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Frodo pre-War of the Ring did not survive, he was changed into Frodo the Hurt.
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This accords with Frodo's own assessment of his position.
"Though I may come to the Shire, it will not seem the same; for I shall not be the same. I am wounded with knife, sting, and tooth, and a long burden. Where shall I find rest?" RotK, Homeward Bound
But post War of the Ring Frodo has also evolved from the Hobbit who did not pity Gollum (FotR, Shadow of the Past) to one who forbids the killing of Saruman after the latter attempts to kill him - "He is fallen and his cure is beyond us; but I would still spare him, in the hope that he may find it" (RotK, The Scouring of the Shire) I saw this extension of Mercy as an indication of Frodo's moral development and because of this, though he is Frodo the Hurt, he has done more than just survive his ordeal. He has, as Saruman himself acknowleges, grown.