[Boromir88]

I fall along the same line as Aiwendil. When reading the books, I got a sense that Smeagol didn't have a split personality, he just represented the struggle that every person deals with (I like Aiwendil's word...impulses).

Sociologists argue that we all have a desire to go against the 'norms of society.' As norms are pretty much like laws, and having laws isn't always fun. So we have one side that is all about pleasure and satisfaction and another that reminds us 'umm society says this is wrong, your parents say this is wrong...maybe you shouldn't do this.' Very much like a conscience.

Even before coming across the Ring Smeagol wasn't the most upstanding and moral figure. He's described as 'mean' and 'damnable.' Plus his actions after the Ring I think also speak to his character (as why doesn't someone like Bilbo or Frodo commit murder and then go about to lie and cover it up when they get the Ring?) Immediately after murdering for the Ring Smeagol turns to what he knows already how to do...he was the 'mean son of a thief,' (Letter 181) so he starts sneaking around spying and stealing.

Arguably even before coming across the Ring, you could say there already was a 'Gollum' in Smeagol. There already was the urge to 'strive against the norms of society.' Now, I think what the Ring does is polarize the two 'impulses,' and create a bigger gap between the two. On one end you have the nicer and more compassionate Smeagol, and on the other is the mean-spiritted Gollum. However, the Gollum already existed within Smeagol before coming across the Ring, the Ring just brought more of his Gollum-self out and polarized the two.

The movies chose to go a different route, but I do like how they portrayed it. And there's no arguments from me about the scene where we see the 'split-personality' of Gollum. Eventhough, I never got a sense in the books that Gollum had a split-mind, I like the approach and the way Jackson chose to show it. (I can't say I agree with the Ranger's treatment of Gollum...as they weren't 'thugs' and Faramir doesn't slam Gollum up against the wall threatening to gut him right there; or whatever he does).