Happy Tolkien Day! (belated)
But also happy Froday so we will have my fave letter 246 featuring our fave hobbit. :)
"Frodo had done what he could and spent himself completely (as an instrument of Providence) and had produced a situation in which the object of his quest could be achieved. HIs humility (with which he began) and his sufferings were justly rewarded by the highest honour; and his exercise of patience and mercy towards Gollum gained him Mercy: his failure was redressed."
This is from a footnote of my favorite letter 246
"No account is here taken of 'grace' or the enhancement of our powers as instruments of Providence. Frodo was given 'grace' : first to answer the call (at the end of the Council) after long resisting a complete surrender; and later in his resistance to the temptation of the Ring (at times when to claim and so reveal it would have been fatal), and in his endurance of fear and suffering. But grace is not infinite, and for the most part seems in the Divine economy limited to what is sufficient for the accomplishment of the task appointed to one instrument in a pattern of circumstances and other instruments."
I think yes, his showing mercy to Gollum is important but i love more so his later assertion that there was no one that could've brought the Ring further than Frodo and to this he was not a failure as possibly he deemed to bring him no peace in the Shire. Frodo did not see it himself, but he had done what no one else could've done. For this reason alone, he is the most important hobbit. Yes Sam too but we do not know how or if Sam could've carried the Ring as far as Frodo had done. I think Frodo was the only one who could've done the task appointed by the Council.