: But then again, why couldn't it be somewhat sexual?

: I agree Tolkien wrote it as simple love between two friends, a very deep love. But what I don't egt is why everybody makes this big bluster about "oh no no no, it's not sexual. How dare you? You ignorant boob!" kind of stuff.

: I personally feel that sex and love should be much more fluid and warm and open that it is in our neurotic and puritanical society (this applies to the world in general, but particularly to Britain and America (even moreso in America, IMO)). To me, the labels heterosexual and homosexual, straight and gay, etc., are silly, inaccurate, and in fact inadequate to sum up the range of emotions and feelings hidden inside human hearts.

: To me, LOTR would be a much poorer work if it had this huge caveat about how Frodo and Sam loved each other, but no way were they gay, nope, no way, they were hobbits hobbits if ya' know whot I mean eh? Eh! Yeah, ha ha. [Belch]

: I like it the way it is, unapologetic.

: Dave C-Q

I dunno, I have friends (or at least one) who would follow me into the same pinch and, in a similar situation with death just at hand, I could do the same thing with (lie in eachothers' arms etc.). However, many a girl can attest to our heterosexuality- I would in no circumstance consider a sexual relationship or falling in love with him- I have the woman of my dreams, but feel a very deep love for him, its just another sort of love (in the reenactment scene we do a lot of hugging and other physical contact- we have to trust eachother and like eachother to be able to fight safely).
Also, do not forget that Tolkien was a soldier in WWI, he would know the intimate friendship between men (or hobbits) at the front with death lurking- making you very small and in need of comfort and protection in the arms of a friend.
;-) Neithan Turambar