On Sméagol being kicked (Episode 6 - The Story of the Ring)

[da_bee]

I am going through the episodes again, taking notes for future readings. Every time I read about Sméagol's relations kicking him, I wonder if they are simply kicking him because he's underfoot and quite possibly invisible. We already know that at this point he's feeling self-pity and a victim, so it would make sense that if someone kicked him, not knowing he was there, he would translate that into them being mean to him.