Had he not gone on the quest to destroy the ring, Frodo Baggins would have been a trope from a Victorian novel.
Observe:
Orphaned at an early age due to a tragic accident
Adopted by an eccentric relative who brought him to live at the family home, which is the prime real estate of the neighborhood, thereby making him a new member of the landed gentry
Named as sole heir to said real estate, after his eccentric uncle disappears under mysterious circumstances at a garden party
Inherited strange, likely cursed “family heirloom” jewelry from eccentric uncle after the disappearance
Has scheming unlikable distant relatives who repeatedly attempt to gain control of the family home
Reclusive Scholar(™) who journals and studies ancient languages
Generally well-regarded by the neighbors but seen as distant and “queer”
Eligible bachelor with minimal interest in marrying any time soon
Exclusively associates with a close circle of drinking companions and passing travelers of strange lands
Having an affair with the gardener
