![]() Tom's wife Goldberry is a lesser female analog. Like a Thomistic angel, he is the sole member of his particular species. He is a sort of incarnate nature spirit, as literally amoral as the Elf Queen in "The Ballad of Thomas the Rhymer." The Ring has no power over him for he lacks the will to power. Tom Bombadil, the oldest living individual in Middle Earth, serves as a counterpoint to the stark contrasts of good and evil. The quest could not have succeeded without Sam, and he is rewarded with passage to the Undying Lands. The Ring harms him least, perhaps because he is unused to seeking his own will. SANDRA MIESEL Only love for his master leads him from the Shire, fuels his unfailing loyalty, and transforms him into his master's equal. It is the apotheosis of humble, utterly mundane Sam that strikes the reader most forcefully. But their triumphs are not unexpected, for Frodo and Aragorn are in all ways remarkable persons. Frodo's greatness is demonstrated by the intensity of his challenge, Aragorn's by its duration. ![]() Each principal character is tempted in proportion to his strength and according to his role. ![]()
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