[Raynor]

I go with Sam too. Interestingly enough, Tolkien seemed to have a "Sam" of his own:

Originally Posted by War, Part two of "J.R.R. Tolkien A Biography", by Humphrey Carpenter

These old campaigners were ready to take advantage of any slip made by a recruit, and Tolkien reported that they treated him like an inferior schoolboy. He had more respect for the ‘men’, the N.C.O.s and privates who made up the other eight hundred or so members of the battalion. A few of them were from South Wales but most were Lancashire men. Officers could not make friends among them, for the system did not permit it; but each officer had a batman, a servant who was detailed to look after his kit and care for him much in the manner of an Oxford scout. Through this, Tolkien got to know several of the men very well. Discussing one of the principal characters in The Lord of the Rings he wrote many years later: ‘My “Sam Gamgee” is indeed a reflexion of the English soldier, of the privates and batmen I knew in the 1914 war, and recognised as so far superior to myself.’

Sam seems to me the most simple and humble character; on this, Tolkien stated in letter #181 that LotR was planned to be "'hobbito-centric', that is, primarily a study of the ennoblement (or sanctification) of the humble", or, as he said in letter #163, paraphrasing the Magnificat canticle: : "Deposuit potentes de sede et exaltavit humiles": "He has put down the mighty from their seat and has exalted the humble and meek". He also called Sam "a jewel among hobbits", though most likely in a humorous sense . There is some quote, somewhere, I can't remember for the life of me, where Tolkien states that one of the most moving moments for him was when Sam carried Frodo.

Originally Posted by Folwren

There are several Christ like figures - Gandalf and Aragorn are two obvious ones.

I would disagree; of Gandalf in particular it is said:

Originally Posted by Letter #181

Thus Gandalf faced and suffered death; and came back or was sent back, as he says, with enhanced power. But though one may be in this reminded of the Gospels, it is not really the same thing at all. The Incarnation of God is an infinitely greater thing than anything I would dare to write. Here I am only concerned with Death as part of the nature, physical and spiritual, of Man, and with Hope without guarantees.

and, in general, I might say there is no Christ figure at all:

Originally Posted by Letter #297

I relate these things because I hope they may interest you, and at the same time reveal how closely linked is linguistic invention and legendary growth and construction. And also possibly convince you that looking around for more or less similar words or names is not in fact very useful even as a source of sounds, and not at all as an explanation of inner meanings and significances. The borrowing, when it occurs (not often) is simply of sounds that are then integrated in a new construction; and only in one case Earendil will reference to its source cast any light on the legends or their 'meaning' - and even in this case the light is little. The use of earendel in A-S Christian symbolism as the herald of the rise of the true Sun in Christ is completely alien to my use. The Fall of Man is in the past and off stage; the Redemption of Man in the far future.

Sam saw his job to the end, but Frodo didn't. He failed.

Well, a matter of debate; in letter #246, Tolkien stated that "his real contract was only to do what he could, to try to find a way, and to go as far on the road as his strength of mind and body allowed. He did that".