I think The Lord of the Rings is really a story about sobriety. The Ring represents addiction, and the journey to Mount Doom mirrors the path to recovery. Frodo is scared from the start and doesn't believe he can do it. The Ring nearly breaks him again and again, and he never gets through it alone. Sam carries him when he can't walk, and the Fellowship holds him up when he's at his weakest. In the end, he's proud of what he's accomplished, and everyone around him is proud too. They knew all along he could do it.
Who was your Sam?
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