Author: J. R. R. Tolkien
Conversation with a Character
"Hi Frodo," I said to Frodo, the main character in The Return of the King.
"Hi," Frodo replied.
"How did you feel about the time when Samwise had to use the ring save you from the orcs in the tower of Cirith Ungol?" I asked him.
"I was quite surprised that he was able to muster up the strength and courage to save me. I was still knocked out by the poison of the giant spider, Shelog, and was certainly doomed to be taken to Sauron and tortured for information," he answered.
"How did you feel about Gollum betraying you and Sam to the spider in order to steal the ring for himself?" I asked.
"I was surprised because I thought I had actually managed to tame Gollum, but I was terribly mistaken. I should have seen the betrayal coming like Sam did," he said.
"How did you feel about the Shire getting taken over?" I asked Frodo.
"Obviously, I was not happy that Sharkey, Saruman, decimated my homeland by cutting down many trees and oppressing all the hobbits. I was happy that Wormtongue, Saruman's servant, killed Saruman because of his abuse. I'm glad that the Shire was eventually able to heal after all the abuse it was put through," Frodo said.
"How did you feel about Gollum's fate?" I asked.
"I wasn't happy that he had to die, but he played a key role in the destruction of the ring he cherished. I would have finally been taken by the corruption of the ring and saved it for myself had he not tried stolen it. I was lucky that he took the ring from me and fell into Mount Doom with it, destroying it forever," replied Frodo.
"How did Merry and Pippin feel about being separated?" I asked.
"They were both upset about being separated when the nazgul showed up and Gandalf took Pippin to Minas Tirith, a great fortress-city. Pippin then swore his loyalty to the Steward of Gondor, Denethor.
Merry, however, had to stay with King Theoden and swore his loyalty to him," Frodo said.
"How did you feel about traveling through Mordor, 'The Land of Shadow?'" I asked.
Traveling through Mordor was the most difficult thing I have ever done. Every moment was filled with agony and exhaustion. The ring felt as though it would pull me down to the ground if I let it. Sam and I nearly did not make it to Mount Doom and were completely out of food. We had many close encounters with orcs, but we managed to avoid capture," replied Frodo.
A Different Ending
"How did you feel about the fate of you and the ring?" I asked Frodo.
"I was more than a little disappointed that Gollum pushed me into the lava at Mount Doom and took the ring for himself. Gollum ran away from the volcano and was soon found and captured by the servants of Sauron. They took Gollum and the ring to Sauron and Sauron reacquired the ring and the power it holds. Sauron was then able to conquer all of Middle Earth, murdering or enslaving all living things there," Frodo explained.
"What about the fate of your friends?" I asked.
"Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli, and Gandalf were all slain in battle outside the gates of Mordor immediately after my demise. Sam was killed by orcs when he was discovered hiding just outside Mount Doom. Pippin and Merry were killed by orcs later on," Frodo said.
