It’s not even a matter of the fact that you’re going to die alone. It’s the idea of a long, endlessly lonely life. With absolutely no one for company, at least, not anyone who you can have a meaningful connection with though I think Gollum tries. I think other people are just really bad at wordplay and frankly not able to keep up with him. Hobbits are kind of more into eating than they are into riddles.
There are other fish in the sea? Not for Gollum.
Only literal fish for Gollum
The most interesting parts of the whole series, for me, really, because I do not care about any manner of wizardry, or explosions, are when Gollum remembers what is was to have loved ones. Because that happens, sometimes. And it’s heartbreaking. Apparently in his youth he led a life filled with pretty wonderful people. Now he just sits around coming up with riddles to tell himself, as Tolkein says, “through not having anyone else to speak to.”
To be fair, Gollum brings this on himself. I think he could probably have chosen to reject the ring and go forward on his life and stop obsessing over it except… he couldn’t. Think of this the next time one of your friends tells you that she can’t stop facebooking her ex all the time. It’s basically like that.
I am going to bet Gollum spent hundreds of years live-journaling poetry, listening to “I Am A Rock” and coming up with decorative raincoats for his pet fish to wear (before he ate it). (I’m assuming it’s a fish. The surrogate-child-pet a semi-immortal-hobbit would adopt is obviously up for debate).
I think, despite the fact that he’s duplicitous and mad and evil, that’s why we feel affection for Gollum. Because he is everything we are afraid to become. That, and he has absolutely enormous eyes, like a baby or a Joan Didion character.
Basically, if you’re going through a difficult break-up, don’t be like Gollum. Don’t be enslaved to a ring you can never have. I’d say try JDate, but I also hear really good things about OK Cupid.
Picture via Wikipedia, Lord Of The Rings
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