“The Lord of the Rings”: Tolkien’s greatest drama is a missed rescue

Sam, blinded by his distrust of Gollum, did not notice the turn, which inevitably led future events towards tragedy. Tolkien writes in Letter 246:

“The entry into Mordor and the battle for Mount Doom would have been different, and the ending would have been different too. The focus would have shifted to Gollum, I think, and the battle that would have been fought between his regret and his new love for the one side and the Ring.”

Love, though daily strengthened, could not have wrested dominion from the Ring. I think that in some strangely twisted and pitiful way Gollum would have tried (perhaps unconsciously) to satisfy both.

Surely at some point, not long before the end, he would have stolen the Ring or taken it by force (as he does in the actual story). But if he had satisfied the 'possession' he would probably have sacrificed himself for Frodo's sake and voluntarily thrown himself into the fiery abyss.”

The story shows us how the characters deal with trial and error. Gollum's Ring obsession and Sam's unwavering loyalty to Frodo are both sides of the same coin, representing the complexity of good and evil.

Director Peter Jackson has also at least hinted at a possible purification in the timeless film adaptation. When Frodo calls Gollum by his real name, Sméagol remembers who he really is. Before he can come to an enlightenment, however, a Nazgûl disrupts the scene. Similar to Tolkien, Samwise is eternally skeptical of Gollum and has nothing but contempt for him.

Tolkien's collection of letters is available for purchase here.