MBTI Type: ISFJ

Frodo has been quite content to live in the Shire for many years, and looks forward to Gandalf’s arrival, since the wizard always comes to “disrupt the peace.” He hopes, early on in his journey, to return home again after destroying the Ring, but the farther he goes toward Mordor, the more he becomes convinced that he can never be the same. He feels the Ring affecting him emotionally and physically. He is also far more serious about the danger to himself, and more cautious of people he does not know (he asks whether they can trust The Ranger or not, but also thinks that someone evil would “smell sweeter” and attempt to deceive them). Frodo finds it hard to cope with forgetting his life in the Shire; he can no longer remember the way the grass felt under his feet, or how the air smells, or even what it was like to be warm, and that causes him to despair. He also wonders how you can return after so long away and pick up the pieces of a “broken life.” From the start, Frodo comes across as warm, engaged, and easily emotional. He pushes Sam outside his comfort zone in encouraging him to dance with Rosie, happily tells those at the tavern whatever they want to hear, and expresses concern when Bilbo vanishes in front of their eyes without even saying farewell. In Rivendell, Frodo takes on the responsibility of the Ring, even though it has nothing really to do with him, and agrees to take it to Mordor. He is easily emotionally affected by other people; their thoughts and concerns become his fears and apprehensions. When he encounters Gollum, the pitiful creature’s appeals to his feelings wear him down to the point where he believes Gollum’s lies against Sam, because it seems to reinforce his own anxieties about his friend. He quite easily talks about how the Ring is making him feel, when Sam prompts him to open up, and intends to leave his friends all behind, out of fear that it will cause them harm (he feels he must do this alone). Frodo attempts to understand Gollum and believes in his potential for redemption. He identifies with him and sees him as an extension of himself, in the belief that if they can save Gollum, perhaps he too might emerge from this journey unscathed. He is fairly rational in his decisions, and careful in the choices he makes, because he cannot see all ends. He often allows Gandalf to ‘look ahead’ for him and see the bigger picture (“even the wisest cannot see all ends”). Frodo also shows a lack of insight in how he allows Gollum to stay with him, polluting his mind and increasing his doubts, out of an idealistic belief in his potential redemption. He has just enough Ne to see a different future for the creature, but not enough to warn him that Gollum is not trustworthy. As Frodo becomes more and more enmeshed in dangerous situations, he becomes more and more paranoid about who to trust, and more negative about what the future holds (he assumes he will never make it back to the Shire or see any of his friends again).

Enneagram: 9w1 so/sp

Frodo is calm, detached, and good-natured. He prefers not to let anything disrupt his peaceful, tranquil life until Gandalf sends him to the Prancing Pony. His preferred method is to avoid conflict, so it upsets him when the Council starts to fight over the fate of the Ring – so much so, he volunteers to take it. Though sweet and kind, Frodo is also stubborn and set in his ways, continuing to indulge Gollum when Sam distrusts him. His 1 wing gives him a desire to do right and makes him severely dislike Sam’s meanness to Gollum (“Why do you have to call him names all the time?”) because it doesn’t show a “good character” in Sam. He wants to fit in, harmonize with the group, and serve its best interests, and is willing to surrender his life to this purpose. The more he travels into Mordor, the more he merges with Gollum and starts believing all his lies. Under stress, Frodo shifts into 6-like distrust and suspicion of others, becoming paranoid about their intentions – he fears Boromir may try and take the Ring, even before the Ring’s influence starts to corrupt his mind, and he accuses Sam of eating all the food and claiming that Gollum is responsible. This causes him to yell at Sam and tell him to go home without Frodo.

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