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Old 01-16-2004, 03:34 AM   #33
davem
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Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: In the home of lost causes, and forsaken beliefs, and unpopular names,and impossible loyalties
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davem is battling Black Riders on Weathertop.davem is battling Black Riders on Weathertop.
Sting

I still, I suppose, wonder if Frodo understood what the Ring actually was. I agree with everything you say about what the Ring meant to Frodo, Child, & in that case, his claiming of the Ring is not a 'sin'. But was there another part of his mind which knew exactly what the Ring really was, & exactly what he was claiming, & that that claim could ultimately damn all of Middle Earth to Sauron's domination, & was he saying 'Yes, I'll even accept the possibility of that if there's a chance I can preserve my old life in the Shire with Bilbo. I'll gamble the world against getting what I want'. To what extent is his claiming of the Ring at the end based on a desire keep things as they were, with no thought or knowledge of what Sauron would do when he inevitably took the ring from him, or did Frodo acknowlege the possibility of Sauron taking it from him & still decide to risk it? Does Frodo 'sin' - by deciding that what he wants is worth risking the suffering of every being in Middle Earth to achieve - does he consent to that possibility, or does he not 'sin' - which would be the case if you're right & his desire is only for things to go on as they had been. In the end that would determine for me whether his feelings of guilt & failure at the end have validity or not.
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