![]() ![]() ![]() Frodo forgives Gollum at the end of the series because he believes that Gollum was not entirely at fault for what he did, that it was the power of the Ring that forced him into this destructive madness. Though Hobbits do not normally live nearly 600 years, his consumption of the Ring and his descent into the mountain with its unnatural power allowed him to survive until 3019, when he fell to his death, fittingly with his precious Ring, into the fires of Mount Doom. Born in TA 2430, Gollum’s original name was Sméagol, descended from one of the earliest Hobbit races, the Stoors. He is acknowledged by many of the characters in Tolkien’s The Hobbit and especially, The Lord of the Rings, and even more are vaguely aware of his presence, but he creeps across Middle-earth in secret, perpetually hunting in the darkness for his precious. It is interesting to note that Tolkien heavily revised this chapter some years after the first edition of The Hobbit, when he was working on The Lord of the Rings trilogy, in order to provide a history for the ring that is so important to those books.Gollum is a forgotten and broken tangle of destructive behavior. Bilbo's leap over Gollum to escape the cave emphatically represents a leap he takes in his own personal development. You thus see Bilbo in a kind of symbolic confrontation with a self-absorbed, immature individual, who may faintly resemble the hobbit-like disinclination to venture out into the world. Bilbo encounters Gollum when he is himself alone, trying to rejoin the dwarves. He lives alone, on an island, and is so inexperienced in any kind of social interaction that he can speak only to himself, which he does constantly additionally, his lack of development is indicated by the babyish nature of his language. The depiction of Gollum is a masterpiece of symbolic characterization. Thus you see Bilbo developing beyond his hobbit mildness into someone who can survive danger by using good judgment and taking appropriate risks. He also demonstrates a sense of ethics when he decides not to kill Gollum because of his unfair advantages of invisibility and a weapon. In this and in taking the final leap over Gollum and out of the cave, Bilbo demonstrates a bravery that he did not know he possessed. He relies effectively on his own ingenuity and resourcefulness to outwit both Gollum and the Goblins. In this chapter, Bilbo finds himself alone when confronting danger he is without the company of the dwarves or the direction of Gandalf. As they rush at him, he slips the ring on, becoming invisible, and narrowly escapes to the outside where it is light and the Goblins cannot follow. Bilbo escapes by an extraordinary leap over Gollum's head and through the passageway, but he runs into the Goblins. Bilbo thinks of killing Gollum, but decides it would not be fair, because Bilbo is invisible and Gollum is unarmed. Gollum, who can smell Bilbo, blocks his way. Bilbo, who is still invisible, follows him, thereby discovering the way out. Gollum is afraid that without the invisibility of the ring, he will be captured by the Goblins. Bilbo becomes invisible, and Gollum cannot find him to attack. Bilbo, who does not understand the power of the ring, slips it on his finger as Gollum runs to attack him. Gollum correctly surmises that Bilbo has it and confronts him, asking what is in his pocket. He goes to the hiding place where he keeps the ring, but it is gone. When he wears it, he is invisible and can more easily snag his prey. Gollum decides to get the better of Bilbo by using his birthday present, a ring. Because he lives alone, Gollum is in the habit of speaking to himself in a kind of hissing baby-talk, calling himself "my precious." Trying to assess Bilbo, he engages him in a game of riddles, at which Bilbo proves his equal. Gollum is a small, slimy, dark creature with pale eyes, named for the sound he makes as he swallows he preys upon Goblins and fish. As a hobbit, he can orient himself quite well underground, and he continues to descend the tunnel until he comes to a lake that he cannot cross, not knowing how to swim.īilbo is spotted by old Gollum, who lives alone on an island in the lake, which he navigates in a small boat. He wishes he were back in his comfortable home, eating. He finds a ring, which he absentmindedly pockets. Bilbo regains consciousness and, finding himself alone, tries to crawl through the tunnel.
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