Gollum

Gollum is Bea’s three-legged dog, a lively companion whose independent reactions shape one of the most consequential encounters between Bea and Diego. On the beach, his pursuit of a shell brings him into danger; the attempt to save him draws Bea and Diego into the same struggle against the rough sea.

Identity and Presence

Gollum accompanies Bea on her morning walks along the beach. In May, she goes out as the sun is rising, wrapped warmly against the cold, and takes off her shoes to stand at the water’s edge. The sea is too cold for her to venture beyond her ankles, but Gollum walks beside her on the sand. His three-legged gait catches her attention: she wonders whether moving with an unusual balance must tire him, yet he seems remarkably vigorous.

That combination of visible physical difference and evident vitality defines his presence in the story. Bea notices his body closely, but Gollum is not simply a passive emblem of her feelings. He moves through the scene according to his own responses: he keeps his distance from Diego at first, later pursues the shell, and, once ashore, runs off without looking back.

The Beach Encounter

One windy morning, Bea sees Diego emerge from a heavy sea. After he reaches shore and dries himself, she approaches him. Gollum comes over too, but when Diego tries to pet him, the dog moves away. The encounter takes place while Bea is angry with Diego: she accuses him of having felled her chestnut trees to persuade her to accept his treehouse project. Their argument is already sharp when Diego picks up a shell from the sand and throws it for Gollum.

Gollum eagerly chases the shell and brings it back. Diego throws it again, this time toward the water. A gust carries it farther out, and Gollum runs into the sea after it. A large wave sweeps him away from the shore, and for a moment Bea and Diego lose sight of him. The game that had briefly brought the wary dog close to Diego has become an emergency.

Bea spots Gollum in the water, panicked and struggling to swim in the rough conditions. Diego goes in after him, but the terrified dog will not let himself be caught and snaps at Diego whenever he tries. Gollum’s fear is unmistakable in the scene: his resistance makes the rescue harder even as he is in danger.

Rescue and Aftermath

Bea gets to Gollum and brings him to the surface. She can barely keep herself afloat, and Diego comes up behind her to support her and help her reach water shallow enough to manage. The three make it back to the shore with difficulty. As soon as Gollum reaches the sand, he runs off at full speed without looking back.

The rescue briefly displaces the accusation that began the encounter. Bea reproaches Diego for throwing the shell into the sea; he answers that it was a shell, not a stone, and points out that he has helped. Their disagreement does not vanish, but it has been interrupted by a danger neither can treat as an abstraction. Gollum’s peril makes their actions interdependent: Diego’s attempt to reach the dog and his support for Bea help bring the three of them back to shore.

Place in the Household

Elsewhere, Gollum’s exuberant greeting of Bea’s father offers a small contrast to the mood inside the family home. He accompanies Bea’s father to the door, barking and wagging his tail frantically; from Bea’s perspective, the three-legged dog seems to be the only happy one in the house. This moment establishes his familiar place among the family without making him a participant in their disputes.

Together, the domestic greeting and the beach rescue show two sides of Gollum’s role. At home, his energy stands out against the family’s unhappiness; on the beach, his curiosity and fear have immediate consequences for Bea and Diego. The narrative gives him no speech or human explanation, but lets his movements matter: he approaches, retreats, retrieves, struggles, and finally escapes the water on his own feet.