Failure and Punishment

[Farael]

Well, here are my two cents.

I was going to write something about my perspective on Christianity on LoTR, but it was leaning my whole post far from what I actually wanted to say.

It has been proposed so far that Frodo was punished by his shortcomings, that he was punished by his sins, but the way I see it, he was not punished at all. What happened to Frodo IMO (and I think Bethberry has hinted at it already) is not punishment but rather he was marred by his confrontation with evil (Is marred the proper word to use? please someone get back to me on that). That is a common theme that we see all through The Si-il and LoTR. Those who stand up to face evil, come out unharmed. Even when in the end they have grown "greater" and "wiser" it is so through much pain and peril, and I think none of the characters is wholly unmarred after the experience.

So, I have to agree with SpM. Frodo's change is not due to the powers of "good"... it is because of the powers of "evil", and their skill to corrupt all that they come in contact with. Even if this 'contact' is fighting against them.