@ Encaitare: you tried to explain why Frodo's sword did no harm to the Nazgūl, whereas Merry could injure the witchking. I think that Frodo simply missed the wraith and only struck its coat. If he had struck him, his blade would have shrivelled and perished like Merry's did, for "all blades perish, that pierce that dreadful King" as Aragorn says.
There is hardly anything I can write, after those deep discussions!
I agree with Child of the 7th age that there is more to Frodo than explained in the psychological analysis by Karyn Milos. (There was a discussion about that in Child's excellent thread "Frodo's sacrifice" about 2 years ago.) But this really belongs more to the end of the books.
Overall I get the impression of how long and cumbersome the way to Rivendell is and how painfully slow the progress of the fellowship , although time is pressing. Very realistic really. (In the movie, Middle-earth somehow seems much smaller...) Also it strikes me that Frodo's condition deteriorates only slowly, with intermittent recoveries. When they meet up with Bilbo's trolls he can even laugh. I was glad for thas respite! And again Sam shows us another unexpected side.
Even at the confrontation with the Nazgūl at the ford, Frodo has still enough pluck to face them and refuse their summons. (I understand that they had to rush the scenes in the movie, and even their omission of Glorfindel, but I can't forgive them the weak portrayal of Frodo!
)
At my first reading I remember how thrilled I was at Glorfindel's appearance and how intrigued by the untranslated Elvish words!
The green "elf-stone" that he left on the bridge must have been the same kind of jewel as the Elessar then ?
I wonder if Frodo had heard about Luthien before, or did Strider's telling of that story leave such a deep impression that he called not only on Elbereth but on Luthien.