Frodo at Sammath Naur

[davem]

I think the big question is What is the nature of Frodo's failure? More, surely, than simply failing to throw the ring into the fire. Does Tolkien mean that he failed to trust in a higher power, Illuvatar, the Wise, the Valar? Doesn't he take on the 'resposibility' for 'saving the world'? He convinces himself, by the end maybe, that the Ring is all there is, or all that matters. It replaces, for him, any 'higher'/spiritual power. He doesn't trust 'God' to put things right. He feels all will be lost if he destroys the Ring. Essentially, the Ring comes to replace everything for him. His 'failure' is a rejection of faith & trust, & perhaps this is what he feels he cannot go back to. Perhaps he had lost his ability to trust, to have faith in anyone or anything - in this world at least. He gives in to despair - there is nothing for him except the Ring, there is no hope for anything without it. 'Hope' becomes synonymous for him with the Ring. But could any of us throw away all hope & live without.

I wonder if Tolkien is pointing to a lack in this 'Pagan' world of Middle Earth, saying, as he does in the Athrabeth, that Man's salvation must come from outside, by the direct intervention of Illuvatar into his creation, that 'hope' based on things found within the world will always lead to 'failure' like Frodo's? Frodo (& the others seduced by the Ring) seeks to 'save' himself by means of some worldly object, rather than by placing faith in The Authority (as Tolkien put it) beyond the world. I admit I'm fumbling at something now which I can't properly formulate as yet. [img]smilies/confused.gif[/img]