Frodo’s taming of Gollum highlights a potential for sternness and
authority in the hobbit that we have not yet seen, as he uses the knife
in a fearless and even somewhat violent manner. As we continue to
see in the following chapters, Frodo displays a surprising and forceful
mix of suspicion and compassion in his interactions with Gollum,
fully aware of the creature’s motivation to retrieve the Ring, but
sensing that he would not do anything to harm the hobbits overtly.
This aura of suspicion and mistrust parallels, on a small scale,
the overall atmosphere of apprehension that Sauron’s evil has cast
over the whole of Middle-earth. In the character of Gollum, Tolkien
injects a significant element of uncertainty into the plot, as even
Gollum himself appears unsure of what he will do or what his goal
is. This sense of utter unpredictability and potential danger pushes
the narrative forward, keeping us in suspense throughout the entire
remainder of The Two Towers as Gollum travels with
the hobbits. Tolkien’s technique effectively places us in Frodo’s
and Sam’s shoes: much like the hobbits, though we are aware that
the wretched Gollum has selfish intentions, we have no idea when
or how he might act upon them.
