Compare and Contrast Essay
When somebody mentions the word, “hero,” we think of someone dressed in shining armour holding a sword, slaying the terrible dragon guarding a hoard of gold. In The Hobbit, there is indeed a heinous dragon guarding a hoard of treasure and a hero who embarks on a journey to defeat said dragon and reclaim his stolen birthright. However, we do not just have one hero. We have two: the traditional and non-traditional hero. There is Bilbo Baggins, a shrewd hobbit who contrasts greatly from the typical hero, and Thorin Oakenshield, a strong-minded dwarf who resembles the traditional hero. By the end of the story, both characters have established that they’re capable of conquering obstacles and adversities with their
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When he attempted to steal from the trolls’ pockets (#43), he would have most likely been successful if the pocket didn’t talk. His failure was mostly as a result of poor luck. It’s stated on #41 that “…at any rate, hobbits can move quietly in woods, absolutely quietly.” Furthermore, his stealth had roped him and the Company out of dire situations. When the wood-elves had taken the Company hostage, it was Bilbo who snuck in and freed the dwarves from the dungeon (#208). He managed to successfully evade the notice of the elvenking’s guards for over a week (#203), which is no easy feat. The spiders never noticed Bilbo’s presence until he threw stones at them (#182). His small stature, his natural affinity towards stealth, and his ring of invisibility are all factors that contribute to Bilbo’s stealth. Finally, it is Bilbo’s ability to lead that was one of his strongest assets. He was not much of a leader as we began the story, but as we delved deeper, we learned that Bilbo is a leader. “…and they [the dwarves] all trusted Bilbo. Just what Gandalf had said would happen, you see. Perhaps that was part of his reason for going off and leaving.” (#204) This quote demonstrates that Bilbo is a leader. A leader is someone that you can rely on; somebody that you can trust and a person that inspires. “For Thorin had taken heart again hearing how the hobbit had rescued his companions from the spiders, and was determined once more not to ransom himself
At the beginning of the adventure, Bilbo was a timid, little hobbit with no idea how to steal or survive outside of his little hobbit hole. When Thorin and the rest of the dwarves first meet Bilbo, they question
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.
Many science fiction fantasy novels have a hero or heroine. In J.R.R Tolkien’s novel the hobbit Bilbo Baggins is a hero, Even though he finds a ring of invisibility that allows him to preform surprising feats. Some of his acts of heroism are when Bilbo make his first attempt at burglary when he steals from the trolls, when he creates a plan to free his friends from the ElvenKing and follows it through and when he goes down to visit Smaug for the first time to fulfill a promise.
As children develop into adults, certain events and time periods stand out as the reason for important changes in their character. J.R.R. Tolkien portrayed the main character of The Hobbit, Bilbo Baggins, as a child on his trip into adulthood. Throughout The Hobbit, Bilbo Baggins, the protagonist, changes from a childlike hobbit to a fully matured hero. J.R.R. Tolkien divides the change in Bilbo's character into the three major part of the book, prior to the quest, during the quest, and after the quest.
Fact 1: Bilbo Baggins went through several tasks that made his character grow. Through countless excursions into the wild it was obvious that Bilbo developed greatly into a wonderfully cheerful hero. After Bilbo beat Gollum in a game of riddles he became more confident in himself. Bilbo’s task was to solve a riddle that Gollum gave him. If he got the answer he lived. If he was wrong, Gollum would eat him. Bilbo was good at riddles and he defeated Gollum. Then Bilbo used his ring to escape. This event made him even more confident. Bilbo realized that he had accomplished a very tough task when he beat Gollum. This event also made Bilbo more skilled in being stealthy when he had his ring on.
What is a hero? Is it someone who possesses great strength and bravery, or is it someone who attains fame and wealth? In the world of Middle Earth that J.R.R Tolkien has created, Bilbo Baggins shows us that a hero can be quite the opposite. He is offered (and partially set up by Gandalf the wizard) to partake in an adventure as a burglar to help reclaim the bearded Dwarves’ homeland from the dragon Smaug. The little hobbit is frightened by the mere thought of danger, but the adventure in him ignites and causes him to agree. Through a series of events, Tolkien uses Bilbo’s characterization and ethics to portray the overall theme of heroism.
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
Have you ever noticed the continuous recurring theme in your favorite movies and books? That is called the Hero’s Journey. Bilbo Baggins, a supposedly unadventurous hobbit is requested to accompany a group of dwarves on a difficult journey by none other than Gandalf, the well-known wizard himself. Ishmael Beah, a young, happy boy goes out with his friends without saying goodbye, not knowing it may be his last time to see them. While with his friends, his town gets attacked by the rebels and his whole world turns upside down. Both authors portray the Hero’s Journey, but there multiple differences and a few similarities in their techniques.
Heroes are defined in many ways. For example, some people describe heroes as brave and help people, but a hero is actually someone that risks themselves to help someone else for a good cause. A hero is not someone that supports evil or the bad even if they risk themselves. A hero is someone that risks themselves or something very important to themselves to help another, for a good cause and without being asked. In The Hobbit, Gandalf is a hero because when the group is trapped with the wolves, the text says "He gathered the huge pine-cones from the branches of the tree. Then he set one alight with bright blue fire, and threw it whizzing down among the circle of the wolves." (P.103) Gandalf is a hero because in the quote he risks his safety to save his group from the wolves Gandalf risks his safety by
In chapter five of The Hobbit, Bilbo is faced with a dreadful surprise: Gollum! When Gollum begins to become angry at Bilbo, Bilbo ran back into the darkness of the tunnels and escaped Gollum. Even after Bilbo bravely jumps over Gollum to flee the tunnels, he still has to get past the Goblins. A few lost buttons later, Bilbo is free. This is the first sign of Bilbo’s newfound adventurous spirit. Bilbo, like any other hobbit would, could have cried and begged for mercy. Bilbo did not do this, he knew that he needed to get away, and he
How can an author write a story which appeals to a present day audience? Richard H. Tyre published an article in 1978 that gives an answer to this very question. Tyre explains how most kids today choose to read books like the Harry Potter series, The Lord of the Rings series, and even The Wizard of Oz. An existing theory that Tyre came up with explains that each of these books, along with many others, have one thing in common: 6 plot elements. Not only do these stories contain the same 6 elements but those elements are in the same order! Tyre states that “(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 2). J.R.R. Tolkien is the author of The Hobbit. The Hobbit revolves around one hobbit in particular named Bilbo Baggins. Bilbo embarks on a journey with 14 others to recover a treasure that is guarded by a dragon. Along the way Bilbo faces many challenges that range from running into huge trolls, to taking part in fierce battles. Due to it’s main character hunting for treasure, facing most of the dangers alone, battling during the wee hours of the night, eventually finding the treasure, after sweating/crying/and enduring injuries, just to have the treasure revealed to him as not what he expected, J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit is undoubtedly a perfect example of Tyre’s 6 plot elements.
Just try to think that more than 1,000 books have been made into movies. Sometimes, the book is better and other times the movie is better. What do you think? Do you like imagining things? Or, do you like other people putting it in front of you? In The Hobbit, the book is a lot more powerful than the movie because you can see how Bilbo evolves and changes into a better person. Also, the book is more organized and flows better.
A hero possesses the mentality of a person of great courage and ability. Most associate heroes with extraordinary physical strength and special talents and abilities, such as Anglo-Saxon hero, Beowulf. The Hobbit, depicts a well known hobbit from The Shire, Bilbo Baggins. Located in Middle Earth, the Shire houses a population of hobbits. One might not associate a hobbit with the physical appearance of a hero because hobbits represent the antithesis of a hero’s
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.
Of course in every adventure story, you need a protagonist, and in The Hobbit and “The Story of Sigurd” both show great examples of heroic protagonists. Plus, both of the heroes kill the huge dragon similarly. A main thing that the two heroes have in common is that they use a special weapon to kill the enemy. In The Hobbit, Bard uses a rare arrow called a “black arrow’; “Arrow!” said the bowman. “Black arrow! I have saved you to the last. You have never failed me and always I have recovered you. I had you from my father and he from of old.” (Tolkien 251). Sigurd also uses a special sword to kill the dragon Fafnir; “Then Sigurd went to his mother, and asked for the broken pieces of his father 's blade, and gave them to Regin. And he hammered and wrought them into a new sword, so sharp that fire seemed to burn along its edges.” (Lang).