Gollums Fate After Frodo Left Him: The Final Destiny in Mount Doom

Introduction

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The fate of Gollum after Frodo left him on Mount Doom is a fascinating and often misunderstood aspect of the Lord of the Rings trilogy. While most readers are familiar with the climactic scene of Gollum biting off Frodo's ring finger, the subsequent events and their implications are less commonly explored.

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The Journey to Mount Doom

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Gollum, Frodo, Sam, and the One Ring were already inside Mount Doom. They were in the Sammath Naur, the Chambers of Fire, a long horizontal cave extending deep into the mountain. The Stair of Fire led to a deep pit, the Crack of Doom, the site where the One Ring had been forged and could only be destroyed in the same place..

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Earlier on the slopes of Mount Doom, Frodo had used the power provided by the One Ring to command Gollum to cast himself into the fire if he ever touched Frodo again. At the Crack of Doom, Frodo failed in his resolve to destroy the Ring, and instead decided to keep it for himself. Gollum, who had followed Frodo and Sam, attacked Frodo, further complicating the situation.

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The Final Conflict and Gollum's Fall

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Gollum managed to bite off Frodo's ring finger. As Frodo collapsed in pain, Gollum, holding the ring, danced with glee on the edge of the Crack of Doom. With Gollum still holding the ring, he fell into the Crack of Doom, presumably burned, melted, and perhaps vaporized by the heat of the magma.

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The Aftermath and Sam's Escape

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Sam helped Frodo out of the Sammath Naur. As the ring melted and its powers were lost, Mount Doom erupted. Lava shot out of the crater at the top, fell back down, and poured down the volcano's cone. Other lava shot out of the mouth of Sammath Naur and flowed down the sides of the mountain. The Nazgul on their fell beasts flew desperately to Mount Doom and were destroyed by the volcanic blast.

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Sam and Frodo climbed onto a little hill as the lava rose higher and higher around them. But Gandalf arrived on giant eagles, and they took Frodo and Sam to safety.

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Gollum's Atoms and Molecules: A More Profound Legacy

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While Gollum's body was consumed by the volcanic explosion, countless molecules from his body were scattered over the landscape. Every cubic foot of poison gas emitted by Mount Doom in the eruption, every piece of volcanic ash which landed miles away, and every cubic foot of the lava which flowed down contained a few atoms and molecules which had once been part of Gollum.

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It is theorized that countless millions, billions, and trillions of Gollum's atoms and molecules, as gaseous particles, might have journeyed for hundreds and thousands of miles, becoming part of the air we breathe. Perhaps some of the air you are breathing now was once a part of Gollum, traveling through space and time, connecting you to the very depths of Mount Doom.

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Conclusion

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The fate of Gollum after he "dropped" the Ring and himself into the Crack of Doom is a poignant reminder of the series' exploration of fate, destiny, and the consequences of our choices. The ultimate journey of Gollum's atoms and molecules symbolizes the interconnectedness of all things, a concept that resonates deeply with readers.

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References

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- Tolkien, J.R.R. (1954). The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. London: George Allen Unwin.

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- Tolkien, J.R.R. (1955). The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. London: George Allen Unwin.

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