The Hobbit - Chapter 05 - Riddles in the Dark

[Thinlómien]

Originally Posted by littlemanpoet

The fact that Gollum and Bilbo riddle back and forth to each other shows their kinship, however remote. Their minds are not dissimilar; thus, we have a clue that Bilbo does have the potential to become a second Gollum! But that is maybe hindsight only. Or is it?

I think it's also a question of character and personality. And, if there's such a thing, I'd say that Bilbo had better ring-resistance than Gollum did. But again, the situations in wich they first saw (and took) the Ring are very dissimilar. Would Bilbo have used violence to get the Ring? (Luckily) we don't know. But it's interesting to speculate. I don't believe he would have because he had a different personality and had a better self-control or/and ring-resistance than Gollum had.
Another fact that affects would Bilbo have become another Gollum is that the Ring had more time to affect Gollum. If Bilbo had wielded the Ring as long as Gollum did, what would he have become? He had a better ring-resistance (he f.g. gave it up voluntarily), but was he resistant enough? I think he would have become a "milder" version of Gollum.

Riddles in the Dark has always been one of my favourite chapters. the riddle-game intrigues me. The riddles fascinated me when I was first read TH aloud (I was about 6 yo). I couldn't guess them, but I could get the "air" of them and was always keen to know the answer.
I'm also interested in the first version of the chapter and how it would have changed the Lord of the Rings, if it had remained. (Discussed here.)

Also, I like that the buttons of Bilbo's vest come off. In the midst of all adventure there are such small things! And it's so absurd (sorry, I'm jumping to the next chapter) when Bilbo grieves after his buttons when he's barely got out of the caves alive!