Quote:
|
Gollum becomes the tool of Providence, and falls into the fire, converting the despair of Middle-earth into Hope of the highest order (eucatastrophe).
|
I disagree with your assessment of Gollum’s ‘triumph’ over his despair. He was used as a tool in spite of his despair. He had nothing to do with it and in no way defeated it. He was consumed by it.
Quote:
|
They oppose the wills of the heroes, even try to hinder them, but they are not evil.
|
Along with
mark12_30, I have reservations about Gollum in this area as well. He had strong propensities in that direction. He also failed to repent in the end. Coming close doesn’t count (similar principle to “second place is first loser.”)
Quote:
|
but he is not evil in the way that Sauron or Melkor or Shelob are evil.
|
I am curious as to what was left for him to do that would put him into that category.
Quote:
|
Éowyn saves Theoden after breaking her duty to him; Faramir succeeds in letting the Ring go where Boromir failed;
|
and
Quote:
|
Gollum gets the Ring into the Fire because Frodo has let him live.
|
The difference between the first two and the last is that Eowyn and Faramir engaged in willing acts to accomplish their goals.
Gollum had a woopsie to accomplish something that was in no way his goal.
Quote:
|
My point is that he can't be blamed of becoming of what he was like, because, I think, most of people would have become as "mad" as he became.
|
Only if one made the same consistently bad choices that he made. He had control over his own choices.