The Two Towers: Book 4, Chapter 6 Summary & Analysis

Faramir wakes Frodo up before dawn to ask his advice about something, and Sam follows. One of Faramir’s men, Anborn, has seen something—not a squirrel or a bird, but an animal with four limbs—on the bank of the basin below them. Faramir’s men are waiting for his command to shoot it. Faramir turns to Frodo to ask if they should, and Frodo pauses for a moment before begging him not to. Sam would have said “yes” if he dared to speak.

Faramir asks what the creature is and why it should be spared. In all their time talking, Frodo reveals that he never mentioned his other companion, who evaded capture by Faramir’s guards. Gollum has trespassed and, consequently, Faramir should kill him. Frodo answers that Gollum doesn’t know the customs of men and that he was only lured into trespassing, following Frodo and the Ring, which he carried for many years. When Faramir asks what Gollum is seeking, Frodo answers “fish.”

As they watch, Gollum swims out of the water and begins chewing on a silver fish. Frodo tells Faramir that because Gollum is “wretched,” “hungry,” and “unaware of his danger,” Gandalf would have forbidden Faramir from killing him. Besides that, Gollum is tied to Frodo’s quest as his guide. Faramir says that he can’t let Gollum go free to later be caught by orcs and reveal their location in Ithilien. He has to either die or be brought inside with them. Frodo asks permission to go down to Gollum, volunteering to be shot himself if Gollum escapes.

Frodo creeps down carefully towards Gollum, who talks to his fish about the Ring. As he goes, Frodo is disgusted and wishes he could turn back and tell Faramir to shoot, but Gollum has “a claim on him” as his servant. When Frodo gets close enough, he calls Gollum “Sméagol,” trying to draw him over, and Gollum approaches after a brief delay. Gollum wants them to escape together into the trees, but Frodo asks Gollum to trust him and come up to the top of the waterfall to fetch Sam first.

Frodo fears that, if Faramir ties Gollum up, Frodo’s efforts to bring Gollum inside will look to Gollum like treachery. Still, he doesn’t know how else to save Gollum’s life. Gollum smells something that’s not a hobbit and turns back, enraged, reaching for Frodo and calling him wicked and false. Anborn pins Gollum down and ties him up, and Frodo begs him to be gentle, trying to calm Gollum down as he cries. Gollum spits at him.

Gollum is brought to speak to Faramir and begs to be released, whining that he’s “done nothing.” Faramir asks if he’s really never done anything worthy of punishment and interrogates him. Gollum claims he is lost, with no name and no “Precious”—he’s only hungry. Faramir allows Frodo to cut the ropes and free Gollum. When Gollum swears to never return or lead anyone back, Faramir returns him to Frodo’s care. 

Faramir also declares Sam and Frodo free in Gondor as long as they don’t return to the Window of the Sunset without invitation. He adds that they and anyone under their protection will be protected by himself and Gondor. Frodo takes Gollum under his protection, which makes Sam sigh. Faramir tells Gollum that he is safe as long as he stays with Frodo and wishes death on him if he doesn’t serve Frodo well. He asks where Gollum is leading Frodo, and Frodo answers for him, explaining about the Black Gate and the path near Minas Ithil. Faramir knows the name of the pass, Cirith Ungol, and has Anborn take Gollum away and watch him.

Faramir tells Frodo that his intended path is unwise and that Gollum is wicked. He offers to give Gollum safe passage to the border of Gondor if Frodo will leave him behind, but Frodo declines, since he promised to protect Gollum. Faramir thinks it would be better to counsel Frodo to break his word than let him walk into danger. Faramir has heard tales of a “dark terror” that lives in the pass above Minas Morgul, “a place of sleepless malice” which has been taken over by the enemy. Frodo argues that he has no way to get into Mordor besides Cirith Ungol and asks if Faramir would prefer he bring the Ring to Gondor to corrupt Minas Tirith.

Faramir doesn’t know what Frodo should do, only that he doesn’t want Frodo to walk to his death in Cirith Ungol. He doesn’t think Gandalf would have wanted it, but Frodo replies that Gandalf is gone. Faramir asks that Frodo at least remember his warnings and be wary of Gollum, who has certainly killed before. Faramir says he doesn’t think he’ll ever see Frodo again after the hobbits leave but gives Frodo his blessing and urges him to rest more. He promises that they’ll tell each other stories together again if Frodo miraculously survives his quest.