The hunt for Gollum is a long and complex part of the original works of Tolkien, which involves the solving of many mysteries, and the sifting through of lots of small deceptions and half-truths. Several members of the fellowship must piece together exactly how Gollum escaped from the clutches of Mordor, and whether it really was good fortune for the little creature, or something far more sinister?
Readers first learn of Gollum in the chapter ‘Shadow from the past’, in which Gandalf tells Frodo the sad story of how the stoor hobbit came into possession of the ring, his murder of Deagol, and his banishment into the caves under the mountains. The wizard also tells Frodo of Gollum's supernaturally long life, and of his riddles in the dark by which Bilbo came into possession of the ring. As a part of the tale, he mentions how he wished to find Gollum and hear for himself whether it could actually be the One Ring of power, so he began to pursue the creature.
After a long process, he found his answers in the vaults of Gondor, where they still kept many old important documents in the citadel. Thus he gave up the chase, but soon realized it was an error to do so, and sent Aragorn the ranger to try to find the creature instead. Aragorn has brilliant tracking skills due to his connections with the Dunedain, and pursued Gollum all the way to the lands around Hobbiton, where he finally found the miserable creature fishing in a pool. He apprehended Gollum, who would say nothing, but together the ranger and the wizard decerned that Gollum had spent some time in Mordor, and had later escaped Sauron’s clutches.
This seemed very peculiar to Gandalf, that Gollum could get away unless the dark lord willed it to be so. However, more pressing matters took over as he has to rush to The Shire to warn Frodo, who had come into possession of Bilbo’s ring at this time. Unfortunately, Gandalf is waylaid, as he is trapped on the tower of Orthanc by Saruman, who wishes to prevent him from contacting the hobbit before the Nazgul on their black horses have arrived to snatch the evil object.
It is only much later, in the second book The Two Towers, that any more is learned of Gollum and his time behind the Black Gates. In the 2001 film adaptation of the Fellowship of the Ring, the audience is shown a scene in which Gollum is tied down and tortured for his knowledge, and ends up screaming "Shire, Baggins!" whereas in the book, what he endured at the enemy’s hands is never recounted.
But he does touch upon the subject with Frodo and his brave companion Sam, when trying to convince them not to enter Mordor the traditional way, but to take the stairs to Cirith Ungol, and slip in around the back. He states “It was that way that Smeagol got out of the darkness”. But the hobbits are suspicious, knowing that the creature is very cunning and tricky, and ask why the passage wasn’t guarded, and how he managed to get out.
Frodo asks “did you escape, or were you rather permitted to depart upon an errand? That is What Aragorn thought when he found you on the Dead Marshes some years ago.” At this, Gollum is highly offended, saying that he managed to get away all on his own, and that he was on a quest to find the ring, but for himself, as it is rightfully his, and not for Sauron. But Frodo is still cautious, knowing that ‘The escape may have been allowed or arranged, and well known in the dark tower.’
Nevertheless, they have little choice but to climb the dark stairs anyway and risk the perils that await there. This is where they encounter Shelob the Spider demon, who poisons Frodo, and is eventually defeated by Sam, using the light of Elendil. He manages to make his way into the tower where Frodo is held, bruised and scarred by the wound he received at Weathertop, and the burn marks from the chain the One Ring is carried on.
Sam returns the ring willingly, a true testament to his pure heart, and then they make their way to cast it into the fires of Mount Doom. At the last moment, Frodo realizes that he is more similar to Sauron than he thought, and is unable to let go of the precious object. It is subsequently bitten off his finger by Gollum, who falls into the flames with it and destroys it once and for all.
