Part 4/8:
In the films, Gollum’s demise and the destruction of the One Ring are portrayed through an action-packed struggle between Gollum and Frodo. However, the books provide a more nuanced perspective. Gollum, in a moment of greed, lost his balance and fell into Mount Doom’s lava with the Ring. Tolkien suggests that this was not merely accident—Eru Ilúvatar intervened to fulfill the moral complexities of Frodo’s journey. Frodo’s earlier act of mercy towards Gollum earned him this divine favor, ensuring that the Ring was ultimately destroyed.