The Gospel of Gollum

Readers have often wondered what Gollum represents. Tolkien himself said that he is not a "type" but a creature who, in given circumstances, behaves in certain ways. Gollum is like each of us: in a constant struggle between different, sometimes conflicting, ways of reasoning; with the same confusing thoughts that put us in crisis. It is precisely in this internal diatribe that the Pity and Mercy of many characters, such as Eru, Bilbo, Frodo, Sam and Faramir, find their way through the pages.

In The Gospel of Gollum, we ask ourselves: could Tolkien have constructed the character of Gollum as a possible exemplification or personification of the passage from the Gospel of Luke: "For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be" (Lk 12:34)?

In this analysis, Dr Ivano Sassanelli brings together international scholarship on Gollum, as well as the interpretations of his "voices" through movies and recordings over the decades.