I've finally been able to take the time to read all of the great contributions to this excellent topic! So much has been said that I have only two brief thoughts to add at the moment: Gollum's redeemability - I wonder if the fact that he even comes close to being redeemed is due to his hobbit-related nature? After all the centuries that he had the ring and his deep-seated addiction to it, the fact that he has any positive strength left in him shows that, like the other hobbits, he is "tough in the fibre".
Secondly, concerning Boromir: Everything that is said about his family background (father's influence, missing mother, etc.) also applies to Faramir. So what is the decisive difference? Is it the influence of Gandalf on Faramir?
An aside on the orphan issue - remember
Birdie's wonderful
Tolkien the Matricide thread?!
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'Mercy!' cried Gandalf. 'If the giving of information is to be the cure of your inquisitiveness, I shall spend all the rest of my days in answering you. What more do you want to know?' 'The whole history of Middle-earth..
.'