[The Saucepan Man]

Thank you for providing the full quote, Sparrow. I was going to look it up myself, but you have saved me the bother. [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img]

The Ring has had very little time to work on Sam. As Squatter has pointed out, it does seek to corrupt him while he bears it. And so it does have an influence on him, albeit one which he is able to resist. But, since he has borne it for such a short while, its hold over him is not strong enough to prevent him returning it to Frodo relatively easily.

But, as Squatter has also pointed out, there is a measure of resistance here. I do not see Sam's offer to share the burden as solely indicative of his loyalty and love for Frodo. Rather, I see it as the seed of a notion in his head, brought on by the Ring's influence, that he should be able to keep it for himself. It is playing on his loyalty and love for Frodo to bring about a situation whereby it will be in a position to work on him further.

So, while Sam does give the Ring up with relative ease, I do not believe that he does so completely freely. (Incidentally, I thought that this was portrayed very well in the film by Sean Astin - the expression on his face when Frodo demands the Ring back betrays a momentary reluctance to give it up.)

Of course, being a Hobbit, Sam has a stronger resistance to the Ring than most. Boromir, for example, succumbs to its wiles without ever having touched it. But I do not believe that Sam would have been able to resist it had he borne it for a prolonged period. Certainly, vital though his contribution to the Quest was, I do not believe that he would have been able to carry it as long as Frodo did without succumbing to it. Frodo was "meant" to be the Ringbearer, because he was the only one who could have resisted it as long as he did.