In Book 6 Chapters 3 and 4 of The Lord of the Rings, Frodo and Sam are successful in the destruction of the ring. All hope was taken from the two hobbits because Mount Doom began to erupt and the entirety of Mordor began to collapse around them (Ch 4 pg 950). There was no time for celebration as Frodo and Sam waited for their death to come. All the hobbits could do as they waited was reminisce about their past lives in The Shire and mourn at the idea that they would not be returning to their homes. Although they had been victorious in their mission, their spirits had been defeated and they had to accept their new fates, for they were far too tired to fight any longer. Just as the Hobbits were forced into accepting their new fates, so did the prisoners accept their new dehumanizing roles at the prison camps in Volume V chapter 5 of The Gulag Archipelago. The prisoners had become nothing more than laborers. One of the main attributes the prisoners had that kept them strong was their memories (pg 117). They would often look back to times before the Gulag and the camps. There was nothing they could do to break free of their mental and physical prison, but through their memories, they were able to escape and feel free for short while.
Both the prisoners and the Hobbits reminisced about their past memories to escape the situations they had found themselves in. Even at the end of all things, Frodo and Sam thought back to a better time and found comfort in each other’s company. The prisoners were too stubborn to let their positions degrade themselves. If they did not do the labor they were tasked with, they would be punished. They continued to work daily, not simply to avoid punishment, but also for their personal prowess. In chapter 3 of LOTR, the two Hobbits had lost all physical strength they had left while climbing Mount Doom. Frodo could no longer walk because of the toll the weight of the ring had on him. Still, Sam mustered the strength to carry Frodo up the mountain to complete their mission. Sam refused to let himself and his companion fall short of their mission and he used his mental strength to push onward. Through their mental strength, the prisoners and Sam were able to push themselves to finish the tasks given to them, no matter how grueling that task may be.