The Cost of Redemption in Lord of the Rings The struggle between good and evil is a pervasive theme of the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Struggle exists throughout Middle-earth, as the followers of Sauron wage war against the Kingdoms of Freemen and their allies, as well as against individual characters. Boromir, a tragic hero in Tolkien's work, possesses mostly good qualities marred by his corrupt desires for power and the Ring. Gollum's character has an ongoing internal struggle between the part of him that is corrupted by the Ring and his initially innocent self, Smeagol, who struggles to be good. However, as long as good and evil exist, redemption is also possible. If Gollum, for example, were portrayed as solely evil and the Smeagol part of him did not exist, the reader would never hope for redemption, knowing that it was already impossible. However, redemption can still be found in Tolkien's work. Reflecting his Christian beliefs, Tolkien often depicts characters redeeming themselves through death. The conflicting characters in Lord of the Rings demonstrate that if good and evil exist in a person, redemption is possible at the cost of certain sacrifices. Good and evil can coexist within a single being, as demonstrated by the struggle within Boromir. and Gollum. While there are characters such as Gandalf and Sarumon who are seen as entirely good or entirely evil, there are also those whose morality is not so black and white. Boromir, the son of the King of Gondor, is a member of the Fellowship and helps protect the ring-bearer, Frodo, during the journey to the beginning of the Fellowship of the Ring. However, Boromir is tempted by the allure of the Ring's power and desires to use it for...... middle of paper......t religious connotation, as in themes of redemption and forgiveness . Those who follow Jesus' example by acting as a servant or sacrificing their own lives are the heroes of Tolkien's epic. Works Cited Forest-Hill, Lynn. “Boromir, Byrhtnoth and Bayard: finding language for grief in JRR Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings.” » Tolkien Studies 5. (2008) Web. November 22, 2010. Rosebury, Brian. “Revenge and moral judgment in Tolkien.” Tolkien Studies 5. (2008) Web. November 22, 2010Tolkien, JRR The Lord of the Rings. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2004. Thomson, George. “The Lord of the Rings”: the novel as traditional romance. » Wisconsin Studies in Contemporary Literature. 8.1 (1967): 43-59. Internet. November 22, 2010.Wood, Ralph C. Tolkien's Gospel: Visions of the Kingdom in Middle-earth. Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2003.