[Jessica Jade]

At times,in The Lord of the Rings, the narrow escapes of Frodo and his companions can seem too coincidental, as if no matter what they do wrong (or right) the result is still the same; someone always turns up just in the nick of time to save the day.
A good point was made on the finding of the Ring by Bilbo...fate definitely plays a role, and affects the characters to a certain extent-just as fate in your own life does.
However, the plot is not ruled by fate; Tolkien emphasizes at the most crucial points that the characters control their own actions and destiny. Most of these instances involve Frodo and the ring. For instance, on the top of Amon Hen, Frodo feels two powers striving within him, but in the end, he is free to make his own choice.