Gollum and a lack of community

I am preparing for this week's lesson on Christianity in the Lord of the Rings. This week's subject from LOTR is Gollum and we'll be looking at his corruption by the Ring and how it may compare to the human need for community. The theory is this: Humans are created to be in community. God serves as our model - One God in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

I also stumbled upon the Ubuntu theology of Anglican Archbishop Desmond Tutu this week. A key tenet is that I am because you are. Our personhood derives from our relationships. I am intrigued by this and plan to look into it further.

The character of Gollum is, in my opinion, a case study in what happens when we are removed from community. Ralph Wood in The Gospel According to Tolkien p.66-68 examines the corruptive power of the One Ring in bringing its bearer long life and invisibility. I am interested in looking at these powers as the perversion of community. Sound interesting?