Is there any hope of redemption ...?

[Lalwendë]

Those are very interesting quotes. It makes me wonder more about Sam and Gollum in relation to each other. Gollum is presented on the surface level as an evil creature, and Sam as inherently good; yet both are not necessarily these things. Gollum can repent, and Sam can be cruel. Yet more shades of grey in the morality of the story... This again sheds new light on the character of Frodo. He at first thinks of Gollum as evil, then he meets and comes to rely on him; Frodo cannot destroy the ring, and this might be seen as wrong, yet by taking on Gollum and trusting to him, he has done 'good'. Is this a particular type of Christian morality being displayed, in that mercy will eventually result in 'good'?Or is it some form of 'humanism' in that Frodo accepts the failings of another because he sees the common humanity (hobbitry?) in Gollum?

Of one thing I am sure, and that is that this clearly demonstrates the complexity in Tolkien's characters! A good one for arguments with critics.