While reading any of J. R. R. Tolkien’s major works, be it The Hobbit, The Silmarillion, or The Lord of the Rings, one cannot help but notice the amount of attention that is given to nature. There are numerous details given to describe each location, each character, even each tree. Tolkien did not claim to be an environmentalist, but by spending so much time in his books explaining the importance of nature, it is hard to say that he did not care about it. About the fantasy world that Tolkien recreated, Sherry Turkle argues, “The question is whether that prepares us to live in a world that's complex, where we need to be able to work in a structure where there are no rules and where we have to be really attentive to other people's cultures …show more content…
Sauron, on the other hand, resides in Mordor, a barren wasteland that is dark, and full of evil creatures, such as Orcs and Trolls. Tolkien developed the inhabitants to mirror their homeland: the Hobbits, being simple and provincial, living in a quiet town on the outskirts of everything to Sauron, being dark and evil, living in a black, volcanic land. My goal in this paper is to explore the character of Frodo Baggins, and I will show how Tolkien incorporated ecological qualities into this character.
I. An Introduction to Frodo Baggins Frodo Baggins is probably one of the most recognizable names from The Lord of the Rings trilogy. He is a hobbit from The Shire, a land on the edge of Middle-earth. Tolkien was interested in the etymology of words, so he put great thought into the naming of each of the characters and locations; Frodo is no exception. Frodo’s name comes from the Old English form of Fróda. Tolkien states in one of his letters “its obvious connexion is with the old word fród meaning entomologically ‘wise by experience’, but it had mythological connexions with legends of the Golden Age in the North” (168). This name was perfect for Frodo because at the beginning of his quest, he was young, inexperienced, and had never before left The Shire. His name can be seen as a type of foreshadowing. To have a name that means ‘wise by
“The murder of Déagol haunted Gollum, and he had made up a defense, repeating it to his ‘precious’ over and over” (The Fellowship of the Ring 62). This quote gives a look into the strongest moment of shock that impacted young Sméagol’s life forever. Gollum is a fictional character unlike any other in The Lord of the Rings series, as he is portrayed as having undiagnosed Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. There are six recurring symptoms that must happen in conjunction with traumatic factors in order for someone to be diagnosed with PTSD, and unfortunately for Sméagol his actions and history sync perfectly into the diagnosis. Due to the fact that Gollum is a fictional character out of a book, it seems that the author, J.R.R. Tolkien, may have purposely given these attributes to Gollum to display PTSD. Though Tolkien may argue that his time in the war did not highly influence his books, subconsciously Tolkien, like many who were in the war, could have had undiagnosed PTSD or known someone who did. As a combat veteran, Tolkien and his friends were more likely to develop PTSD. This may have resulted in portraying these symptoms on to one specific character, Gollum. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder “is a disorder that develops in some people who have experienced a shocking, scary, or dangerous event” (NIMH), just as Gollum had and continues to be put through. He has had a rough past of loss and exile, as well as continuously trudges through horrific events and torture in which he must
When most people think of J.R.R. Tolkien, they often think of his great imagination and his world of great dragons, warriors, orcs, hobbits, wizards, dwarves and elves. But most people forget about the deeper meaning behind his stories and his controversy towards society. Tolkien was a British, fantasy, writer during the mid-1900s. Through his love of languages, religion, and country, J.R.R Tolkien’s works of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings are controversial but masterpieces because Tolkien represents “good” as a fuller, more imaginative reality than evil.
Thesis: John Ronald Reule Tolkien’s life experiences influenced his writing, beginning as a student, then a soldier, lexigrapher, professor, and then a writer to his own children; Tolkien’s life created the place known to most as Middle-Earth.
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
Thesis: In The Hobbit, Tolkien wants to show the reader that anyone, from any background can step up to a challenge, and be extraordinary rather than ordinary.
Can it be imagined, going on an unexpected adventure with the risk of never coming back and, as if this were not enough, with a group of people that aren’t reliable or trustworthy? This is why fellowship, the companionship and friendship of people who share the same interests, is very important. The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien is a fantasy novel and children’s book based on the quest of a group of 13 dwarves, a hobbit, and a wizard with the goal of recovering a horde of treasure stolen and guarded by a dragon. During the quest the author develops several themes which quickly grab the reader’s attention. Throughout Tolkien’s literature, the theme that stands out the most is the importance of fellowship because the main character, Bilbo Baggins, impersonates such value and is demonstrated by his actions of saving the dwarves of the spider, helping the dwarves escape of the wood elves prison
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.
Humans are born from and return to earth at death; human beings and nature are bound up each other. Yet, the technological modern world has shaped humans to be oblivious of nature and the ethnocentrism has positioned human beings above all other things. Nature has become resources for people and nothing more than that. David Abram, the author of the Ecology of magic, travels into the wild, traditional land in search of the relation between magic and nature; the meaning nature holds in the traditional cultures. Abram intends to communicate his realization of the magical awareness of the countless nonhuman entities and the necessity of the balance between the human communities and the nature to the readers, hoping the Western technologized
“In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit,” writes J.R.R. Tolkien. Within Tolkien’s famous novel The Hobbit, Bilbo Baggins, thirteen dwarves, and a wizard named Gandalf embark on a journey to reclaim the dwarves’ long-forgotten gold. Although the story seems to be completely original and made of fresh ideas, it is actually influenced by previous literature, like other common novels. Many legends of King Arthur, with unknown authors, influenced J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit.
“There he lay, a vast red-golden dragon, fast asleep; a thrumming came from his jaws and nostrils,” Bilbo Baggins was a self-centered hobbit who only cared about his well being. Like every other hobbit, he had no time for adventures but when a peculiar fellow shows up to his house, all he got was an adventure filled with perils. The book, The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien is about friendship, courage, and perseverance. The book begins in the home of Bilbo Baggins and ends in it too. Bilbo is just an ordinary hobbit but he soon changes as he gets whisked away on an adventure by a wizard named Gandalf.
“The Lord of the Rings is racist. It is soaked in the logic that race determines behavior.” (Ibata 2). Many people have tried to perpetuate the myth that J.R.R. Tolkien was racist. They cite various scenes in The Lord of the Rings, in both the books and in the movies. These people are lying or ignorant. J.R.R. Tolkien was not a racist, nor did he ever intend for his novels to be viewed as such. There is plenty of evidence to defend Tolkien from these claims such as: the themes of his novels, like The Lord of the Rings; the clear messages in his personal writings and his upbringing; and the characters from his novels.
One of the first things that people realize about a hero is where they stand as far as nobility. For example, King Arthur is viewed as a hero. The first thing that one may notice about this specific hero is that his name actually proves his nobility and lineage. He is King Arthur, not just Arthur. Bilbo, on the other hand, is simply Bilbo Baggins. His name does not prove that he is anything special and it does not hint at any nobility or lineage. That is because Bilbo is not noble and does not come from a prestigious family lineage. James L. Hodge writes, “Bilbo, while not exactly a stepchild, is a ‘Took-Baggins’ and not a ‘Sackville-Baggins,’ ergo he is not quite respectable” (212). Although people may
"Three Rings for the Eleven-kings under the sky, Seven for the Dwarf-lords in their halls of stone, Nine for Mortal Men doomed to die, One for the Dark Lord on his Dark throne, In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie. One Ring to rule them all, One ring to find them, One ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them, In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie(Tolkien)." Master of storytelling J.R.R. Tolkien continues the lives of the fictitious creatures that he introduced in The Hobbit, in his modern classic The Fellowship of the Ring. He artfully illustrates the truths of the evil that plague the hearts of man. He tells a story of greed, destruction and how mortal men are enslaved by
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.
plays a vital role in the plot. In this essay, I will be analysing the