Significant Themes In 'The Hobbit'

In 1949, Joseph Campbell discussed the hero’s journey, the foundation commonly used in stories throughout history. In J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit, the hero’s journey narrative is used to tell the story of Bilbo Baggins’s adventure. The novel follows Bilbo Baggins and a company of dwarves as they seek to take back the dwarves’ fallen kingdom. As the story progresses, Bilbo’s character develops and the dwarves perception of him develops through the many trials before the death of Smaug the dragon and the final battle between a variety of mythical creatures. In The Hobbit, the dwarves originally doubt Bilbo’s abilities but as Bilbo encounters more obstacles and succeeds, the dwarves perception turns to one of respect and admiration.

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 is a novel that is actually a prequel to the Lord of the Rings trilogy. In How to Read Literature Like a Professor, Foster explains a vast amount of archetypes. I will be applying the archetypes in the book “How to Read Literature like a Professor” to Bilbo Baggins’ journey.

By putting his life in danger Bilbo shows a true example of heroism. Though the dwarves were still skeptical of his abilities, they were starting to take into consideration of what Gandalf had said about this little hobbit. Continuing their adventure the group is attacked by goblins where they are eventually saved by Gandalf. Throughout the turmoil of the attacking goblins Bilbo gets lost in the caves and finds himself alone in the darkness. It is in this event when Bilbo finds Gollum’s ring. Gollum was a sickly looking creature that had been dwelling in the caves for many years. Bilbo used his wits to outsmart the creature by playing a riddle game with him and eventually made it to safety. Having Bilbo win the riddle game shows that his smart and witty mind aids him in becoming the hero. Bilbo wasn’t some tough strong stereotypical super hero, he used his smarts to outwit his foes and to triumph over evil. Though Bilbo at the time did not know the power of the ring that he had retrieved from Gollum’s lair (the power of invisibility), it was his heroic fate that he found it as it assist him in becoming the hero of the story. Fate has it that Bilbo will become a hero, but Bilbo also has the courage on top of his fate to get the dwarves out of life threatening situations.

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.

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.

Bilbo used to be one of the least adventurous hobbits out there. But he does things he never thought he would do, like accept the job as a burglar, and fulfills his duties as one. So in the sense, he gained an adventurous side of him he thought he never had. We see his adventurous side when he saves his friends from the prison of the wood elves. He could’ve just left them or begged the wood elf to free them, but he decided to wait for his one chance and escape with his friends. He stole the keys from one of the elves, set them free, put them into barrels and sent them all down the river. Now tell me what he did was not out of the ordinary or the least bit of adventurous. We also see his speech starting to change into an adventurer’s when he says, “I tell you the gold was only an afterthought with us. We came over hill and under hill for revenge.” First of all, he said this to the almighty Smaug, who could burn him to smithereens if he chose to. So he gained confidence as well, which came with the adventure side of him.

Bilbo Baggins Is A Hero “A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles.” This quote by Christopher Reeves is a great description of Bilbo Baggins. Bilbo is just an ordinary hobbit. There is not anything exciting about his life. He lives in a quiet house, in a quiet town, with quiet people.

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.

The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings have been beloved works among many generations of readers since they were first published. The author of these two books, J.R.R. Tolkien is just as interesting a man as many of the characters he created in the world of Middle-Earth. John Ronald Reuel Tolkien was born in Africa to a banker manager and his wife in 1892 and had only one sibling, Hilary, who was less than two years younger (Wikipedia). When he was young both of his parents died (one from rheumatic fever, the other from diabetes) and he and his brother were raised by a Catholic priest in Birmingham (Wikipedia). Tolkien was involved in World War One and Two, first as a serviceman, then as a cryptographer (Wikipedia). Indeed he was very

Fantasy author J.R.R Tolkien once said, “All that is gold does not glitter, not all those who wander are lost; the old that is strong does not wither, deep roots are not reached by the frost.” In one of Tolkien’s best- selling novels, The Hobbit, the main character Bilbo Baggins, who was a timid and quiet creature, sets off on an adventure after being dragged out of his hobbit hole by Gandalf and thirteen dwarves. With all starting out as a simple adventure, soon turned into a race against time. Between saving the dwarves and battling the powerful dragon Smaug, Bilbo could see he was slowly becoming a hero. Since The Hobbit was an adventure packed story, Tolkien modeled the qualities of a hero and the plot leading to

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.

They describe hobbits as homely, addicted to consistency and with a great distaste for change. These small beings live in luxury, their pantries full to the brim with food and their smoking pipes finding no shortage of use. Hobbits are so uninterested in adventure that they seem to replace all hobbies with extra meals. Bilbo is hardly an exception to this norm. He expresses a deep mistrust of adventurous situations during his first conversation with Gandalf, and admits that he will not find any candidates for his expedition while in Bag End. “We are plain and quiet folk and have no use for adventures. Nasty disturbing uncomfortable things! Make you late for dinner! I can’t think what anybody sees in them,” (Tolkien 18). A very clear message, indeed, but what most don’t see is how this attitude is intended to emulate real people. Nobody would like to admit it, but many have grown comfy and complacent in their lives. They take on the position of Bilbo, and every other Hobbit of Bag End. Afraid of danger or change, there is no need to move or attempt new and dangerous activities. Don’t bother with adventure, just have a seat and eat some cakes, it’s time for second breakfast! This cowardly nature is twice presented in the citizens of Lake-Town, of whom are so terrified by the dragon Smaug that they refuse to do anything about the monster. The residents believe the beast is

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.