Riddling & Directing Settings
According to (Rachel Cusk), new encounters (with others or a setting) are essential – “leaving things behind and starting again is a way of coping with difficulties.” Definitely, this thought is emphasized throughout J.R.R. Tolkien’s “The Hobbit” which utilises the protagonist’s (along with his band) adventures during his journey to display that there is always good to come out of a call for adventure. This is evident in the interactions and thoughts of Bilbo Baggins, who experiences tremendous growth and development during his quest (which he was forced to partake in) of reclaiming the dwarves’ stolen treasure. Even though at times it seemed grim, with nowhere to go, their quick wit pulled them through. Accordingly, in “The Hobbit”, through the analysis of how Bilbo & his band copes with stressful situations during the length of the story, Tolkien reveals that the setting/environment directly affects a person’s character.
Indubitably, at the beginning of the quest is where Bilbo feels most discomforted, with the warmth of his hobbit hole suffocating him. This very fact is emphasized during the exposition, when he denies Gandalf’s offer: “We are plain quiet folk and have no use for adventures…but the old man did not move.” (Tolkien 16) This demonstrates that Bilbo Baggins is stuck in his roots, his morals, and his background. Without a proper call to action, one’s place in society will always reflect upon their character. This is further
Bilbo started in a safe haven upon the special world and the journey. Bilbo begin in his own little hobbit town inside his hobbit-hole, a comfortable place. However, according to the hero’s journey, sooner or later the hero would be called to adventure just like Bilbo. The call to adventure sets the story rolling by disrupting the comfort zone of the ordinary
During a Socratic Seminar about the Hobbit by J.R.R Tolkien, many interesting topics were discussed. We spent the majority of the time talking about the main character Bilbo. During the beginning of the book, Bilbo was a very quiet and reserved hobbit. When there was a chance of going on an adventure, though, Bilbo ran out the front door without a second though. We ended up discussing why he did this. People said that Bilbo ran out for the adventure for a number of reasons, however I thought that he did it on pure impulse, and I made sure to make that opinion know. I think that, because of the opinions of the other hobbits, Bilbo was convincing himself that adventures were foolhardy and not worth the effort. However, Bilbo actually loves adventures,
Bilbo’s initial excitement fades away the next night and hopes that all this talk of adventure was simply a dream, but soon realizes that it was no dream is, at once, thrust into a new situation as he leaves his home to join the dwarves on their adventure. At once the hobbit sulks at the fact that they seem to be unprepared, and also at the fact that he missed second breakfast. Here the reader can perceive that Bilbo is very dependent on his creature comforts, such as the multiple meals of the day, is very ill suited for adventuring, thus emphasizing the unlikelihood of the character’s progression into a hero.
In the novel, The Hobbit, the author J.R.R. Tolkien, suggests when an individual pushes themselves to explore risk-taking, they take the opportunity to grow within themselves, and test the extent of their newfound values, which result in the character fostering a stronger sense of self-identity.
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
When he starts he off, he is just a normal person who lives a normal life until he is asked to go on an adventure at first he is frightened but then decides to go. Right after he sets off on his journey after a few nights he stays at an inn and thinks about how the last few days were “Bilbo would gladly have stopped there forever and ever – even supposing a wish would have taken him right back to his hobbit-hole without trouble” (Tolkien 48). In this excerpt he wishes he could go home after having a bad trip but when he realizes that the dwarves have no home to go back to so he continues on knowing it wouldn't be right to leave them. Even though he could be sitting comfortably at home, he would rather help a stranger reclaim their home.
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.
First of all, he gains courage in the story. Before he went on this adventure, he was timid and to himself. This is because hobbits didn’t go on anything dangerous, especially adventures. This all changes as soon as Bilbo goes on this journey with Gandalf and the dwarves. We see our first example of this when he tries to steal from the three huge, nasty
In the book The Hobbit by J.R.R Tolkien he makes sure you know that the theme is about how crucial it is for people to step outside of their comfort zone and be brave because it may be a fun adventure and people might just make new friends. Otherwise they will have a mundane life. On page 22, Gandalf and the dwarfs are trying to convince Bilbo that he should go on the adventure with them "'I should like to know about risks, out-of-pocket expenses, time required and remuneration, and so forth' by which he meant 'What am I going to get out of it? and am I going to come back alive?'" This shows how Bilbo is working up the courage to go on the adventure and this is the moment that he starts to be brave. In the book The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien on page 198, Tolkien wrote, "He gazed for what seemed like an age, before being drawn almost against his will, he stole from the shadow of the doorway, across the floor to the nearest edge of the mounds of treasure.
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
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.
Many tales begin with a character going on an quest by choice, but J.R.R Tolkien’s story The Hobbit is tale about a hobbit who does nothing but stay in a hole and live a quiet life until the wizard Gandalf whisks him onto a quest to find the lonely mountain and to find his true self. The Hobbit’s main theme is Bilbo’s development into a hero, While its thesis is that an individual with integrity can overcome an obstacle in is path with the help of friends, the story shows the development of a normal hobbit to something so different than before, a Hobbit who enjoys adventure which is highly looked down upon in their society.
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 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.