Eu não acho que os livros entraram em muitos detalhes, mas a partir disso ...
Livro III, cap. 10:
‘Behold, I am not Gandalf the Grey, whom you betrayed. I am Gandalf the White, who has returned from death. You have no colour now, and I cast you from the order and from the Council.’
He raised his hand, and spoke slowly in a clear cold voice. ‘Saruman, your staff is broken.’ There was a crack, and the staff split asunder in Saruman’s hand, and the head of it fell down at Gandalf’s feet. ‘Go!’ said Gandalf. With a cry Saruman fell back and crawled away.
.. e isso ...
Livro 6, Ch.8:
A sudden light broke on Frodo. ‘Sharkey!’ he cried. Saruman laughed.
‘So you have heard the name, have you? All my people used to call me that in Isengard, I believe. A sign of affection, possibly. But evidently you did not expect to see me here.’
‘I did not,’ said Frodo. ‘But I might have guessed. A little mischief in a mean way: Gandalf warned me that you were still capable of it.’
‘Quite capable,’ said Saruman, ‘and more than a little...
... parece que Gandalf removeu o poder de Sarman. Pelo menos, o maior capital de Saruman - Poderes; Saruman ainda tem algumas habilidades, mas nada além do alcance de qualquer ser "comum" (ou seja, não-Maiar) na Terra-média. Poderia Saruman ter se redimido? Talvez ...
Livro III, Ch.10:
‘He will have guessed, surely?[re. Treebeard]’ said Merry, ‘Were they likely to end any other way?’
‘Not likely,’ answered Gandalf, ‘though they came to the balance of a hair. But I had reasons for trying; some merciful and some less so. First Saruman was shown that the power of his voice was waning...Then I gave him a last choice and a fair one: to renounce both Mordor and his private schemes, and make amends by helping us in our need. He knows our need, none better. Great service he could have rendered. But he has chosen to withhold it, and keep the power of Orthanc...He lives now in terror of the shadow of Mordor, and yet he still dreams of riding the storm. Unhappy fool! He will be devoured, if the power of the East stretches out its arms to Isengard.
... mas Saruman recebeu a última escolha, e ele ainda escolheu "o lado negro".
Gandalf removeu o poder de Saruman, ou foi um Poder Superior (o Valar ou o próprio Ilúvatar)? Eu acho que depende de como você quer ver. Um executor age na ordem do Monarca / Juiz / o que quer que seja, com o "Poder" do trono / gangue / sociedade / sistema legal por trás deles, mas ainda é o carrasco que puxa a alavanca / corta a cabeça / empurra a seringa. Se Saruman tivesse mostrado alguma qualidade redentora, Gandalf poderia ter escolhido dar-lhe uma segunda chance. Mas Saruman recusou a oferta, então Gandalf decidiu quebrá-lo. No final, é sempre a escolha da pessoa com o dedo no gatilho. O que é um ponto de vista muito católico romano, mas como Tolkien era católico, acho que era assim que deveria ser lido.