DeepSeek - The story of Frodo and Gollum is one of the most powerful examples of how mercy and the refusal to condemn (essentially, a Christian virtue) become the decisive factor in saving the world. It is a perfect example of "eucatastrophe" (the sudden happy turn in a story), a concept Tolkien himself wrote about.
Here is how this moment unfolds in the books and why it is so crucial:
1. Gandalf's Lesson
A key scene occurs early in the first book. Frodo, upon first hearing of Gollum, says: "What a pity that Bilbo did not stab that vile creature, when he had a chance!" Gandalf responds with his famous words:
"Pity? It was Pity that stayed his hand. ... Many that live deserve death. Some that die deserve life. Can you give it to them? ... Be not too eager to deal out death in the name of justice, fearing for your own safety. Even the wise cannot see all ends."
This is a direct indication that the right to grant life or death is not ours, and that mercy can have unforeseen consequences.
2. Frodo's Oath
Later, in The Two Towers, Frodo makes Gollum swear an oath to serve him. Gollum swears by the "Ring," and Frodo warns him:
"Be careful, Gollum," said Frodo. "Do not swear oaths too easily, and once sworn, keep them, for there is a pit of doom beneath you into which you could fall if you break your word."
Frodo showed trust in the most fallen of creatures, an act of immense risk and profound compassion.
3. The Climax at the Cracks of Doom
The culmination arrives at the finale. Frodo reaches the fiery chasm of Mount Doom to destroy the Ring, and at that moment, the Ring's power breaks him. He abandons his mission, puts on the Ring, and claims it for himself.
It is precisely here that the "investment" in mercy pays off. Gollum, driven by his dual nature (hatred for the Ring-bearers and love for the Ring), attacks Frodo, bites off his finger with the Ring, rejoices, but then loses his footing and falls into the fiery chasm, taking the Ring with him.
If Frodo (or Bilbo earlier) had killed Gollum when he was helpless, it would have been Frodo himself standing at the Cracks of Doom, having become a new Dark Lord. Gollum was needed at the very last moment to forcefully take the Ring when the Hobbit's own goodwill had finally failed.
Tolkien, a devout Catholic, embedded in this resolution the idea that providence (or a higher power) works through the weakest and most fallen of creatures. Frodo's mercy created the condition by which evil (Gollum's greed) ultimately destroyed itself.
