Unless you are like little children, you shall not enter the Kingdom of Heaven.” This is a well-known quote, yet very few people put it into practice. Tolkien, though, saw the necessity of the truth in this command, and demonstrated its good through his character, Samwise Gamgee.

Sam Gamgee was, to put it in the same words, ‘childlike’ — meaning, he had the simplicity, honesty, and love of a child. His focus was never on his own comfort, but always directed toward his master — Frodo. This amazing quality showed through his actions, from even just his love of gardening (a love for the beauty of nature), to being ready to die on Mount Doom for the sake of Frodo, and Middle-Earth.

In some ways, he was like what Saint Peter should have been — he stood by his master, not being afraid, even at the threat of death. He got his courage by forgetting his own wants, and turning to those of his master – complete and total selflessness. He also went with Frodo when he himself had no ties to the matter, but, to quote again, he went to: “Bear each other’s burdens, and bind each other’s wounds.” Really, to put it simply, he knew what it meant to “love thy neighbor as thy self”, and acted on it.

This shows the great and beautiful, yet incredibly humble, character of Samwise Gamgee — a really superb hero. In many ways, he can be related to the true follower of Christ — by forgetting himself, picking up his cross, and walking in the footsteps of his master.

Fanny Jean Jones

Fanny Jean Jones

Fanny Jean Jones is a recent graduate of 8th grade, through homeschool classes, and homeschooling. She loves reading, talking, and playing games with her ‘Fam’. Fanny also loves the piano, and is coming up on playing it every day for 10 years. She found a great love for developing stories when very young, and has loved writing papers and novel (book) ideas ever since. She also loves passing time through a crochet hook, and has made hats, shawls, socks, and other things through this hobby. Another favorite pastime of Fanny’s, is working out calligraphy, and she is often pegging away at this art.

Leave a Replay

4 thoughts on “Samwise Gamgee”

  1. J.R.R. Tolkien himself in his Letters indicated that Samwise Gamgee was the most important character of the tale for he represents the every-christian-human and the reader. He diligently lives his life according to his faith and is not swayed elsewhere. He just wants to get the job done and return home to Rosie, his friends and family and his job. He is mission-centric like Christ and does not forget the big picture. He also happens to be the most humble, heroic and strongest character in the book.

  2. P.S. Check out Fountainpennetwork.com for interesting info on calligraphy and pens. – Sorry I didn’t see this interest or I would have included it before. Jon

  3. Beautiful words. Samwise and Frodo’s friendship & loyalty is for me the most touching and important story in LOTR. It’s the first example that comes to my mind for true lasting friendship depicted in literature and the movies

  4. “Sam: I wonder if we’ll ever be put into songs or tales. Frodo: [turns around] What? Sam: I wonder if people will ever say, ‘Let’s hear about Frodo and the Ring.’ And they’ll say ‘Yes, that’s one of my favorite stories. Frodo was really courageous, wasn’t he, Dad?’ ‘Yes, my boy, the most famousest of hobbits. And that’s saying a lot.’ Frodo: [continue walking] You’ve left out one of the chief characters – Samwise the Brave. I want to hear more about Sam. [stops and turns to Sam] Frodo: Frodo wouldn’t have got far without Sam. Sam: Now Mr. Frodo, you shouldn’t make fun; I was being serious. Frodo: So was I. [they continue to walk] Sam: Samwise the Brave…”
    ― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Two Towers

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Sign up for our Newsletter

Click edit button to change this text. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit