Analyzing The Lord of the Rings: Good Vs. Evil

The Lord of the rings is an epic fantasy tale, originally written between 1937 and 1949 by J. R. R. Tolkein. The tale was recently brought to the silver screen under the brilliant direction of Peter Jackson and the story was given a new life, a new depth, and reached an entirely new generation of dreamers. While the Lord of the Rings is a fantasy, the themes and issues it deals with are very much relevant in modern society. The characters in the story each represent a very distinct facet of human nature. Frodo was the dreamer, Sam was faith and strength, and Gandalf was knowledge and wisdom. But of all the well-developed characters in the Lord of the Rings, my personal favorite has to be Gollum.

I realize this affection I feel toward the evil character Gollum is not a popular opinion, but I must identify the pitiful creature as the personification of the entire struggle which fuels the story. His internal struggle is a microcosm of the bigger picture. Gollum, once possessed with the ring, had his mind poisoned by the terrible beauty and power that it represented. Once stripped of his possession, his only though and purpose was to seek its recovery. This innate greed is inherent in nearly every human being, as we all seek the things we want, sometimes with the raw abandon of a madman. We see a part of ourselves in the creature Gollum, as he slowly comes to attend his master Frodo, attempting to change his self-seeking ways and commit himself to the greater good. But doubt and despair eventually overcome him and he returns to the evil power of the ring and his quest to posses it. Gollum is, therefore, the personification of the good vs. evil struggle, which is the basis of the entire story.

The lines between good and evil are generally very clearly drawn in The Lord of the Rings. On one side, you have the hobbits, the good wizard, the elves, and all who assist Frodo in his quest. On the evil side, you have the Orks, Suruman, the warriors of Mount Doom and, of course Sauron. This is the big picture; the plot that drives the narrative. But thematically, what we truly have is a battle of good vs. evil in its most basic form. The character of Gollum represents this grand battle, all in one tiny, haunted little creature. His need to posses the ring (evil) is in constant struggle with his desire to serve Frodo (good). The added back-story of Gollum in the film and the implementation of a sort of 'mulitple personality disorder' adds to this personification of good vs. evil as he becomes, quite literally, two struggling persons in one.

Gollum's pain begs our sympathy as his struggle is our struggle. Human nature leans us toward greed and self-serving behavior, while our social minds keep us on the straight and narrow. It is this struggle of right vs. wrong that fuels the social disturbances of our time, just as it fueled the great battles in The Lord of the Rings.

If someone was to ask me what The Lord of the Rings was about, I would reply, "the struggle between good and evil." This struggle is Gollum. He is created from the struggle, reared in its midst, and finally destroyed in its wake. Gollum is truly the pillar of the thematic elements of this epic fantasy tale. And my personal favorite.