Saving Gollum

[Alfirin]

Originally Posted by Inziladun

I would say both were behind Sméagol's new-found friendliness.
On the one hand, the oath he had sworn by the Ring brought him into a very close psychological relationship with the Ring-bearer, which forced him to "open up" emotionally.

On the other, I think the fact that his new companions were of his own kind was significant. It's said different times in the books that Hobbits generally preferred the company of other Hobbits, and Gollum wasn't nearly as friendly, it seems, with those noble Mirkwood Elves with whom he was a guest.

This quote from another thread actually brings up a question that, up till now had never occurred to me

Imagine a scenario where the ring is destroyed WITHOUT Sméagol being destroyed with it (either one where Frodo does not succumb at the end and manages to toss the ring in the fire himself, or one where Gollum trips and drops the ring in the fire, but doesn't go over himself.) Do you think that
1. When Gandalf came, he would have taken Gollum back as well (I almost said "Frodo would insist Gandalf bring Gollum as well" but since Frodo and Sam are basically unconscious at this point, they are in no position to insist anything) Given that Gollum is so thin, I doubt the additional weight would be an issue.
2. Frodo would have insisted on doing what he could to see Gollum "healed" if he could, and returned to being Sméagol the Hobbit, up to and including taking him back to Hobbition (he can't go home, as there are no longer hobbits in the Gladden Fields) to try to nurse him
What I am sort of getting at is, is the amount of pity Frodo develops for Gollum over the journey great enough (plus his common compassion for what was once a fellow hobbit) that he would attempt to save him (Frodo does tell Sam not to think harshly of Gollum for biting off his finger). It's probably a hopeless effort (if nothing else, the fact that Gollum is basically bound to the One Ring almost as tightly as a Nazgul is to one of the nine, and the simple fact that Gollum has lived WAAY longer than a hobbit's natural lifespan means that, with the ring destroyed, Gollum probably did not have any meaningfully measurable lifespan left in any case) But, given the opportunity, would Frodo have tried?