Breaking of the Fellowship

[Harad]

Got it...Did not mean to criticize, especially since I agreed...

[Beleg Strongbow]

I certainly agree that Gollum couldn't strangle Aragorn. What I meant whas that, if Aragorn had accompanied F&S, Gollum would have desperately tried to kill him first.
After all, let's look at poor Smeagol's point of view. When Precious goes, so will he.

[barrelrider110]

I think we are all being far too emprical in discussing a work of fantasy.

To his credit, Aragorn realized that there were forces at work that were best left alone, and that his path led along another road; i.e., it was not his destiny to follow Frodo and Sam.

Aragorn was clearly torn, and second-guessed himself for some time "all my choices have gone ill." He did not realize the wisdom in that choice. He must have said to himself, "what was I thinking?" because what he did was simply not rational.

Our tech-earth society rewards highly rational thinking, so that's what we do. We don't think in terms of destiny, but destiny plays a large part in the events of Middle Earth, where prophesies fortold are fulfilled.

[Elf Girl]

Fantasy?

[Menelvagor]

Got it...Did not mean to criticize, especially since I agreed...

Ah, we finally agree...

As for Gollum vs. Aragorn, Gollum would've continued to follow them (he didn't really have a choice) and would've been caught at the edge of the Emyn Muil at about the same time (that was negligence on Gollum's part, and had almost nothing to do with the hobbits) Aragorn would've kept him with them and at the Morranon unless Aragorn could come up with another route, Gollum would've probably still lead them to Shelob... actually, I can see things happening pretty much the same as without Aragorn, except Frodo would probably not have been found by Shegrat and co., possibly not even have been bitten. The major differences would happen at Mt. Doom.

Lesse, if Aragorn's presence were not enough of a deterant and Gollum was still to attack Frodo on the road up the Mt., then without some type of mental warning/message/memory from Gandalf (like Frodo had when they first met Gollum) Aragorn might have killed him, and then the excrement would really hit the fan (Frodo claims the ring and Aragorn is forced to try to take it from him and destroy it, Frodo fights back, Sam watches in horror, Frodo puts on the ring... all Mordor breaks loose (literally)). If Aragorn didn't kill Gollum that first time, then maybe Gollum wouldn't have been able to get into the Sammath Naur to get at Frodo, or if he did Aragorn, like Sam, would just have to sit and watch. Sheesh, this is getting depressing...

Has anyone read Dwimordene's fanfic (at fanfiction.net) called 'Lie Down in the Darkness, Rise up from the Ash'? It's a pretty dark (but extremely good) what if of LotR if Gollum had been killed in Mirkwood. *shudders*

[barrelrider110]

Originally posted by Elfgirl
Fantasy?

Are you suggesting LoTR is a work of non-fiction?

[Beleg Strongbow]

Well, not that I'm that obsessed, but it would be hard to empirically prove that LOTR was a work of fiction (other than seeing Tolkien write it).

[Earniel]

Originally posted by Menelvagor
Has anyone read Dwimordene's fanfic (at fanfiction.net) called 'Lie Down in the Darkness, Rise up from the Ash'? It's a pretty dark (but extremely good) what if of LotR if Gollum had been killed in Mirkwood. *shudders*

No, linksesss precioussss? pleasssse....