Nar -- Very, very perceptive. Yes, there are so many layers of meaning with both pairings and triangular schema. It's almost like unwrapping the skin of an onion.
How about other ways of understanding these characters in terms of trangular relationships and themes, as Littlemanpoet suggested? Frodo's internal perception of himself as reflected in the eyes of Gollum: who Frodo is, what he must at least in part become, and what he must struggle not to become. This is certainly in accord with Tolkien's comments after Gollum pledges Frodo not to lead the Ring to Sauron:
Quote:
Yet the two were in some way akin and not alien: they could reach one another's minds. II, 225
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And then there's the possibility of the good/bad triangularity with Sam as the "good" Frodo and Gollum as the "bad" Frodo. Many critics have said this, but I am not overy fond of this paradigm. I think it is too simplistic, given some of Sam's real shortcomings in his perceptions and relationships with Gollum.
Have to run. Given time, I'm sure we could come up with many others.
sharon, the 7th age hobbit