As the interviewer suggests, Frodo does sort of become Christ-like at the end, during The Scouring of the Shire. He wants no hobbit to kill another hobbit; no retribution is to be taken on the ruffians who have invaded The Shire; once subdued, they are to be shown to the borders. And, of course, his treatment of Saruman is particularly angelic. But one shouldn't forget that, ultimately, Frodo failed in his quest, for without Gollum the ring would not have been destroyed. This was quite a conscious choice on Tolkien's part. He said that Frodo was an example of someone who "had been asked to do too much," something beyond which he was constitutionally (psychologically, emotionally, physically) capable. This undercuts the idea of Frodo being a perfect spiritual being -- for who could identify with such a being? It is his very imperfection -- his striving toward an ideal and failing -- with which we identify.
I noticed that nice dodge of the question about Tom Bombadill.
he was a fun man 🥲
As the interviewer suggests, Frodo does sort of become Christ-like at the end, during The Scouring of the Shire. He wants no hobbit to kill another hobbit; no retribution is to be taken on the ruffians who have invaded The Shire; once subdued, they are to be shown to the borders. And, of course, his treatment of Saruman is particularly angelic. But one shouldn't forget that, ultimately, Frodo failed in his quest, for without Gollum the ring would not have been destroyed. This was quite a conscious choice on Tolkien's part. He said that Frodo was an example of someone who "had been asked to do too much," something beyond which he was constitutionally (psychologically, emotionally, physically) capable. This undercuts the idea of Frodo being a perfect spiritual being -- for who could identify with such a being? It is his very imperfection -- his striving toward an ideal and failing -- with which we identify.
You don't get interviews of this class on British media anymore.
Nor anywhere else either
I never got through any fairy stories but I wanted to write one myself...
It's hard for interviewer to ask proper questions when he hasn't read them or did but isn't into em