Fairy Tales and Fantasy Literature

Throughout all of middle-earth, many villains block the progress made by Bilbo Baggins or his associates. None however compare to the emotional and distraught character known as Gollum. Gollum represents a fragile individual who, in Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings trilogy, develops into a flawed and divided persona. This creature not only represents a villain, but the physical incarnation of Tolkien’s themes of greed, destruction, and envy. Therefore, Gollum represents a truer and more pure form of evil and villain then trolls or goblins. Yet, he remains a tragic figure, which allows the reader to mourn his wickedness.

A clear distinction between Gollum and other villains in the novel is highlighted by his isolation from the outside world. All of the other villains, such as the trolls and goblins, live in tight communities acting as groups rather then individuals. Gollum lives in an area that “goes back in their beginnings to ages before goblins…and the original owners are still there in odd corners, slinking and nosing about” (Tolkien 79). Thus, Gollum lives in isolation acting of his own accord. His separation from others allows the foil between the two parts of his consciousness to develop. The evil nature of the ring, “a golden ring, and a precious ring” (Tolkien 89) attacks the creature’s construct and destroys any recollection of his original being. Without interaction from other beings, Gollum has become completely subdued under the influence of the ring, making him a truly evil and twisted character.

Gollum also demonstrates an unnatural ability to turn invisible, due to the Ring of Power, which heightens his power and evil nature over that of trolls or goblins. This power gives Gollum the chance to hunt, kill and eat other evil beings within the cave. This act of eating evil flesh also allows Gollum to fall into a more evil state of mind and character. Gollum illustrates the irrational concept of greed within the all of Tolkien’s novels. His physical representation is a warning against materialism. Therefore, because Gollum’s evil’s have a reality attached to them, his evils are much more dangerous.

Gollum gained Bilbo’s sympathy due to the complexity of the character. Gollum never asked for the curse of the ring to come upon him. Gollum is also a victim in this novel. His life has become corrupted due to the ring and the power and evil that it spreads. Gollum’s actions can be blamed on the alter ego within the ring. Half of this character is the ring in physical form. The ring control’s Gollum’s actions and he is possessed by it’s power. Therefore, Bilbo’s sympathy stems slightly out of the understanding that Gollum is as much of a victim of the mountain as he is. The irony is, in later Tolkien novels, Bilbo will evolve into the next Gollum and suffer the same consequences.Not from the Hobbit: Buts shows inner conflict within GollumIs he really that evil?

Poor Gollum