And Op Makes A Good Point - Blog Posts

i have to admit that i used to be one of those people who hated frodo because he was 'weak'. but then as i got older, i started struggling with my mental health. i started to feel tired all the time and even tiny little problems felt huge and insurmountable. frodo wasn't weak for needing sam's help or for pushing sam away. he wasn't even weak for being unable to throw the ring into mount doom. frodo had been pushed to his limits. he tried so hard, but in the end, he wasn't good enough. but that's the point. nobody could have been good enough. nobody would have had the strength to throw the ring into the fire intentionally. frodo probably couldn't have done it even if he hadn't been pushed to his limits. and neither could i. the quest to destroy the ring was cruel, because it required frodo to sacrifice everything, including himself. and he pushed himself so hard, even as the ring ate away at him, even as gollum tricked him into distrusting sam. frodo was brave even as the ring clouded away everything that was good and beautiful - he didn't even remember the taste of strawberries. but he still kept trying until he couldn't anymore. i think that frodo's story terrifies me a little, because what if i am also not strong enough to keep going? what happens if nobody is there to save me? and even though frodo lived, he could never be the same again. all i want is to be the person that i used to be. i know that i never will be that person again.

anyway, frodo - i'm so sorry for ever thinking that you were weak when that was a thing you never were. and thank you tolkien for this character who is so strong in a way that our heroes are rarely portrayed as.

A major POV character having parallels with every other member of an ensemble cast, providing extensive opportunities for the author to explore the intricacies of their character from different viewpoints?

Well, I never! What next, other major characters also have parallels with one another that allow for even more dynamic interactions, so much so that the story might wrap up before we fully explore all of what they could do and say to one another?

Why, that would leave us with a sense that the characters are 3 dimensional and could exist in their world outside the story. Fanfiction could even sprout off the possible futures that an ending providing satisfying character and story arcs would allow, simply for the sheer volume of available dynamics.

is this something idk