In the Eileen Elgar letter, Tolkien says Frodo was given grace: first to answer the call, later to resist temptation and endure fear and suffering. But grace is sufficient for the appointed task, not infinite.[2]
The hero is not self-sufficient. The Quest is carried by grace, but grace does not erase struggle. The character is an instrument of Providence, but still must suffer, choose, endure, and act.
Library of Light Edition 1.0 — Last revised: May 2026