April 18, 2003

More on Frodo vs Boromir
Danny

Frodo's intentions were honorable from the very begining. He knew that he was sacrificing his peaceful life in the Shire. He stated that he knew he would never find rest or peace in this life once he took that quest. In essence he willingly walked into the storm and stepped in the path of the tornado. It was self sacrifice. His quest was not to seek glory or power for himself, but rather it was to seek the peace and happiness of others. I reiterate that he willingly took on the quest with a good idea of what it would cost him. I don't have my books with me, but I recall there being very clear references to what Boromir was thinking. I beleive they are provided by Faramir's insight to his brother's plight. It was clear that Boromir saw himself being a glorious military leader who rallied the men of Gondor. Boromir sought the ring for his glory. The defense of his people was a happy conincidence to his glory.

Secondly, To say that simply because Sauron wasn't openly pushing Frodo to take the ring doesn't mean that the Ring, an embodyment of Sauron's will with a will to survive didn't overpower Frodo. I think Tolkien made it clear that in Mount Doom even the power of Galadriel was held at bay. The Ring was supreme, and I don't beleive any mortal (and probably most immortals) could have destroyed it willingly. Isuldur was the first to claim the ring for his own there and Frodo was next. Recall that Isuldur was responsible for some of the greatest heroisms of his people (including saving the white tree from the destruction of Numenor.) The Ring has a will to survive, and when it is at the very max of its power, it's will seems capable of dominating the will of others.

In the end the ring destroyed both of them when you think about it. The difference is that Frodo took that uppon himself strictly for the benefit of others. He took the ring knowing that if it could overcome and destroy Gandalf or Galadriel, it certainly would do the same to him. He gave up his life that others would live safe from the ring's destructive influences. The Ring claimed Frodo at Mount Doom. Frodo knew it would happen. Gandalf knew it would happen. Recall back in the Shire when Gandalf tells Frodo to throw the ring into the fire. At that point Gandalf sees that the Ring prevented Frodo from risking harm to it. Surely Gandalf knew that if the Ring had that much power for self preservation in the Shire, it would be far too powerful for Frodo to destroy at the heart of its power. I beleive that Gandalf trusted in the power of good to find a way once those working for it did all they literally could.

I agree that Sam is a hero in the books, but I also think that people slight Frodo way too much. Frodo sacrificed himself for the Shire and the world. Seeing Gollum, only made it more clear to Frodo what the Ring would do to him, making it more clear what the sacrifice he was making really was. What was his cause for despair when he saw the armies leaving Minas Morgul? It was that there would be no world left to benefit if he succeeded. His despair was because he feared his sacrifice for the world was too late and was in vain. Sam was a key hero in the stories, but Frodo made the ultimate sacrifice, and took uppon himself the greatest load. He confronted the greatest evil, and withstood it for a very long time. One cannot fault an oak for uprooting when the tornado hits it, much less if that oak willingly stepped into the tornado to save others.