This quote from Child's post:
Quote:
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What is amazing about Frodo is not that he failed, but that he succeeded to the extent he did. The Authority (and even Gandalf) was well aware of the limited nature of Man. My guess is that Frodo's real task was not to throw the Ring into the crack, which neither he nor anyone else could do, but to get it to the slopes of Mount Doom where something else could take over. Equally important was how he acted on that journey -- the extent to which his behavior reflected the best attributes of man. The mercy that he showed to Gollum, a mercy that was wholly illogical but utterly decent, was the fruit of that behavior.
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...makes me think of one of my favorite old time threads --
What caused Frodo to finally give in to the power of the Ring and claim it?
Frodo's 'failure' certainly has been discussed at length here on the Downs, but it's one of those rare topics which bears continuous study and discussion. It's such a complex and dynamic culmination of events and themes that there always seems to be some new angle from which to approach it.