The Ring of Freedom

The Lord of the Rings is not set in some fantasy world, but in our world. In this world, true freedom comes only when you bind yourself to your duty. The opposite of freedom is the power which corrupts and enslaves. It is a closed circle like a clenched fist or a worm swallowing its own tail. And it encloses emptiness, the damned self. As we know, but constantly forget, the cross is the rule, not the exception. And so is the ring. Eventually it becomes impossible to take it off. Only Gollum can save Frodo with the crack of doom. But only after Gollum has liberated Frodo from his finger and from the ring