OT - SPOILER - gollum discussion'

[geoschmo]

Heh, it's nice to see my own opinion jived so well with the author. Apparently on some level I got it.

I'd have to disagree with one thing he says in his letter, if I am permitted to disagree with him. He does after all appear to be discussing this from a "what might have really happened" perspective rather than a "what might I have written instead" point of view. I think anyone with an interest in the works could disagree with the former if not the latter.

But 'possession' satisfied, I think he would then have sacrificed himself for Frodo's sake and have voluntarily cast himself into the fiery abyss.

I don't disagree that a fully repentant Smegol might have stolen the ring intending to jump and destroy it and himself, and thus simultaneously serving both his masters, but I believe had he been succesful in pilfering it, it's power would have quickly turned his heart dark again. His love for Frodo would have been forgotten, and he would have served the ring alone. He could have fallen, as he did, or jumped after it, as I suggested, but he would have never jumped with it and deliberatly taken an action which would have caused harm to his precious.

[spoon]

Originally posted by geoschmo:
But just as in real life in the effort to posess something, we often end up destroying it.

Especially if you forget to set your troop ships to the Capture Planet strategy.

[Baron Munchausen]

You think you know better than the author about his own character??

Ah well... you're no diffeent than the newsgroup posters.

[narf poit chez BOOM]

even the writtings of JRRT are debatable. if any mortal ever reaches such a position in the publics eyes that there actions are unquestionable, we're in for some bad times.

mind you, that's a little overdramatic for this thread. oh well.

narf it sounds like my family. If we were not debating something, then someone would check for a pulse.

actually, my dad said he kinda liked him, becuase he was trying to be good.

Perhaps a century or two.

thousand years, if i remember correctly.

[ February 18, 2004, 20:49: Message edited by: narf poit chez BOOM ]

[geoschmo]

Originally posted by Baron Munchausen:
You think you know better than the author about his own character??

Ah well... you're no diffeent than the newsgroup posters.

Well, I caveated it by saying that as long as we are speaking from a point of view of what might happen if the books were a historical record of true events. JRRT spent a lot of time developing a universe and the characters that exsisted in it. He demonstrated time after time that noone was immune from the power of the ring. Even Gandalph, Elrond, and that tree elf queen (Sorry, don't remember her name) recognized that it would consume and control them. Even Sauron was not more powerful then the ring, and he made the ring himself. Only that Bombadil guy was immune, and he didn't seen very interested either way.

If after all that he says something like, "If Sam had only said nice things to Gollum the power the ring would be broken and Smeagol would have thrown the ring in the pit to please Frodo." that's inconsistant with everything else in the books. So, yeah, I can say I think that's wrong.

[ February 18, 2004, 20:58: Message edited by: geoschmo ]

[narf poit chez BOOM]

my dad says 'sure, gollum had an extended life, but what kind of life was it?'.

[Narrew]

Hey Narf,

Ask your dad what he thought of Total Recall. Was it VR or RL, or was it VR inside of RL, or RL inside of VR inside of RL?