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Gollum represents what?
http://www.arwen-undomiel.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=6576		 Page 2 of 3
Author:  Larael [ June 22nd, 2006, 4:46 pm ]
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^Exactly! And to think that a ring could hold so much evil in it and bring so much evil upon people is quite disturbing really. It makes me think of how that would work in our world...
Author:  whiteknife [ July 5th, 2006, 4:08 pm ]
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i think that gollum is a being twisted by emotion and temptation and therefore representsd the fact of what happens when we devote more than just ourselves into and object of some sort... along with that i think Tolkien is painting a picture of how sin can twist a person into something they are not... Gollum wasnt always Gollum he was Smegol then twisted by obsession he turned into something he wasnt.
Author:  tindomerel [ July 11th, 2006, 5:30 pm ]
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Larael wrote:
To me Gollum represents a look into what is to come or of what could be. He is there to show what happens when evil takes hold of a person's life, of what evil can do to a person both in body and mind.


I agree with Larael and many others who've expressed something similar. But, I'd also go a step farther to say Gollum represents humanity or society. He is as the world is, as it continues to progress...have you heard the expression "reaching for the brass ring" and other's similar? Many people in all walks of life are pursuing something, fame, fortune, etc.. some, without the cares of the reprecussions on their loved ones or the world...and to me Gollum/Smeagol, represents one option of what can happen if we let either our fear or greed for something take over. Not only did his family deny him after he stole the ring, but the world continued to reject him as well, the sun grew to be his enemy as did the moon, ...he had to slink and sneak to find a living, as much as he distrusted the world, due to his possession, the world also distrusted him because of it. On the other hand, we can compare Sam and Frodo to the alternative, the positive, when we realize family, friends, and in their case, the safety and wellbeing of the world is at stake....over our eagerness for whatever we're pursuing. While Gollum showed what happens if we let material possessions take over our lives, Frodo and company showed what is possible, what greatness can occur, if we keep our heads and take charge of our lives.
Author:  noldor [ July 11th, 2006, 7:22 pm ]
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he stands for corruption
Author:  Sinbearer [ July 12th, 2006, 3:51 pm ]
Post subject:  In the end....
*applauds* That was so nicely expressed tindomerel! It really makes me think. In the end, what is really important in our lives?
Author:  tindomerel [ July 13th, 2006, 8:47 am ]
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Oh, thank you kindly Sinbearer. Though in reading your posts, you are very wise in many LotR subjects, too. :)

I just feel Tolkien's writing very seldom is without a purpose, perhaps we read into it more than's there, but somehow I doubt it. He was a very wise man and I think, intentionally created opposing characters such as Gollum versus Frodo, Gandalf versus Saruman, and so on. In every example he shows what influence power can have over your life depending on your values, your choices... ok, I'm rambling, so I will leave now :p
Author:  Sinbearer [ July 13th, 2006, 11:40 am ]
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There is no doubt that Tolkien was a wise man. And, unlike many works today, he spent a sizable chunk of his life writing LotR and the related matterials. In some ways I feel like it was his life work. But I haven't read a biography of Tolkien yet. (Soon! I just finished Gresham's biography of Lewis)

Beyond that, I think there is more there than he intended. We write to understand. I know I have felt the flow of creativity and inspiration through the things that I write or compose. I'm sure you have too. Many times I look back over what I have written and wonder if I wrote it! Truth and understanding often surprise me as I explore the joy and sadness and mystery that is life and reality.

Tolkien, I'm sure was no different. He understood much from what life and others had taught him but those things resonated with an inspiration and universal truth that charged his work with wisdom that was beyond him.

Consequently I believe that his works contains deep layers of inexhaustible wisdom and truth. That is part of the pleasure I find in reading LotR and interacting with others about them.

I like what you said about contrasts as I've never thought about that specifically in LotR. That is a powerfully emotional way to teach.
Author:  Larael [ July 30th, 2006, 9:14 pm ]
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tindomerel wrote:
But, I'd also go a step farther to say Gollum represents humanity or society.


Exactly! As humans we can get very distracted by our greeds and wants. Material possessions can really get in the way of what we really want out of life. It seems that our possessions do more distracting than actual helping, and that is why we have our friends and family. Without them we would be stuck on path to nowhere, going around in circles. We have them to keep us on track, and to clear the way.

[I think I'm getting a little off topic here, but your statements got me thinking tindomerel. :) ]
Author:  Taurquende [ August 12th, 2006, 2:03 pm ]
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^ That's exactly what I always thought Gollum represented. The dark side of human society, and what terrible things can happen when greed and longing corrupts us and we forget our moral ethics. I'm sure that there are lots of people who would gladly hurt other people to get what they desire. Hopefully they're in the minority...
Author:  Galadhrim_arrow [ August 24th, 2006, 4:58 pm ]
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Hmm. The dark side of human society? I never really thought of that one. Getting alot of reasons!
Author:  Lady Ella [ September 2nd, 2006, 4:40 pm ]
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i love gollum so much!
Author:  Eä [ September 3rd, 2006, 7:33 am ]
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I have been following this topic loosely since it started, but I'm not sure what I think about Gollum's character. He is the trickster and the jester, the outsider and the outcast, who might end up representing ourselves, our dark sides. He is despised by other living creatures, because he doesn't live their way and follow their norms, but sometimes the reason for it is that he represents everything, we don't want to see and recognize in ourselves.
I don't know about it, and I was actually just planning to comment on others posts...

Sinbearer wrote:
Beyond that, I think there is more there than he intended. We write to understand. I know I have felt the flow of creativity and inspiration through the things that I write or compose. I'm sure you have too. Many times I look back over what I have written and wonder if I wrote it! Truth and understanding often surprise me as I explore the joy and sadness and mystery that is life and reality.

Tolkien, I'm sure was no different. He understood much from what life and others had taught him but those things resonated with an inspiration and universal truth that charged his work with wisdom that was beyond him.

This is so true. Sometimes you loose yourself and the work "takes over" and lives its own life. I believe it is the essence in all good writing. The writer becomes a medium to generate the universal truth and wisdom into his work, he words it so we are able to talk about it.
I'm so glad for what you say about writing to understand. That's what I've done all my life and it means everything to me that I can be able to express myself in writing. I'm very aware of when I'm doing it, but seeing others wording the same need felt... good. This is not relevant for the topic at all, but I wanted to thank you posting.
Author:  Dumanyu [ September 3rd, 2006, 12:20 pm ]
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Gollum, to me, represents that all mortals have the ability to be corrupted to evil ends. The ring is metaphor for a power to turn everyone into their worst in their personality. Some obviously worse then others.
Bilbo had the ring for 60 odd years, an before he gave it up, you could see it turning him to a darker side of his personality. It took longer because he is by nature a gentle hobbit.
Gollum was by nature a loner, and was much easier to corrupt, as he looked for the dark in everything.
Unfortunately there is probably a little Hitler, or Stalin, or any truly evil person inside each human being on the planet, and it's just a case where a few of us give in to their evil ways.

Power corrupts..and absolute power corrupts absolutely.
Author:  Sinbearer [ September 22nd, 2006, 3:54 am ]
Post subject:  One small evil...
Larael wrote:
And to think that a ring could hold so much evil in it and bring so much evil upon people is quite disturbing really. It makes me think of how that would work in our world...


Just a little ring, that’s all. How can it ruin a life—a community—a nation? One small hole in the dam will eventually destroy it. A small leak, if not attended to, can sink the ship. And one small evil, persistently cherished, will eventually make a total shipwreck of a life.
Author:  Larael [ September 29th, 2006, 10:32 pm ]
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What about even higher than a nation, what about the entire world? That's exactly what happened with Arda, it was entirely taken over. Everything was completely affected by that one little Ring.
Author:  The Nightingale [ October 17th, 2006, 1:44 pm ]
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In my opinion, Gollum sort of represtents those of us who are still deciding which way to go. Or we were on the bad side, but are trying to turn good but things keep coming up and stoping us from turning completely good. And there's something on the bad side we're still holding on to thats holding us behind. I don't know if that makes any sense... Does it?
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