The Lord of the Rings Summary and Complete Study Guide

**Frodo Baggins**: Represents the unlikely hero—small, non-warrior, chosen not for strength but for resistance to corruption. His burden (the Ring) grows heavier as the journey continues, showing how carrying evil affects the bearer. His ultimate failure at Mount Doom is crucial: even the purest person reaches their limit. His inability to return to normal life afterward reflects PTSD—some missions change you permanently. Tolkien (a WWI veteran) understood that heroes don't always get happy endings. **Samwise Gamgee**: The true hero, according to many readers. His loyalty never wavers even when Frodo, corrupted by the Ring, tells him to leave. Sam represents ordinary goodness, gardening and home, simple virtues that save the world. His carrying Frodo up Mount Doom ("I can't carry it for you, but I can carry you") is the series' most powerful image of friendship. **Aragorn**: The hidden king working as a ranger represents responsibility accepted despite burden. His arc is about accepting his heritage and the throne he's avoided. He shows leadership through service—he doesn't demand to be king; he earns it through sacrifice. **Gollum**: The Ring's corruption personified. He was once Sméagol, a hobbit-like creature who murdered for the Ring and was twisted by it over centuries. His dual personality (Sméagol vs. Gollum) shows internal struggle. Ironically, his obsession saves Middle-earth—his attack on Frodo leads to the Ring's destruction. Tolkien suggests even corrupted beings serve a purpose.

**Power Corrupts**: The Ring tempts everyone—Boromir, Gandalf, Galadriel, even Frodo. Those who refuse it (Gandalf, Galadriel) do so knowing they'd become tyrants. The only safe Ring-bearers are those who don't seek power (hobbits). Tolkien, writing after WWII, understood absolute power's danger regardless of who wields it.