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Rated: 13+ · Interactive · Psychology · #2339469

Here I will talk about characters from films, cartoons and TV series and their psychology.

This choice: The ring  •  Go Back...
Chapter #4

The One Ring: Temptation's True Face

    by: Winnie the Pooh Author IconMail Icon
Sauron's ring is not simply an object of power but the most accurate representation of the mechanics of addiction that literature has ever given us. It shows us how we lose our way, one step at a time, always believing we are in control.

At first, temptation presents itself in the guise of a solution. Boromir wants to save Gondor, Gollum seeks safety. The Ring whispers a seductive promise: "I can help you realize what is right."

This is the honeymoon phase, when the substance or dysfunctional relationship seems to actually work. No one begins a journey of addiction thinking they will lose themselves: we begin by trying to solve a real problem. A glass of wine to relax, a cigarette to seem older, a relationship to feel less alone.

But the Ring, like any addiction, gradually transforms need into obsession. What was meant to be a means becomes the end. Gollum is the extreme example: he no longer remembers why he wanted the Ring, he only knows he can't live without it. The same mechanism is found in addictions.

Sméagol's personality has been replaced by one built entirely around the object of his addiction, Gollum. This means losing one's way. When our life plan is rewritten by the substance or when our relationships revolve entirely around it, when we lie to ourselves by saying "I can stop whenever I want."

The monologue between Sméagol and Gollum in the second film, absent from the book, is one of the most beautiful scenes. That "I hate you" always gives me goosebumps; it fully captures the essence of an extremely conflicted character who even hates himself and what he has become in those 500 years with the ring.

The ring promises to fill the void, to transform impotence into omnipotence. But it's a fictitious solution that exacerbates the problem. The more we use power to compensate for our fragility, the more fragile we become. The Ring-bearer progressively wears himself out, just as an addiction or a toxic relationship wears away everything we once were.

Isolation is inevitable. Those who fall into addiction or a toxic relationship lose the "feeling of community" Adler spoke of: they no longer trust others, are unable to cooperate, and see everyone as a threat or a tool. Sam represents the antidote. The authentic relationship, a presence that is there without ulterior motives. Sam is the hero we don't deserve but we all need.

Tolkien seems to ask us: are we willing to acknowledge our vulnerability and ask for help, or do we prefer the illusion of control? Because the path is lost precisely when we believe we have it under control.

THE END.

You've come to the end of the story. You can:

  1. Step back to the previous chapter.

  2. Start reading the story from the beginning.

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