August 6, 2002

More About the Gollum/Ring Discussion
Pip

I would just like to reinforce Danny's point on Gollum and the ring. It was NOT an inconsistency in the Return of the King when Gollum attacked Frodo on Mount Doom. Gollum had a very strong sense of smell, as was stated in The Hobbit when Gollum DID almost catch Bilbo with the ring on: "Bilbo crept away from the wall more quietly than a mouse; but Gollum stiffened at once, and sniffed, and his eyes went green. He hissed softly but menacingly. He could not see the hobbit, but now he was on the alert, and he had other senses that the darkness had sharpened: hearing and smell." The Hobbit- Page 92, Riddles in the Dark.
As was the case in The Hobbit, Gollum sensed Frodo's presence on Mount Doom without seeing him. Tolkien was a perfectionist, and I don't think that such an imperfection would escape him.
D.C. @%