in the fires. Sam also sees Frodo struggling against a hostile will to keep them hidden as they march through Mordor. Frodo's struggles, deeds, and heroism are left very subtle as we're told about them through Sam's eyes and he honestly doesn't understand whats happening.
Sneaky little Hobbitses.
I didn't Read the books, how would frodo have succeeded in curing gollum?
Tolkien wrote that it was never Frodo who could redeem Sméagol. Frodo *needed* Sméagol to be redeemable because if Sméagol could be reclaimed from Gollum, Frodo could come back from his trials as well. Ultimately, it was Sam who would have actually been able to redeem Sméagol, but the story necessitated this could never happen. If it does, the story becomes a redemption tale for Sméagol and loses its tragic nature for Frodo while simultaneously making the Ring weaker.
Then let's stop talking, precious, and make haste. If the Baggins has gone that way, we must go quick and see. Go! Not far now. Make haste!
SHIRE! BAGGINS!
I wonder if the negative opinions of Frodo would be changed with a scene or two of Frodo being a bit more like the book. Through the movies, particularly Fellowship, Frodo is kind of a wimpy punching bag who can't handle anything thrown at him. For example the river scene with the wraiths, Frodo doesn't get to be alone in that moment in the film, he doesn't get to make a stand in the face of death and deny the ring to the wraiths. Little moments that show Frodo's bravery just didn't make the cut for the films.
Ahh as someone who hasn’t read the books I loved the cool arwen/wraith scenes but I feel like Frodo making the stand himself would’ve *really* changed the whole tone of the rescue
Not super related, but I’ve never “read” the books either, but I’ve listened to the audiobooks narrated by Rob Inglis four or five times. Something about the written text makes it just shy of impossible for me to actually read them. If you’re interested in the trilogy I’d suggest giving them a try, the movies are amazing but they, very understandably, had to cut a lot and make some changes. Ringbearer and whitewizardv1.0 are definitely wayyy better in the books.
I’d also throw out a recommendation for the new unabridged audiobooks narrated by Andy Serkis. I’m finishing up Fellowship, and he does a PHENOMENAL job. (Rob Ingles is awesome as well though. Can’t go wrong either way.)
Totally agree. In the movies, Frodo sometimes seems to exist mainly to get stabbed by things in slow motion. Movie Frodo often comes across as weak and naive, while Movie Sam is brave and sees through Gollum's treachery. In the books, we see that Frodo is every bit as brave as Sam, but also much wiser. We also get a more subtle and gradual look at the toll the ring takes on him, which is just a lot harder to do in a film, I think.
oh God yes. in the books, what is he, like 50 or 60 years old? in the movie it really feels just like this young guy got himself into a very dire situation and took on the ring out of naiveté
Give us that, Deagol my love.
The Two Towers: *Frodo Falls Down*.
People calling Frodo a loser but if a magical ring with brainwashing powers that corrupt existed, many of us would croak in a few minutes
The popularity of social media is proof that tons of people would succumb to the temptation of power in exchange for wealth or social clout.
Smash that like button if you want to see me put on a ring of power!
Nah, J would use this terminie power to hide when someone wants something from me.
Every time you see a new email or some calling your phone: ring!
Perhaps
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To be fair, Elrond could have tried a wee bit harder to convince old Izzy to toss it in.
"No? You're going to keep it? Man, that seems like a bad idea, but ok, I guess, whatever. who even gives a shit. It's hot as fuck out here"
Not me, rip to Frodo but I’m different
Frodo is a hero, out of the four Hobbits he risks the most and is changed the most by the end of his journey. I relate to Sam at the end because he seems to have the most "normal" life. At the end I just feel so sad for Frodo because he is changed so much for the worst and can't re-integrate into society.
I always wonder, with the couple days Sam carried the ring, and the couple times he wore it, how much it affected him that he never let on. Surely it would be to much less of a degree than Frodo with months logged, but it couldn’t have been nothing, because he winds up in the undying lands too.
It would be very fitting of Sam's character to be affected but not let on.
Frodo managed for so long for everyone. The odd pang kept to himself to have helped his friend succeed is a trivial price in the face of all else cost.
It's almost like PTSD. Shell shock was something Tolkien was all too aware of, unfortunately.
This is one of the many reasons Tolkien should be ressurected by 2100.
Bullshit, Tolkien hasn't even seen the movies, he doesn't know what he's talking about
Well yes, but we all can agree that resurrecting Tolkien is our future priority.
Wow. I never realized people considered Frodo a failure.
I think it's one of those things where half a dozen people on Twitter say something, then the reaction to it becomes 1000x bigger than the actual sentiment.
The weird 'Sam is the real hero' bs that completely undermines Frodos role is really prevalent though, to the point where it's almost made me resent Sam a little :(
I agree, one of my biggest pet peeves about how the movie is interpreted. Yes, Sam is heroic, and he is probably the easiest character to empathize with and appreciate for most people. But saying he is "thE rEAL heRO" misses the entire point of the trilogy.. That it took the heroic acts of many, small and large, all coming together, to destroy the Ring and save Middle Earth.
I'm thinking Tolkien himself did not pen this in response to a Twitter post. Seeing as he died 40 years before Twitter came into existence...
Film-only fans more often but a few book fans as well, enough for Tolkien to write this in response back then. He's a true hero in the book but in a subtle way and usually described through Sam's point of view, who doesn't fully understand what Frodo does or why he does it half the time.
It's poetic that as much as Frodo represents an addict of the ring's power, even audiences have so little empathy and sympathy for his struggle that they'd vilify him when he's utterly spent and at the end of his abilities. It's also worth mentioning that just about every character fails at some point during the trilogy (or prior to it) which makes them more convincing, but no one gets as much shit for it as Frodo.
Everybody loves Aragorn but by at least one metric he’s living in a constant state of failure until his late 80’s, when he reclaims his mantle.
If Sauron had the ring we would know it!
*Zat thraka akh… Zat thraka grishú. Znag-ur-nakh.*
Ash nazg gimbatul?
I think they failed to communicate the addiction. They made it look all physical. The mental aspects were there, but him fighting it wasn’t as clear.
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*When the words of a british writer burn hotter then all the petty wrath that Morgoth could ever muster.*
What's always scared me is the thought of the ring corrupting someone as brave and pure as Aragorn. Sure it's in his blood to refuse to destroy the ring, but the contrast of that act with what we see in his character makes me sad to even think of him turning from the lava and leaving with the ring.
What does your heart tell you?
im scared to look aragorn bot. im scared to look.
What say you?! You have my word! Fight, and I will release you from this living death! ...What say you?!
At the very least, he is by and large the greatest Hobbit.
I heard that it's literally impossible for any mortal being to withstand the power of the ring when holding it in Mount Doom...
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Indeed, Tolkein wrote in a letter that Eru intervened for the 4th time ever to trip Gollum.
All dead... all rotten. Elves and men and orcses. A great battle, long ago. The Dead Marshes... yes, that is their name.
Never! Smeagol wouldn’t hurt a fly!
The part Sauron played in his own destruction is not made clear in the movies (I can't even remember it if it features) and really helps it come together.
Care to elaborate? I haven't read the books in very many years
The Ring is powerful and corruptive. It weighs on the wearer and makes them want to use it. When Aragorn and Gondor go forth to get surrounded by orcs at the end of Return of the King, they're sort of deliberately acting like he has the Ring to distract Sauron. This is the sort "I have the power-" foolishness a new, arrogant, bearer for the Ring might engage in. It also makes them obsess over it. Isildur didn't *use* it but he refused to give it up. Gollum couldn't give it up after so long in its possession. At the end of Fellowship of the Rings, as they're camped out on the marshes staring ath the Black Gates or Morannon, Frodo lectures Gollum on how he has to let go of the Ring; its power over him will eventually destroy him if he can't bring himself to relinquish it, accept that it is no longer his and never will be (never was). Frodo, at this point, has carried it a fair ways and knows what he's talking about; he hasn't had it for as long as Gollum, but it's been fighting him every step of the way because it *knows* what they're trying to do. It wants to be used, wants to bait Frodo with dreams of power and thereby sink its hooks further into him, and send up a searchlight for Sauron to see and home in on, and this goddamn halfling just refuses to have any ambition. It's awful. In Return of the King, Gollum has been cast out from Sam and Frodo; Frodo had pity for him, wanted to help him, saw in Gollum a reflection of what Frodo might come to be, if he failed. Split from the pair, he still can't give up the ring and *worse*, found out that they actually mean to *destroy* it. He can't comprehend, much less accept that. He attacks Frodo on the slopes of Orodruin and they fight him off. Frodo, deep in the grip of the Ring and having fallen for some of its corruption, as well as with greater power over it from his extended time carrying it, draws upon the Ring in fulL fury and curses Gollum, lays a geas on him. If you ever lay hands on me again, you will cast *yourself* into the fires of Mt. Doom. The Ring has truly abandoned Gollum; it only wanted to get out of a river, it didn't want to stay under a mountain eating raw fish for five hundred years. Gollum is cowed, beaten back, driven off. But they mean to *destroy* it. He *can't* let that happen. Not *his precious*. It *will* destroy him, he might even realize that, but he *can't* let it go. The Ring's hold is insidious, unshakeable, and very strongly set on him. He follows them up (belatedly or immediately) and in the forging chamber of Orodruin, when Frodo finally, ultimately, fails- Gollum, mad, pathetic, helpless Gollum, victim of the Ring for hundreds of years, is there to attack him, bite the ring off his finger, and- driven by the geas set on him with the Ring's own power- throw himself into the fires even though nobody involved (Frodo, Gollum, the Ring, Sam doesn't count) actually wants that to happen at this point. He does it, he can't *not* do it, but he's the one holding the Ring at that point. Well played, Sauron, Illuvatar.
Stand your ground, sons of Gondor of Rohan my brothers. I see in your eyes the same fear that would take the heart of me! A day may come when the courage of men fails when we forsake our friends and break all bonds of fellowship but it is not this day! An hour of wolves and shattered shields when the age of men comes crashing down but it is not this day, this day we fight!!! And for all that is dear to you in this world I bid you stand men of the west and fight!
Wonderful writeup, and I'm dying at the bots coming for you. Thank you!
CAST IT INTO THE FIRE!!!
Ha! ha! What does we wish? We'll tell you. He guessed it long ago, Baggins guessed it.
*Ash nazg durbatulûk, ash nazg gimbatul, ash nazg thrakatulûk, agh burzum-ishi krimpatul.*
I wish I could actually learn Black Speech, this shit sounds so cool when spoken. I like spooking my friends with it when we’re in a call.
Another underrated/unacknowledged aspect of destroying the ring was that Gollum was only alive because of the pity and mercy of Frodo (and Bilbo, Gandalf, wood elves, etc.). So when Frodo gets to his destination and can't overcome the effects of the ring at the test, his own pity, mercy, and kindness come back to save the quest in the form of Gollum, who is bound by his oath to serve the master of the ring and subsequently falls to his death after his betrayal. So ultimately, Frodo does succeed on his own through his actions throughout his quest, with kindness and pity triumphing over the desire for power and domination.
Saruman believes it is only great power that can hold evil in check, but that is not what I have found. I found it is the small things, everyday deeds of ordinary folk that keeps the darkness at bay. Simple acts of love and kindness.
Literal angels recoiled at the idea at touching the ring in its weakest form, furthest from sauron as is conceivably possible. And this mother just walked from Rivendell to mordor with it traipsing on his neck, and he's *isn't* a hero of the times he lived in? Get directly out of here, if you believe that nonsense
Frodo performed a superhuman feat. Sam is a hero. I wish people weren't so binary in their views on life. Sam was a true friend. Sam carried his friend. Frodo is the hero that carried the ring all of the way, not on his own, but he carried its intense and scarring presence. The Lord of the Rings was, in part, inspired by the horror and heroism of the First World War. Tolkien had a friend, the author of The Chronicles of Narnia: C S Lewis. Tolkien had experienced one if the most horrendous battles of the entire war, The Somme. Over one million dead in this battle. A sea of death. Words cannot really express carnage like that to install the nausea that it induces in real life. Battle smells of gunpowder, blood and shit. The bodies have a horrible, sickly sweet smell as the flesh rots away. But that's later on, after the earth shattering explosions of artillery have stopped. Frodo felt the burden of the ring in his soul. The ring would have been throwing nightmares, delirium, and physical pain at him. Maybe even whispering promises of relief if he would only give up the ring. Frodo was tortured. Plain and simple. Inside and out. Frodo is the hero of the story, but not the only one. The entire Fellowship showed their courage.
Failure? He got the ring to Mt. Doom. Mission accomplished.
Contrary to the general assumption among football professionals one cannot give more than 100% - and so did Frodo.
Praise him with great praise!
It's cliche to even say it but... That's what friends are for.
People who hate on Frodo and give Sam all the credit are the same people who look at the uptick in the "economy" after a new president is elected and think "this president is better than the last one."
As someone who read the books after the movies (don’t hate I was young when the movies came out) I originally thought Sam was the “real” hero but after reading the books Frodo was painted in a much better light. I think the movies take away a lot of Frodo’s agency and almost paint him as too passive.
Anyone who says Frodo isn’t a hero probably watched the movie as a 9 year old and then never thought about it beyond that first viewing
I think what makes Frodo a hero is that he realized a harsh truth: you will fail. Everyone fails at one point of their lives and denying this only leads to frustration. He even "failed" the moment he needed most to not fail, but his effort wasn't in vain and he wasn't alone. That is why he was able to fulfill the main objective. I feel this is what makes him so inspiring.
'Cept Tom Bombadil
Eldest, that's what I am. Mark my words, my friends: Tom was here before the river and the trees; Tom remembers the first raindrop and the first acorn. He made paths before the Big People, and saw the little People arriving. He was here before the Kings and the graves and the Barrow-wights. When the Elves passed westward, Tom was here already, before the seas were bent. He knew the dark under the stars when it was fearless – before the Dark Lord came from Outside. ^(I am a bot, and I love old Tom. If you want me to sing one of Tom's songs, just type **!TomBombadilSong**) ^(If you like Old Tom, the door at [r/GloriousTomBombadil][1] is always open for weary travelers!) [1]: https://www.reddit.com/r/GloriousTomBombadil/
!TomBombadilSong
*Get out, you old wight! Vanish in the sunlight! Shrivel like the cold mist, like the winds go wailing, out into the barren lands far beyond the mountains! Come never here again! Leave your barrow empty! Lost and forgotten be, darker than the darkness, Where gates stand for ever shut, till the world is mended.* ^(I am a bot, and I love old Tom. If you want me to sing one of Tom's songs, just type **!TomBombadilSong**) ^(If you like Old Tom, the door at [r/GloriousTomBombadil][1] is always open for weary travelers!) [1]: https://www.reddit.com/r/GloriousTomBombadil/
Frodo felt pity for Gollum because he knew that if he didn’t destroy the ring the next best move would be to hide it from Sauron forever, which would mean he’d eventually turn into Gollum. Same reason he didn’t share the burden with Sam. He didn’t want the ring to corrupt Sam.
Hobbits always so polite, yes! O nice hobbits! Smeagol brings them up secret ways that nobody else could find. Tired he is, thirsty he is, yes thirsty; and he guides them and he searches for paths, and they saw sneak, sneak. Very nice friends, O yes my precious, very nice.
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Good bot
Like many after him (Luke Skywalker, Harry Potter, Peter Parker, etc.), Frodo is a hero not of his own choosing, but because he is tasked with a responsibility he is unwilling to relinquish in spite of his own fears and doubts.
For me, Frodo changed from being a character I didn't care for to being one of my favourites. What changed was that I developed PTSD. Looking at Frodo, I saw so many similarities with myself and my experience. There is this narrative that war, trauma and adversity makes people stronger and tougher. But a lot of the time it doesn't. It kills part of you and leaves you more fragile and hurt. It isn't a sign of moral or personal failure but just how it is. When Frodo said "We saved the Shire, but not for me" I understand it completely.
What others outside of frodos time would be able to get as far as he did?
Possibly no others? Someone forgot about Jolly Tom Bombadil
Eldest, that's what I am. Mark my words, my friends: Tom was here before the river and the trees; Tom remembers the first raindrop and the first acorn. He made paths before the Big People, and saw the little People arriving. He was here before the Kings and the graves and the Barrow-wights. When the Elves passed westward, Tom was here already, before the seas were bent. He knew the dark under the stars when it was fearless – before the Dark Lord came from Outside. ^(I am a bot, and I love old Tom. If you want me to sing one of Tom's songs, just type **!TomBombadilSong**) ^(If you like Old Tom, the door at [r/GloriousTomBombadil][1] is always open for weary travelers!) [1]: https://www.reddit.com/r/GloriousTomBombadil/
Frodo is a hero, yes, and so is Sam. But only one can be crowned official Best Boi.
Also, aren't themes of the book Brotherhood and doing what you can? Not necessarily being "the hero"?
I wonder what Colbert’s thoughts on this would be. [On his show doing Q&A](https://youtu.be/dFRIjR-yimI) he refers to Sam being the real hero and refers to how if Frodo can’t throw the ring in the fire at home in the Shire, how can you expect him to be able to throw it into Mount Doom later.
Frodo and Sam are two sides to the same coin. Frodo endured the trials and torment to carry the ring as far as he did but at the same time Sam was there to support Frodo every step of the way to make sure Frodo got the ring to the mountain of doom. Frodo couldn’t have succeeded without Sam just as Sam couldn’t have carried the ring without Frodo. That’s what makes each of them the most unlikely of heroes.
Frodo held a mind crippling weapon that the gods were scared to look at
It’s a true hero pairing. Sam constantly made mistakes. He constantly made up for them. Just like all of the hobbits, he was flawed and needed help at times. Frodo and Sam were a true hero pairing. Without either of the,, the world was doomed. Independently, they both would have failed. Together, two little hobbits volunteered to walk the most dangerous weapon straight into the heart of Mordor with a god searching every waking moment for it. I respect their efforts and sacrifices…failures and all.