LotR -- Book 4 - Chapter 08 - The Stairs of Cirith Ungol

[Formendacil]

Long, winding journey for me rereading what is a fairly short chapter. It's main claims to fame are the book's only real image of Minas Morgul, the conversation of Frodo and Sam about being in a Story, and the tragic moment of Sméagol's quavering almost-redemption.

Regarding that last point, I think the brevity of its window and the ease of its destruction are what make it so poignant. Gollum is not a generally sympathetic character. Granting that we see him largely through Sam's biased eyes, nothing about him that we hear from Gandalf, Aragorn, Faramir, or the Rangers of Ithilien suggest that he is at all pleasant to be around. He's profoundly broken, but mostly due to his own wicked doings, and anyone rereading the story knows exactly how treacherous any of his veiled, dubious mutterings to this point truly are.

And yet, for one fleeting moment, we believe he can be saved--and it is a tragedy of timing that Sam wakes as he does when he does. You can call this moment literary skill on Tolkien's part--I think it is--but you can also call it a window into thoughts on sin and redemption. Not that I see this a sort of allegory; it is more that I am trying to say that this sense that even the most wretched can be saved from their fallen state is a supremely Christian idea--though the fragility of that possibility here is perhaps wryly cynical.

[Inziladun]

Originally Posted by Formendacil

And yet, for one fleeting moment, we believe he can be saved--and it is a tragedy of timing that Sam wakes as he does when he does. You can call this moment literary skill on Tolkien's part--I think it is--but you can also call it a window into thoughts on sin and redemption. Not that I see this a sort of allegory; it is more that I am trying to say that this sense that even the most wretched can be saved from their fallen state is a supremely Christian idea--though the fragility of that possibility here is perhaps wryly cynical.

It's a consistent message, to be sure.

Both the Prime Evil, Melkor, and his lieutenant were offered the chance to repent. Saruman too. Though redemption never happened for them or Gollum, it's the opportunity that matters. A truly lost cause would not even be afforded the possibility, leaving doubt that anyone is ever "lost" if thy do not choose it.

[Galadriel55]

Originally Posted by Formendacil

Long, winding journey for me rereading what is a fairly short chapter. It's main claims to fame are the book's only real image of Minas Morgul, the conversation of Frodo and Sam about being in a Story, and the tragic moment of Sméagol's quavering almost-redemption.

I would also add a slightly more humble but to me an important piece: the first mention of the phial of Galadriel since the departure from Lorien (something previously discussed here) and its first use.

Here are the words Galadriel used to describe it:

" 'In this phial,' she said,`is caught the light of Eärendil's star, set amid the waters of my fountain. It will shine still brighter when night is about you. May it be a light to you in dark places, when all other lights go out. Remember Galadriel and her Mirror!' "

Of course it comes useful later on as a physical light, but I like to think that it's more than that. After all Earendil's star is the bringer of hope, not just a celestial flashlight, and Galadriel deals with the metaphysical world too and not just with light refraction.

Interestingly the phial gives neither form of aid at Sammath Naur, where Orodruin's light and Sauron's will overpower any other source. And after the victory, Arwen's pendant in some ways ousts the phial as a Ring-replacing artifact. Both of these items have an interesting role, and possibly this discussion might merit a thread of its own.