“Restless and uneasy…thin and stretched”: The Ring, The Ringbearers, and Bodies in Psychological Crisis in Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings.

Authors

Sara Brown, Signum UniversityFollow

Abstract

The attachment that Tolkien’s Ring-bearers have for the Ring, a twisted and perverted form of love, is sterile and barren; it leaves those affected unable to settle and form fruitful, loving relationships with others, an effect that Tolkien referred to as a “Ring-restlessness.” Gollum, Bilbo, and Frodo all suffer, to their own degree, from the psychological crisis caused by the Ring that renders them uneasy and agitated. This paper examines this crisis through a psychological lens, exploring how the Ringbearers are living in discord with their true selves, and struggling with the meaninglessness of life that the Ring leaves behind.

Recommended Citation

Brown, Sara (2025) "“Restless and uneasy…thin and stretched”: The Ring, The Ringbearers, and Bodies in Psychological Crisis in Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings.," Journal of Tolkien Research: Vol. 21: Iss. 2, Article 10.
Available at: https://scholar.valpo.edu/journaloftolkienresearch/vol21/iss2/10