He is just a hobbit, Frodo, a young one by hobbit age. He likes his hobbit-hole, safe and warm. All he wants to do is just stay with his uncle Bilbo and enjoy the festivities in his village named Shire along with his friends Pippin and Merry. All is well in his little warm world, until one day, one fatalistic birthday..
His uncle disappears and Frodo finds himself the unwilling recipient of a ring. A ring that symbolises evil. A ring that controls the wearer. A ring, forged into fire, that provides unlimited power to the wearer. A ring that is required to awaken an evil king. Young Frodo is scared. He doesn't know about the evil king, or his evil minions, The Nine Wreaths who are already out to search for the ring. And just when Frodo thinks that things could not go wrong, he learns, much to his horror and despair, that the ring wants to be found by the king and can actually strive to make its presence felt!
Therein begins the adventure of a young hobbit. While he leaves the comfort and safety of his house, he feels scared. There is warmth in the house, and danger outside, in the big bad world. But for the greater good, to dispose off the ring once and for all, Frodo walks out into the night, away from the safety of his precious Shire. He doesn't know any magic, he can't swing any weapon. He doesn't know where to go or what to do. He has only one purpose - to take the ring to Mount Doom and throw it into the Fire which and only which can destroy the ring once and for all.
There are two Frodos living inside us. One Frodo wants comfort, safety, familiarity. When confronted with a responsibility, the other Frodo makes his presence felt. The one who takes up a duty for the greater good, who faces his fears and marches out into the unknown. The one who doesn't hesitate to acknowledge the enormity of the situation, gets scared by it and yet proceeds ahead in his mission, simply out of duty's sake. The secret is in knowing that we can be both of these when the situation calls for!
Frodo cherishes his friends. During the dark days of his travel out of Shire, his friends bring light and laughter in his world through their adorable and endearingly familiar antics. When he stealthily tries to leave his friends behind and walk ahead in the Road of Danger, his faithful friend Sam too tags behind him, never leaving Frodo alone for a single minute, until the end of their endlessly long and remarkable journey.
What endears this little hobbit the most to the reader? He is like a mouse, let loose amongst the elephants. There are kings in the tale, horrible monsters, menacing wizards, captivating elves and sturdy and dangerous dwarfs. They all know how to fight, except for our Frodo. Amongst the powers of the World, the little hobbit drifts uneasily, not sure of what is happening around. And yet, his journey is the toughest. His struggle is the longest. His danger is the meanest. Controlled by a power stronger than him, he wades through all the obstacles, fighting against the power of the ring and almost succumbing to it at one point of time.
And while there are many other people to help him, this hobbit Frodo wins the heart. For sheer bravery and courage, for accepting a responsibility that would prove almost fatal for him, for being a David amongst the Goliaths of his time. For saying ' I will!' when all he wanted to say was 'I can't!'. For forgiving those who took advantage of him again and again and landed him in danger. For being ridiculously courageous to leave out into the world at night on an unknown path, all on the instructions of a wizard whom he trusts more than life itself. For embarking on a journey that he knows may end unfavourably for him. For showing the slightly weak trait of almost succumbing to the temptation of unlimited power.
There are good wizards too in the tale, you know. There are kings, raised from their ancient heritage to overthrow an empire of monsters and evil wizards. But on any given day, I would choose Frodo, the young and hapless hobbit over them!
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