While reading The Council of Elrond, one exchange really caught my attention, because it explains both the danger of the one ring, as well as it's shortcomings, but despite it having a weakness, it is still a danger. This exchange happens when Erestor proposes giving the ring to Tom Bombadil to hide:
"I seems that he has a power even over the ring"
"no, I should not put it so", said Gandalf.' Say rather that the ring has no power over him. He is his own master. But he cannot alter the ring itself, nor break its power over others'"(265). It seems odd that the one ring can so easily be disregarded if a person chooses not to hold it as a thig to be worthy of attention, and seems like an oversight by its creator. However, the ring is still dangerous even in this disregard, because one person's decision to ignore the ring does not mean others are no longer at risk.
Tom "were given the ring, he would soo forget it , or most likely throw it away'"(265)
meaning it would again be waiting for someone who is vulnerable to find it and be taken over. The ring is not any less dangerous even with someone who could not fall under its power. Therefore, the only way to rid the world of this harmful object is to destroy it. I think that Tolkien's decision to include someone like Bombadil this conversation is key to showing why the ring will always be a threat so long as I exists because it takes hold of those who will let it, and cannot be held onto those who resist its power, because they refuse to do so.
I definitely agree with you (and Gandalf) that the ring wouldn't have been safe with Tom Bombadil, even though it didn't have power over him. Beyond just Gandalf's assurances that Tom would "soon forget it, or most likely throw it away", we see him treating it extremely flippantly when Frodo hands it to him.
ReplyDeleteHe first holds it, looks through it, then puts it on, and we see that nothing about him has changed (at least physically, he is still visible!) but then Tom "spun the Ring in the air - and it vanished with a flash." For someone who seems to understand that the "precious Ring" has some importance to these hobbits and their journey, and tells Frodo to "Take off your golden ring! Your hand's more fair without it" (clearly seeing Frodo despite his invisibility), he certainly does not treat it as though it is important. I would argue that his vanishing of the Ring was just slight of hand, but even then - this item has caused so much pain and suffering (and will cause more before their journey is at an end) and Tom treats it like just a shiny bauble.
Part of me wonders if that is somehow the Ring actually having power over Tom - if it knows he won't be affected otherwise (not tempted by the power it offers others), and it won't be able to get away from him, maybe it makes him uninterested in it? But overall I think it just doesn't have power over him or him over it, so it would eventually find its way away from him. He doesn't seem interested in Power (dominion over others), so the Ring has nothing to offer him.