November 29, 2003

Poll: Most Influence
Danny

That is a good question. I think it is either Gandalf or Frodo. Frodo because he was the one who took the initiative both in the Shire and in Rivendell. Frodo because he endured the torment of the ring fighting it until the cracks of doom. It was Frodo's strength of will that got the ring to the Cracks of Doom. Frodo got the ring to the heart of Sauron's realm, where his power was greater than even Galadriel's. (Recall that Tolkien specifically states that the phial of Galadriel could give no light there.) Frodo should not be faulted because the ring overpowered it where it also overpowered Isuldur, and implicitly could have overpowered Galadriel. Recall that Isuldur was a hero of great valor who remained faithful despite Sauron's deceits in Numenor. He had resisted Sauron's deceit and his power in the past, but at the Cracks of Doom Sauron's power would suffer no rival. Frodo did not yield to the ring so much as the ring overcame him as I beleive it would have done to any other.

Frodo took the ring knowing that for him the Shire was lost. It is clear in the Fellowship that Frodo never expected to return to the Shire, and that he knew that his peace in middle earth had to be sacrificed for the rest. Frodo willingly walked into the heart of the storm knowing he would not emerge as the same Hobbit if at all. So to me Frodo had the most influence and is the biggest heroe of the story. That doesn't diminish Sam's importance nor Gandalf's or Aragorn's etc.

Frodo would not have made it without Sam, that is true. Sam saved the quest on several questions, but without Frodo there would have been no quest to save. Frodo took the ring on him in Bag End, and again stepped forward to take the ring in Rivendell. Twice Frodo took on himself the death sentence that the ring was in so many ways. He could have escaped that sentence to a large degree had he not stepped forward in Rivendell. After Frodo took the ring, everything that Gandalf, Aragorn, Sam etc did was to further Frodo's chances of success. All their actions pivoted around Frodo's pivotal decision.

Gandalf is second on influence but it is a close second. Gandalf's decisions and strategies were what kept Sauron's eyes off of his borders. Gandalf's guidance and wisdom is what helped Frodo make the decisions he did. So in my mind Gandalf is a close second in influence for the story.