Imagine No Redemption

[Hookbill the Goomba]

Originally Posted by Legate

But to contribute something of my own, let me name just one more example that has not been mentioned yet, and which is not exactly redemption in the most radical sense, but which I have always considered a touching story in its own way. And that is the case of Galadriel. She was, of course, never "evil" or anything like that, but! I consider her, in some way, a counterpart to Saruman or all those "I refuse to be redeemed" folks.

She definitely displays the intense temptation of the Ring, shows us the pull it can have, and she does seem tempted, however she does not even attempt to take it. She does not act on the temptation. Perhaps this is the point. Perhaps Tolkien saw there to be a point of action beyond which redemption became increasingly difficult.
But she had already rebelled against the Valar, of course.

Originally Posted by Legate

She started also with her pride, following the Noldor out of Valinor (even though she disagreed with Fëanor), with her dreams of her own kingdom somewhere in that far land. First, the only thing she got was hardship on the road and then a random place at Turgon's court. When the First Age ended and the first chance of rehabilitation came, she had refused (!) with the chance of now finally fulfiling her dreams in a world free from Morgoth's oppression

There are echoes in something Tolkien says in a letter...

Originally Posted by Letter320

... Galadriel was a penitent: in her youth a leader in the rebellion against the Valar. At the end of the first age she proudly refused forgiveness or permission to return. She was pardoned because of her resistance to the final and overwhelming temptation to take the Ring for herself.
(Emphasis mine)

Her final test is not to act. Her previous failings have been through acting on her pride, to seek out her desire for her own land to be in charge of (rather like Sauron?) but her attempts do not work out perfectly. The Ring is such a test for her because it represents the final power that could help her achieve her dream. Her refusal to act sets her free.

However, her 'fall', may be seen as more of a disagreement with the Valar. Tolkien does not shy away from the idea that the Valar can be wrong and make mistakes. With regards to Galadriel, I don't think we can call it a turn to the 'evil' side.

Originally Posted by Letter 353

Galadriel was 'unstained': she had committed no evil deeds. She was an enemy of Fëanor. She did not reach Middle-earth with the other Noldor, but independently. Her reasons for departing for Middle-earth were legitimate, and she would have been permitted to depart, but for the misfortune that before she set out the revolt of Fëanor broke out, and she became involved in the desperate measures of Manwë, and the ban on all emigration.

This theme of having a rebellious nature is repeated in the case of Ossë.

Originally Posted by Inziladun

There we have a servant of a good Vala switching sides to Melkor, then back again, apparently permanently, with no lasting penalty.

Like so much in the Silmarillion we don't get much detail about Ossë's betrayal. We don't know how long it lasted, but we do know it was extreme. But of Ossë, there is an interesting statement within The Book of Lost Tales Part 1.

Originally Posted by HoME1: The Book of Lost Tales Part One - Chapter III The Coming of the Valar

Now Ossë was a vassal and subordinate of Ulmo, and was so for fear and reverence and not for love.

Later...

Originally Posted by HoME1: The Book of Lost Tales Part One - Chapter IV The Chaining of Melko

Thither as they spoke came Ossë raging like a tide among the cliffs, for he was wroth at the upheaval of his realm and feared the displeasure of Ulmo his overlord.

Ossë does seem somewhat rebellions, though. We read of his anchoring of Tol Eressëa.

Originally Posted by HoME4: The Shaping of Middle Earth - Chapter II The Earliest Silmarillion

...On the other hand, the old story of Oss's rebellious anchoring of Tol Eressëa still survives (see I. 134); [...] contrast the account in the tale, where Ulmo had traversed 'less than half the distance' across the Great Sea when Ossë waylaid it [...] In the tale, Ossë seized and anchored Tol Eressëa before its journey was done because he 'deemed himself slighted that his aid was not sought in the ferrying of the Elves, but his own island taken unasked' (I. 119); in S his jealousy is indeed mentioned, but also his love of the singing of the Teleri, which was afterwards a prominent motive.

Indeed, rebellion seems to be something of a character trait of Ossë.

Originally Posted by HoME4: The Shaping of Middle Earth - Chapter III The Quenta

Subject to him [Ulmo], though he is often rebellious mood, is Ossë the master of the seas of the lands of men...

This may be a narrative constraint. Tolkien needs a reason for the seas, otherwise under the control of the (more or less) benevolent Ulmo to be tumultuous. So Ossë becomes 'the fall guy', as it were. Unpredictable in mood and with a spattering of pride to be hurt on occasion. Indeed, if Ossë has enough pride to anchor an island against the Valar's wish, it seems that Melkor could easily tap into said pride and turn him. However, the anchoring of Tol Eressëa comes after his 'repentance'. He is still willing to defy the Valar for the sake of his own pride, which he felt had been hurt. He was forgiven and never went to work for Melkor directly, but he certainly retained some darkness within.
We see that his loyalty to the Valar was out of 'fear and reverence and not for love', and having seen what they did to Melkor in his chaining, it seems that he was not willing to go against them, unless he thought he could get away with it.

In both cases we have a character whose 'redemption' comes down to the refusal to act on a desire, perhaps for their own pride's sake. Galadriel's may be a truer redemption than Ossë's, for the latter obeys out of fear, not love.

Just a quick side note I stumbled upon in 'The Complete Tolkein Companion' by J E A Tyler; "Ossë was known to the Sindar as Gaerys, 'the Awesome'." It's like he's Middle Earth's own the phantom.