Evil and Free Will, With Examples from Lord of the Rings by Linaewen

[lin4gondor]

Author: Linaewen
Title: Evil and Free Will, With Examples from Lord of the Rings
Rating: G
Theme: Nonfiction
Subject: A written response to a statement about evil and free will, as it applies to characters and situations in LotR.
Type: Essay
Author's Notes: The essay is something I wrote a number of years ago, in response to a statement someone

Comments

[shirebound]

This is a very interesting and well thought-out essay.

he may be not fully controlled by Evil, but he is at least controlled by the consequences of his original choice.

Beautifully said.

[lin4gondor]

Thanks for reading!

[lindahoyland]

A fascinating essay, I enjoyed it very much.

[lin4gondor]

Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks so much for reading!

[dreamflower02]

I really liked this essay.

It's interesting to me that Boromir immediately repented of his fall to temptation; if he had lived, I think he would no longer be susceptible to its call.

[lin4gondor]

I definitely believe the same about Boromir!

Thanks for reading!

[blslarner]

How well you describe the balance between good and evil choices, Lin. Frodo had the worst of it because he could rarely find respite from the active evil prompting the Ring was exerting once he broke from the Fellowship at Amon Hen. He was physically broken and too weak at the end to keep fighting, and so fell, but only to be lifted up again immediately when Gollum wrested It from him, allowing Sam to carry him away.

But in the end Gollum only wanted to have the wonder of the Ring in his possession--he did not don It or seek to use Its power. So, he died with It, and in the end not even he could be completely taken by It.

Thanks so for encouraging us to think on the way in which we find ourselves giving in--and then hopefully then repudiating--evil.