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GreenhillFox
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Post Was Frodo's mission bound to fail by lack of foresight?
on: October 06, 2016 02:04
I made a (somewhat theoretical) reflection about the chances of success for Frodo's mission, for which I would welcome comments.

Frodo was about to fail on his mission, at the end of the journey. I quote from the last book (Ch. 3 "Mount Doom":

Then Frodo stirred and spoke with a clear voice, indeed with a voice clearer and more powerful than Sam had ever heard him use, and it rose above the throb and turmoil of Mount Doom, ringing in the roof and walls.
‘I have come,’ he said. ‘But I do not choose now to do what I came to do. I will not do this deed. The Ring is mine!’ And suddenly, as he set it on his finger, he vanished from Sam’s sight.

This "almost-failure" could have been foretold. The power which the Ring exerted on its keeper was known and alluded to, well before Elrond's council. E.g. in the first book (Ch. 2 "The Shadow of the Past":

‘But why not destroy it, as you say should have been done long ago?’ cried Frodo again. ‘If you had warned me, or even sent me a message, I would have done away with it.’
‘Would you? How would you do that? Have you ever tried?’
‘No. But I suppose one could hammer it or melt it.’
‘Try!’ said Gandalf. ‘Try now!’
Frodo drew the Ring out of his pocket again and looked at it. [...] When he took it out he had intended to fling it from him into the very hottest part of the fire. But he found now that he could not do so, not without a great struggle. He weighed the Ring in his hand, hesitating, and forcing himself to remember all that Gandalf had told him; and then with an effort of will he made a movement, as if to cast it away – but he found that he had put it back in his pocket.
Gandalf laughed grimly. ‘You see? Already you too, Frodo, cannot easily let it go, nor will to damage it.


In conclusion, I wonder if this constitutes an incoherence in the storyline, since this known problem was not discussed at the Council.

Thank you for reading me!
'There’s something mighty queer behind this.'
Gandolorin
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on: October 06, 2016 04:05
Chapter II "The Shadow of the Past":

Gandalf:
"... [the Ring] abandoned Gollum. Only to be picked up by the most unlikely person imaginable: Bilbo from the Shire!
Behind that there was something else at work, beyond any design of the Ring-maker. I can put it no plainer than by saying that Bilbo was meant to find the Ring, and not by its maker. In which case you also were meant to have it. And that may be an encouraging thought."
...
Frodo:
"... What a pity that Bilbo did not stab that vile creature [Gollum] , when he had a chance!"
Gandalf:
"Pity? It was Pity that stayed his hand. Pity, and Mercy: not to strike without need. And he has been well rewarded, Frodo. Be sure that he took so little hurt from the evil, and escaped in the end, because he began his ownership of the Ring so. With Pity." "... My heart tells me that he [Gollum] has some part to play yet, for good or ill, before the end; and when that comes, the pity of Bilbo may rule the fates of many - yours not least."

So yes, "This "almost-failure" could have been foretold.". But Gollum was there, the first and the last of the four Hobbit Ring-bearers. As first, holding it far longer than the other three combined, for centuries. As last, holding it for the shortest time of all, mere seconds - and causing its destruction. So actually, Frodo himself failed, not just almost. But Gollum put things right. Full circle, and supreme irony.
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GreenhillFox
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on: May 01, 2017 01:09
I returned to this subject I raised a while ago because I came across a quite relevant comment from JRRT himself, which I think is worthwhile sharing here.

This is what he commented about Frodo’s failure to destroy the Ring:

Surely it is a more significant and real event than a mere 'fairy-story' ending in which the hero is indomitable? It is possible for the good, even the saintly, to be subjected to a power of evil which is too great for them to overcome – in themselves. In this case the cause (not the 'hero') was triumphant, because by the exercise of pity, mercy, and forgiveness of injury, a situation was produced in which all was redressed and disaster averted. Gandalf certainly foresaw this. See Vol. I p. 68-9. Of course, he did not mean to say that one must be merciful, for it may prove useful later –it would not then be mercy or pity, which are only truly present when contrary to prudence. Not ours to plan! But we are assured that we must be ourselves extravagantly generous, if we are to hope for the extravagant generosity which the slightest easing of, or escape from, the consequences of our own follies and errors represents. And that mercy does sometimes occur in this life.

Frodo deserved all honour because he spent every drop of his power of will and body, and that was just sufficient to bring him to the destined point, and no further. Few others, possibly no others of his time, would have got so far. The Other Power then took over: the Writer of the Story (by which I do not mean myself), 'that one ever-present Person who is never absent and never named'.

These reflections of mercy and forgiveness are in his letter 192 (“From a letter to Amy Ronald” 27 July 1956”).
'There’s something mighty queer behind this.'
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