Rachit Sabharwal
Ms. Samantha Newmark
WRT 105: Rhetoric in the Rennaisance
22nd November 2014
Epic Paper of Doom
Looking. Searching. Seeking. There is just nothing like it for getting to conclusions. Finding. “There is nothing like looking, if you want to find something. You certainly usually find something, if you look, but it is not always quite the something you were after” (Tolkien). Certainly, when E.M Forster wrote A Passage to India or J.R.R Tolkien wrote The Hobbit or Kurt Vonnegut wrote Slaughterhouse -Five they were not looking for anything. However, they ended up finding a crucial link in their books–links to society at the time their books were published. 1924, 1937, 1969 or is it 1890, 2157 (Shire reckoning), 1945-It is not possible to be entirely sure. And it is this ambiguity that reveals a major aspect of literature. Literature has a tendency to represent the prevailing collective outlook. Forster highlights the growing discontent, of both Indians and the British, with the way the sub-continent is handled. Tolkien represents, very allegorically, the hardy nature of the people surviving the great depression, naming them hobbits. Vonnegut expresses the general disillusionment of the post-war years and Billy Pilgrim’s fatalist nature provides a grim undercurrent to the cheery “good war” (Jarvis 62). Thus, as seen through Forster, Tolkien, and Vonnegut’s books A Passage to India, The Hobbit, and Slaughterhouse -Five (respectively) authors tend to mimic
When you think of a hero, is the first character to pop in your head a little hobbit named Bilbo Baggins? In most cases, people think of Superman or Hercules, but in The Hobbit, an unexpected hero emerges and changes the name for all heroes to come. The Hobbit is a novel about Bilbo Baggins and his journey, with thirteen dwarves and a wizard, seeking the treasure stolen by the dragon, Smaug. While on this unexpected journey, Bilbo and his companions overcome many obstacles to eventually get to the treasure and retrieve it. Throughout the story, Bilbo develops into a courageous man, who indeed, is a hero. Richard Tyre wrote an article, “You Can’t Teach Tolkien,” and he explains his theory in which he connects multiple story’s plot with six elements. The Hobbit, is assuredly a prime example of Tyre’s theory because it follows all six steps throughout the story simultaneously. The six elements are; “(1) those who hunt for treasure, (2) must go alone, (3) at night, (4) and when they find it, (5) they must leave some of their blood behind, (6) and the treasure is never what they expected” (Tyre 19). These elements are steps in which a character must take to emerge into a hero in the end. Bilbo Baggins is the hero in The Hobbit, but he doesn’t start off as the hero. He has always had heroic traits but throughout the novel, he pursues those six steps and in the resolution, he is transformed into an actual hero.
The Hobbit, written by John R. R. Tolkien, is a fantasy novel published on September 21, 1937. It was written as a prelude to the famous series, The Lord of the Rings, written seventeen years later. The Hobbit introduces the reader to an incredibly immersive fantasy world, that enriches the reader into its epic storyline. The story takes place in a land called Middle-earth, a land filled with enchanting surprises and magical wonders. It was the perfect playground for Tolkien to develop his main character Bilbo Baggins. Bilbo Baggins was a small hobbit, who unaware in the beginning would become a large role in the plot. It is through this character that Tolkien implemented the theme of heroism into the story. Bilbo’s
Prepare responses to two questions for Friday, September 11 and finish responding to each question over the weekend to prepare for the Harkness Discussion (note that each question has individual instructions for how to prepare it). Make sure you format and cite any quotations correctly according to MLA. Please print out this document with your notes and bring to class to use during the discussion and to hand in at the end of class.
Going forward, in this essay, topics such as heroism and transformity will be strongly analyzed through quotes directly from the book The Hobbit and opinions formed while reading. Through the book The Hobbit, J.R.R. Tolkien is able to show how a hero isn’t always the typical buff and boots with a cape on his back kind of person. Tolkien shows the reader that a hero is made by the struggles he conquers and isn’t just a perfect character thrown into the beginning of the story.
Do you ever wonder what kind of person you are? Are you adventurous, perseptive, athletic? Have these traits ever affected your decision making? Because in “The Hobbit” By J.R.R. Tolkien, The protagonist Bilbo Baggins feels conflicted whether he should act like his more daring ancestors, the Tooks by embarking on a perilous journey to retake a kingdom. Or to be like his more respectable ancestors, the Bagginses and stay in the comfort of his warm home. As you can see, the traits he has acquired from his forebears are altering the way he sees the situation. Much like Bilbo, I believe that we all have similar sides to our personalities, whether the conflict is to be brave or timid, or smart rather than foolishly. And it is up to us to correctly
Chapter 5 writing task- In everyone's life they have bits and pieces of their personality “that either comes from their mom or dad’s side of the family.” In the novel, The Hobbit, Bilbo begins to come out of his comfort zone (which is the Baggins side of his family) and become a bit more of an adventurous Took. While doing this Bilbo goes on a journey, takes the risk of pick pocketing troll, and tricks a mysterious creature named Gollum.
The contrast between different types of leadership appears in the chapter Flies and Spiders in J.R.R Tolkien’s The Hobbit. The chapter starts off with the group no longer having Gandalf lead them through the perils that lie in the Mirkwood. Thorin helps lead the group past a deadly river that cannot be touched and helps them until he is captured by elves. Bilbo battle spiders and saves the dwarves on multiple occasions in Thorin’s absence. In this chapter you see a new contrast in Throrin and Company. No longer having Gandalf Thorin picked up the mantle of leadership and lead by command. Bilbo then assumed the role of leadership in Thorins absence and lead by putting others first, putting himself on the line. As the story progresses you have these two types of leadership contrasting throughout the story. Ultimately in the end Bilbo’s was of leadership proved to be better.
If you were stranded on a desert island and could only have three books with you, which three would you choose? One of the books I would choose is “Walk Two Moons” by Sharon Creech. Another book I would choose is “The Hobbit” by J.R.R. Tolkien. The final book I would pick is “Where the Red Fern Grows” by Wilson Rawls. These are books that I could read over and over on a desert island and never get bored.
Bilbo Baggins is one of the main characters of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit. Being a main character in a story, especially an adventure story, typically comes with some pretty hefty responsibilities. More often than not, the main character is also the hero. A hero is defined as “a person, typically a man, who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities,” and these are not necessarily qualities readily attributed to Bilbo Baggins (oxforddictionaries.com). This essay will look at three ways in which Bilbo contrasts the traditional characteristics of a hero and what transformations he ends up making to fit the mold more closely. It will examine his lineage, his strength, and his attitude as well as the changes he makes throughout the story.
Bilbo Baggins is a hobbit living in the Shire having a peaceful quiet life in his hobbit hole. One day after living a life of leisure and pleasure he is awakened by a rude knock on his door. In a matter of a few hours he will meet the people that changed his life for good. The Hobbit by J.R.R Tolkien is a story about a hobbit and his adventure. His adventure starts with a knock on his door by his old Friend Gandalf. Gandalf then promptly asks Bilbo”I am looking for someone to share in an adventure”(tolkien). Bilbo then denies Gandalf and continuous with his usual day until that night. When Bilbo is about to eat his dinner he gets a knock. He opens it to find two dwarves Dwalin and Balin. Bilbo 's shocked but invites them in. Bilbo does this eval times until he 's left with thirteen dwarves Dwalin, Balin, Kili, Fili, Dori, Ori, Nori, Gloin, Bifur, Bofur, Bombur, and Thorin Oakenshield. They then invite him on a quest that would change his life. During his quest he faces many evils and overcomes them all to become a hero.
The Hobbit by J.R.R Tolkien is a novel that was published on September 21st, 1937. The novel tells the story of the young Bilbo Baggins who has been limited to the simple lifestyle of a hobbit. Bilbo Baggins was no different from the average hobbit until Gandalf, the wizard, shows up unannounced at the hobbit’s door. This is the beginning of Bilbo’s unexpected journey, in which his physical limitations, bravery, and courage are put to the test. Along with Gandalf, Bilbo also meets the the twelve dwarves who refer to Bilbo as “the burglar” and are led by Thorin Oakenshield. These fourteen men embark on a quest to regain power of their homeland which was taken over by Smaug, the dragon, many years ago. Writer Joseph
The protagonist of the book is Bilbo Baggins. Bilbo the main character in the book, is a hobbit. He was scared to leave his home town of Bagan. Bilbo was invited by dwarves to go on an adventure to find treasure that belonged to the them. Little was known about what could happen on this trip, but still Bilbo was drawn to this adventure with much excitement. It was when he did not have food to eat that he would question why he left his hobbit hole.
Who does not know the fascinating adventure of the little hobbit names Biblo? Who does not know the epic journey to destroy The One Ring of Frodo and his fellows? Who does not know the movies based on a fantasy trilogy that won seventeen Oscars? Who does not know the man behind those accomplishments?
“In a hole in the ground there lived a Hobbit” (Tolkien 1). These are the opening words to one of the most famous fantasy tales in history - The Hobbit, the first of J.R.R. Tolkien’s many works, and the introduction to the fantastic world known as Middle Earth. The Hobbit was a revolution of fantasy, and sparked an interest in fantasy not widely seen since the days of myths and legends. This spark -this revolution- brought forth not only its sequel, The Lord of the Rings, but also such famous works as Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson’s The Wheel of Time series. Fantasy is defined by its presence of magic or adventure in an otherworldly setting (“Fantasy,” def. 1.4). Fantasy was once condemned as childish and relegated to be read by women and children (Flanagan). Even today, one will find that fantasy, from a business perspective, is most often consumed by children, whether by design or coincidence, and is one of the primary influences in developmental life. Richard Dawkins argues that fantasy instills a belief in the supernatural from an early period in one’s life, and
do not ignore that with which you compete, or that which can devalue your company, especially if in the same market.