On Smeagol
In the novel, The Hobbit, by J. R. R. Tolkien, there are many mystical creatures that are “monstrous”. However, Gollum is the most philosophically interesting. Gollum, (J. R. R. Tolkien 66) is described as a small, slimy creature with huge pale eyes in a slim, pale face. He preys on unsuspecting creatures and uses the ring—an object that can cause the user to become invisible (Tolkien 75)—to take down larger creatures in the dark, such as goblins that prowl in the depths of the mountain (Tolkien 66-67).
His origin, though not explicitly mentioned in The Hobbit, is hinted at in the following:
“Gollum was really hungry. Riddles were all he could think of. Asking them, and sometimes guessing them, had been the only game he had ever played with other funny creatures sitting in their holes in the long, long ago, before he lost all his friends and was driven away, alone, and crept down, into the dark under the mountains.” (Tolkien 67)
The creature who characteristically lived in holes, and who was well versed in riddles and games of all sorts, were hobbits. Gollum endured a transformation from a hobbit, to some grotesque perversion of his original form. This change is evident with his appearance, speech pattern, and alarming attachment to his precious, the ring.
The change is most noticeable where the ring is concerned because there is nothing Gollum would not do for the ring. This is philosophically interesting because his ethics are something to be desired. Gollum is more than willing to take life to remain with the ring, and has therefore sacrificed his ability to be happy. (Tolkien 70-71) Gollum is more than willing to kill Bilbo because his instincts tell him to, and because he was hungry, and bored of the riddles.
His desires trumped his reason, and in so doing, even his appearance becomes unattractive because he is consumed by greed and hatred. Killing damages the soul, and Gollum is a shell of the person he used to be. His mind is in ruins, and this is unmistakable when he has conversations with himself (more like argues with himself) much like how two different people would argue. It appears as though there are two minds in his body, where one has no morals and is driven by the ring, and the other has troubles making decisions and is dependent on the one with no morals. (Tolkien 75).
It’s a dualistic situation, almost like a split personality. This is problematic because the decision-maker has no qualms about ripping other living things to shreds in the blink of an eye, and the implication this brings is that he has no relationships with other living beings, and therefore (according to Aristotle) cannot be happy. He is an ignorant, lonely, unlucky being. Furthermore, when interacting with Gollum, one never knows which one they’re going to be dealing with, so, in addition, it’s a two-faced situation.
Gollum’s destruction is not revealed in The Hobbit, but in The Lord of the Rings trilogy, but we know that simple old age can’t killed him. In some aspect, perhaps the ring has made him impervious to old age, which would leave cause for his other physical changes also.
In The Hobbit, the idea of greed and hatred is explored along with losing touch with one’s reality. I believe the true definition of a monster is when desire overpowers rationality, and in the process, one’s self or others are harmed. In Gollum’s desire for the ring, he harms everyone and has harmed himself to ensure he keeps ownership of the ring. When he loses it, he puts himself in dangerous situations to reclaim what was stolen, and in so doing became a monster.
[WORKS CITED]
Tolkien, J R. “V: Riddles in the Dark.” The Hobbit or There and Back Again, Methuen Edition ed., vol. 1, Methuen Publications, 1977, pp. 65–76. The Deluxe Edition of the World's Most Beloved Fantasy