Meta-notes on LoTR: Towards the Right Question about Frodo #2

[eykar]

The Stairs of Cirith Ungol (continued

Comments

[aelfgifu]

A very interesting conversation on free will and failure. I wonder what Erasmus and Luther would think about Frodo sometimes!

I should play with these ideas in COE as well, I mean, if it works.

Once again, thanks for these!

[periantari]

THese are fascinating points~ i still have to read the Cirith Ungol part but i really like the paragraph you wrote about Frodo's will:

To the extent that Frodo's is a war story, his weapon is the strength of his will and he can't afford to take it for granted.
HIs weapon IS his strength and i'm glad Tolkien really stressed that throughout. Even in Minas Morgul, even in Mordor you can see Frodo's strength of will shining through.

I just must mention that i love that part about Sam resisting the Ring because of his "plain hobbit sense and his love for his master", thus your observation:
The reason that the Ring cannot manipulate Sam's love of Frodo is that love, which is a relationship between two or more beings, is beyond its awareness;
is so profound and correct because probably the Ring cannot know love therefore can never really do anything to bring Sam to bow down to it and claim it.

I love this post and will reread it soon again to make comments...

[lavendertook]

I too love how you identify love between the two hobbits as counter to the ring in that love does not lead to assimilation but the appreciation of boundaries. Interesting musing you're doing.

Tolkien uses the same term "diminishing" about Sam that he did about Galadriel resisting the lure of domination over others.