Why did Bilbo age so quickly, yet Gollum remained youthful?

[barrelrider110]

Originally posted by azalea
And it was debated in another thread about whether or not the corruption was immediate, or whether Smeagol had a "predisposition" to evil, since Bilbo didn't become "evil", even after years of possessing the Ring. That may be where some people got the idea that Smeagol was evil beforehand. I tried to find that thread, but couldn't, so it must have been debated within a thread about something else (maybe a "ring" thread).

1. Smeagol seems to be immediately corrupted to the greatest extent, even though the Dark Lord is more latent than he'll be by the time Bilbo finds it.
2. Bilbo is immediately corrupted in that he hides the ring and lies about it (and also keeps it although he knows in his heart that it belonged to Gollum). But I think we can agree that murder of a loved one is more evil than hiding/ lying about a possession. A "severe corruption" scenario probably would have seen Bilbo killing Gollum (assuming that Bilbo and Gollum have the same amount of natural "goodness").
3. This is a very important issue because if indeed the amount of basic goodness is a factor in the immediate "corruptability" of a being (IMO, amount of native power is another), that would help us to understand Frodo's level of corruption at whatever given point in his journey. (And hence would strenthen my case for his pure motives in volunteering to take the ring to Mordor -- see the Why did Frodo Volunteer to Take the Ring? thread j/k)

The thread you refer to is "Concerning Smeagol" and I started it a couple of months ago (I don't start many) that discussed almost the same.

Remember that Gandalf said that Bilbo gave up the ring willingly, and that was important. It showed that the ring did not have the hold over Bilbo that it did over Gollum. The real question is why. Tolkien gives no definitive answer, not even a clue. Was Gollum evil from the start, or was he merely susceptable. I suggest it was because he was young when the ring "found him." There's no evidence to support this, but I picture Smeagol and Deagol as two kids out for a day fishing on the river when the ring was found. Like a lazy Saturday afternoon, away from the grownups, bored silly when this big fish bites, and pulls Deagol into the water. . etc. Reminds me of my childhood. (No fish ever pulled me into the water, I was a bit too overweight).