A Transactional Psychoanalysis of Frodo: The Conflict of the Male Adolescent in Becoming a Man

Abstract

This article contributes to the debate on the place of the unconscious in transactional analysis by presenting several developmental themes related to the transition boys make as they move through adolescence into the stage of virility and manhood. The character of Frodo, the protagonist in J. R. R. Tolkien's (1954–1955/1968) The Lord of the Rings, is examined as a metaphorical representation of the processes young men undergo during adolescence. The relationship between Frodo and Gollum is used to illustrate the unconscious conflict that leads to the integration of the adolescent self.