Frodo's Quest For Salvation

The Lord of the Rings, masterpiece of John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, has been received with unparalleled popularity since its first publication in the 1950s. Although popularity does not guarantee literary quality, it never comes about for no reason. This work has surpassed other sword-and-sorcery fantasies with its moral depth, psychological and cultural richness, close attachment to Old and Middle English literature as well as Toliken's talented imagination and philological skill, which also significantly affect the academy's estimation. The critical reputation of The Lord of the Rings continues to undergo revision and amplification, so does its historical role in English literature.This work has been studied in the disciplines of philosophy, ethics, sociology, psychology, and linguistics, just to name a few. In all the criticism, the mythological perspective and the religious perspective have received the most attention. However, while mythological critics totally negate the Christian thought in this work, religious critics tirelessly baptise every element in this work and wash away the truths that are not specifically Christian, both distorting Tolkien's own intention.This paper tries to take up the strong points of both the two perspectives, viewing The Lord of the Rings not only as a myth of the quest motif, but also a work shot through with Catholic understanding of salvation. The Catholic perspective is employed not for religious propaganda but for true presentation of the Catholic elements absorbed in this myth. The focus will be laid on the parallels between Frodo's quest to destroy the Ring and the process of salvation for the whole world as well as of himself.With the background knowledge concerning quest and salvation, the research is developed according to the three phases of the quest to destroy the Ring. At the beginning of the quest, when evil is prospering in Middle-earth, Frodo is proposed to a seemingly impossible mission—to destroy the Ring in the fire of Mount Doom. This duty is never imposed on him by others, but it seems that he is chosen by somesupernatural power to save Middle-earth from evil. Viewed in a Catholic perspective with reference to The Silmarillion, it is by the grace of Eru, Creator of the world, that the Ring comes to Frodo, initiating the salvation of the world and of himself. Frodo voluntarily accepts the grace, embarking on a perilous quest fraught with innumerable obstacles like the temptation and burden of the Ring, despair and fear aroused by Ringwraiths, and betrayals from not only Gollum but also his friend Boromir. Compared with classical quest heroes, Frodo has no surpassing strength and wisdom, but he bears on his shoulder the hope of Middle-earth and keeps the faith that he should do what he could, to find a way, and to go as far as his mind and body allow. While grace stands by to help him, evil companies him to draw him into the abyss of sin. The longer he clings to the Ring, the more attached he becomes. However, he never gives up his resistance until he succumbs to the ultimate temptation at the Crack of Mount Doom where the power of the Ring reaches its maximum. The quest witnesses his growth as a hero and also his struggle between sin and salvation. He perseveres to his destination, fighting against evil with good virtues like humility, self-sacrifice, hope, courage and forgiveness, which precisely correspond to necessary elements for salvation. At the end of the quest, Frodo fails to cast the Ring into fire, and claims his ownership for the Ring. But Gollum inadvertently bites Frodo's finger with the Ring off. In his joy over finally owning the Ring again, he performs a sing-and-dance on the edge of the abyss, topples over, and falls into the fire, clutching his "precious" to the end. The betrayer who has been forgiven by Frodo helps him fulfill the quest. The supreme evil power is destroyed and Middle-earth is saved. But Frodo cannot be totally relieved from the shadow of the past. However, the grace of the One repays him for his faith, suffering and good work on the quest. Frodo sails with elves to the Blessed Realm where his wounds can be cured and he can enjoy an eternal life.The quest of Frodo to destroy the Ring precisely fits into the process of the salvation for the world and himself. Tolkien's myth matches up perfectly to his faith. Tolkien never intends to create a myth of quest as a metaphor of Catholic salvation,but with his faith absorbed into his work, he has created a delicately woven mythic world that never departs from the Catholic understanding of salvation.