[Mister Underhill]

Shade of Carn Dûm
Posts: 416
Re: Gollum's Purpose/Motives (To Stir Things Up)

Thus when he begins to regain his power and extends his will, the Ring responds to Sauron's will because he is seeking it, but it has no will of its own. It falls from Gollum's hand in the caverns. When Bilbo reaches the back door of the Goblin's halls it slips off. Bilbo must put it on a chain so it cannot get away. The Ringwraiths, being extensions of Sauron's will and linked to the Ring can call out to it and the result is a desire to put it on as in Morgul Vale and on Weathertop. Similarly, in Bree, both the Ringwraiths and Sauron are calling to it so it slips on during Frodo's song.

I'm up in the air about whether to agree with you, Mith, on the subject of the Ring having at least some ability to act independently. According to your argument, the Ring is completely inanimate and in the cases cited, where it may seem that the Ring is acting on its own, it is in fact only responding to Sauron's "call", either directly or, by extension, through the Nazgûl. This doesn't explain how the Ring was able to treacherously slip off of Isildur's hand shortly after the battle of the Dagorlad.

I agree with the Wight that Sméagol was already a mean-spirited fellow before he came across the Ring. Tolkien seems to have felt that way, too. Here's yet another Letters quote which seems relevant to the discussion:

Into the ultimate judgement upon Gollum I would not care to enquire. This would be to investigate 'Goddes privitee', as the Medievals said. Gollum was pitiable, but he ended in persistent wickedness, and the fact that this worked good was no credit to him. His marvellous courage and endurance, as great as Frodo and Sam's or greater, being devoted to evil was portentous, but not honourable. I am afraid, whatever our beliefs, we have to face the fact that there are persons who yield to temptation, reject their chances of nobility or salvation, and appear to be 'damnable'. Their 'damnability' is not measurable in the terms of the macrocosm (where it may work good). But we who are all 'in the same boat' must not usurp the Judge. The domination of the Ring was much too strong for the mean soul of Sméagol. But he would have never had to endure it if he had not become a mean sort of thief before it crossed his path. Need it ever have crossed his path? Need anything dangerous ever cross any of our paths? A kind of answer could be found in trying to imagine Gollum overcoming temptation. The story would have been quite different! By temporizing, not fixing the still not wholly corrupt Smeagol-will towards good in the debate in the slag hole, he weakened himself for the final chance when dawning love of Frodo was too easily withered by the jealousy of Sam before Shelob's lair. After that he was lost.