Gollum

Even though I've read "The Hobbit" before, it was never for a class setting. Especially reading it so closely after reading "The Princess and the Goblin," something new dawned upon me. I've always been familiar with the fact that Tolkien was religious and there are many metaphors of faith and spirituality in his works. For example, in "The Lord of the Rings," there is a character who controls parts of nature through song and claims he has been there since the beginning of Middle Earth. I believe aspects of him represent the Christian God. Likewise, it occured to me that Gollum may represent devolution, much like the goblins in "The Princess and the Goblin." Much like them, he lives in a dark, cold place, alone with his sin-greed. Tolkien may have been trying to represent the result of sin through Gollum. He is somewhat pscyzophrenic, with a slightly good side, which may represent how there is still a little bit of good in all of us.