[akhtene]

Perhaps it's not exactly to the point, but I've been wondering a lot why most of good characters of Tolkien are so trusting or tend to take things too lightly. Everyone is deceived by Melkor and Sauron. OK, the first is Master of Lies, and the second is a good disciple of his, but the situation repeats over and over again. Don't people ever learn?
Saruman fooled not only Gandalf, but the whole White Council, including Radagast in an eye-to-eye talk.
Theoden listens to all lies poured into his ears. Denethor is ready to kill himself and his son...
To say nothing of many 'Silmarilion' heroes who are deceived or misinterpret things.
Another surprising thing for me, which I think falls in line with all that, is all the attempts to capture Gollum, but letting him escape (how many times?) Doesn't anybody appreciate his importance in the whole affair?
Well, what I was trying to say is that Gandalf is not an exception of the general rule. Perhaps Child is right that 'good’ characters were too good to suspect a maya of treachery and act on suspicion only. Though after Melkor and Sauron...
What I see in it is some kind of predetermination (providence ??) , when the events fall into some pattern, when the characters ( or should I say heroes) undergo all sorts of tests and nevertheless what has to be accomplished is accomplished.
Otherwise I’ll just have to accept that evil is smarter than good (which I don’t want to).