[Nurumaiel]

In this chapter, as the last, Gollum expresses his repulsion to the Sun, or, as he puts it, the Yellow Face. We discussed, in the last chapter, various reasons as to why Gollum has such a dislike for the Sun, and for other forms of light, and the popular conclusion was that he doesn't like the Light because it shows up his own darkness. This previous discussion was brought to my mind when, in this chapter, Gollum tells Sam that he is unwise to be glad of the sun, for 'it shows you up.'

There, perhaps, is the more interior, more of... feeling reason Gollum dislikes the Light, but there is also a reference given to a more practical reason. Gollum gives the impression that with the coming of the sun, the Orcs, who can see a long way, will easier spot them. In fact, after the Nazgul passes overhead in the Marshes, the hobbits themselves are cowering under the stones, hiding from the light that could show them to the Nazgul. The combination of Light showing up his own darkness, and light showing up his presence so he could be seen by things such as Orcs, why... I'm quite sure I would have a hatred of Light, as well, if such was the situation with me.

And then there are the lights in the Marshes. Gollum has known those 'tricksy lights,' and the 'fell lights' in the dead faces, and perhaps that influenced his attitude toward real Light. His feelings for these lights and for real Light seem to be much the same... 'wicked.'

Something that struck me was the incident where Frodo offers Gollum the lembas, and he chokes on it, saying he can't eat it. Frodo says he thinks it would do Gollum good, if the latter would try, and adds: "But perhasp you can't even try, not yet anyway." This could very possibly be another reference to that Light. We know that Frodo is hoping to 'convert' Gollum, as you might put it, and this seems a very clear reference to his hopes of Light for Gollum.

Another thing I mentioned in the previous chapter is that there is a possibility that Sam, as well as Frodo, has a concept of pity and mercy for Gollum, even if it not quite so strong as Frodo's. I'm encouraged in this thought, for when Sam wakes up, realises that he has fallen asleep on his watch, and also realises that Gollum has not throttled either of them, he says: "Poor wretch!" 'half remorsefully.' He calls him a 'poor wretch' once again not too long afterwards. His mercy towards Gollum was depicted in the previous chapter when he tied the rope just barely tight enough on Gollum's ankle, and his pity seems clearly depicted here. I can't say if it's a very strong feeling of pity or mercy or not, but I do feel confident that it's there, weak or strong, and I like Sam more than I ever did before.

One minor thing that has always made a deep impression on me is the instance of the birds, where the difference between Sam, the Shire gardener, and Gollum, the twisted creature who perhaps gardened once upon a time, is shown up. Sam expresses regrets that there are no birds about, probably because of their songs and pretty ways, and Gollum expresses the same sentiment, but for very different reasons... he licks his teeth as he sighs. When I think of Smeagol, who once sat on green banks by a river fishing, listening in delight to the sweet rising and falling of the bird songs, and how he now sits in a swampy, desolate, gloomy place, moaning over their absence (and the absence of food in his stomach), I can only shudder and pity.