It has been said that in literature a forest is a place where you can both lose and find yourself. Explore the use of the forest theme in fantasy literature and discuss its relationship to the forest of folk and fairy tales. *
Word count: 2700 words excluding quotes
The forests of legends, myths, fantasy and fairy tales have become laden with cultural and psychological symbolism: The ancient trees in dark, uncharted places symbolise the refuge of magic and mystery beyond man’s dominion. They represent the unknowable dangers and challenges of life, a forbidden place that nevertheless yields up reward for the intrepid trespasser, a place where tests integral to personal growth are met and overcome. The fairy tale genre and cautionary
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This forest is particularly deadly, mentor Gandalf thrice reminding the group to stick together and not leave the path: ‘Don’t stray off the track…you will never find it again and never get out of Mirkwood’ (Tolkien: 1966: 125) However this admonition merely serves to foreshadow that Bilbo’s coming ordeal will be faced off the path and alone.
* ‘The entrance to the path was like a sort of arch leading into a gloomy tunnel made by two great trees that leant together, too old and strangled with ivy and hung with lichen to bear more than a few blackened leaves.’ (Tolkien: 1966:133) *
Bilbo notices ‘dense cobwebs with threads extraordinarily thick’, in the ‘stabs’ of sunlight that penetrate the dark and gleams of bulbous eyes appearing when the darkness becomes stifling and absolute. In this nightmare reality, Bilbo’s allies are mysteriously spirited away and he is ‘left alone in complete silence and darkness.’ (Tolkien: 1966: 145) This solitude performs a dramatic narrative function: It enhances Bilbo’s desperate sense of being lost and marks the moment before the hero must find his strength and prove his autonomous control and competence. * The forest of the fantasy now provides a dire landscape and peril from which Bilbo must emerge having proven himself without anyone’s help. The life and death challenge meted out to Bilbo comes in the form of a hideous giant spider. As
This quote show what Thorin thinks of Bilbo and his role in the group. He is doubting his abilities and thinking he would only come in the way of their plan to steal the treasure from Smaug the dragon who is guarding it at misty mountains. Gandalf who lead them to Bilbos house and took his side which got the dwarves to agree on adding him to the group as the 14th member. This quote show that tomorrow they will be starting on their journey.
Bilbo is a timid, comfortable, and compact in his secure little hole at Bag End. Gandalf persuaded him into going on a quest with Thorin’s dwarves. Bilbo became afraid that he fainted. As the novel progresses, Bilbo prevails in the face of danger and adversity, justifying Gandalf’s early claim that there is more to him than what he thought. Bilbo’s journey fits into the tradition of a hero’s quest, because he basically went somewhere in order to gain something.
Bilbo again shows his courage and heroism when the group is trapped by the web of a giant
“Going on from there was the bravest thing he ever did. The tremendous things that happened afterward were as nothing compared to it. He fought the real battle in the tunnel alone, before he ever saw the vast danger that lay in wait” (132). In J.R.R.Tolkien’s The Hobbit, the reader is taken through a parable that follows Bilbo Baggins on the ‘Hero’s Journey.’ This fantasy classic begins with an ‘everyman’ hobbit, Bilbo Baggins, who takes on a perilous journey to reclaim the dwarves’ homeland, The Lonely Mountain. After being spurred into action by Gandalf, the herald and mentor figure, Bilbo finds himself going on a pernicious venture that contradicts his docile nature, pushing him to play the role of
Following his discovery of the ring, Bilbo begins to face danger (Mathews 36). During the trip in the forest of Mirkwood, Bilbo uses Gandalf's absence to confirm his position as leader of the group through the memorable battle against the spiders (Mathews 38). Tolkien illustrates the importance of this combat through his words: "Somehow, the killing this giant spider, all alone by himself in the dark made a great difference to Mr. Baggins. He felt like a different person, and much fiercer and bolder in spite of an empty stomach, as he wiped his sword on the grass and put it back into its sheath. I will give you a name', he said to it, and I shall call you Sting.'" The author thus stresses the importance of this incident (Tolkien 154). The naming of swords at that time was a sign of that heroism displayed by great warriors, and shows that Bilbo is gaining self-confidence and bravery (The 1924). The escape from the spiders brought about another challenge, the escape from the elves. Although the elves would most likely have released their prisoners after some time because of their natural righteousness, a delay would have prevented the dwarves from entering the mountain through the secret passage. Bilbo proves that he has the mental toughness of a hero by using brilliant strategy to enable his friends to escape unnoticed by the elves (Tolkien
Baggins. He felt a different person, and much fiercer and bolder in spite of an empty stomach” (Tolkien 141-142). This event has led to Bilbo beginning to believe in himself, which is an important contribution to his overall development into the hero of this tale. Finally, when Bilbo is met with the task of meeting the dragon Smaug, he does not turn back. Even when he must walk alone through the dark, secluded hallway to Smaug’s lair knowing that he could meet his doom at any instant, he walked on. His internal being knows this is his final test of courage, and his will to carry on demonstrates his final development into a hero.
First, Bilbo is selfless. He shows this to be true during many troubles on this journey. As he travels with twelve dwarves and a wizard, who has now left them, through many lands, their journey brings them to Mirkwood, a very large, dark wood with many dangerous and horrifying creatures. In this forest, the company encounters giant spiders and the dwarves are captured and wrapped in spider silk, while Bilbo hides by using a magical ring that he had found earlier in their travels. He then uses his sword to fight the beasts and save his friends. After this, they notice that Thorin, the king of the dwarves, was missing. They searched for him and the path which they had lost before their quarrel with the spiders. Then, Wood elves with bows and swords surrounded them and captured all but Bilbo, for he had once again used his ring to ‘disappear’. The elves took the dwarves to their palace and locked them away in the king’s dungeon, where Thorin was also.
Direct Quote: “As Bilbo listened to the talk of Gandalf he realized that at last they were going to escape really and truly from the dreadful mountains.” (p.103)
The sense of danger increases and, once again, Bilbo thinks of home. Gandalf warns them that they are at the edge of the Wild and that they can stay with his friend Elrond in Rivendell. That is just the second way that steps outside of his comfort zone.
One little hobbit’s life shall change forever with adventure lurking by for tea. Bilbo displays three archetypes throughout his adventure. One of them is ‘the call to adventure’, where's ‘the Tookish side’ of him awakens, and Gandalf presents Bilbo with an adventure, though without giving him an alternative. A second one is ‘the magic item’, for instance the magic ring. And ultimately, the ‘supernatural aid’ , patently Gandalf for he is a wizard. Bilbo Baggins of Bag End, Under Hill has invariably led a quiet and ‘boring’ life. Well, at least he did until thirteen dwarves came rapping at his door.
The story starts from the side of Mr. Bilbo Baggins. Bilbo starts as a nervous & annoyed host. He is hobbit, & his folk are reserved, but kind & carefree. Hobbits love to accommodate company when the time arrives, but this night Bilbo was in a ruck. Spontaneously, 13 dwarves & Gandalf tediously trickled through the door in groups & demanded dinner. Bilbo was not expecting these unknown & unplanned visitors, especially the grand total of 14! They ate & sang all night, while little time was devoted to business, which was planned that night. Bilbo was exhausted, unpleased, & unaffiliated with the pressing event they gathered to discuss. He was only aware that Gandalf selected him to be the Burglar of the party, which just so happened to be a vast journey across Middle-Earth. Unbeknownst to anyone, this was the start of a haunting tale, which Bilbo would never overlook. The first prominent issue Bilbo had to resolve the trolls. The group utilized this to test Bilbo’s strength, courage, brains, & stealth. Throughout the story, Bilbo continues to earn his spot among the dwarves, while the party is continually slammed with additional problems, however, everyday & every challenge reveals more of the nature of the dwarves & of Bilbo. With his role concluded & the Battle of Five Armies won, the yearning for home was too much to bear. Bilbo decided to travel home & achieve his part in the adventure of a lifetime. Each dwarf had grown quite fond of Bilbo, for the journey wouldn’t have been a success without their Burglar. The travel home was bittersweet & was a wonderful memoir of his quest. Gandalf accompanied him all the way to his Hobbit Hole on the Hill in Bag-End. Can we label Bilbo a hero? If so, what kind of hero is he? Is he a hero in history or in the eyes of the dwarves? Was Bilbo a savior for the descendants to come or the
In the novel, “The Hobbit” by J.R.R. Tolkien, main character Bilbo Baggins experiences an extensive change in his character throughout the novel. At the beginning of the novel, Bilbo has no care for anything in the world that is outside of the Shire. He is an independent hobbit who keeps to himself and lives an ordinary life in his hobbit hole. He then embarks on an extraordinary journey which opens his eyes to the world as he overcomes multiple obstacles. He proves that any individual can develop heroism when needed to complete a quest no matter who or where you come from. He possesses many characteristics that lead him to being a natural hero, he is courageous, intelligent and loyal.
The howls of swaying leaves cut through the grisly night. The only light ascended from the moon, though it was barley visible amidst the trembling towers of trees. Branches of wrinkled wooden limbs creaked and groaned as they swayed to the sound of the wind’s whispered secrets. Exposed, contorted roots sprung from the ground desperately trying to escape from the ravenous demons that dragged them down to a more hellish fate. Tortured screams of those doomed to a punishment of fire and brimstone erupted from within the deafening quakes of the woodlands, and the deep cackles of a hag could be heard faintly after.
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.
I gazed up at the mountain now drenched in light red and squinted, trying to keep my eyes open, as the bright sharp light burnt into my eyes. Struggling to keep my eyes open, I finally closed them unable to the pain any longer; I wiped my watery eyes and thought where Samneric’s fire was? There was a rumble inside me, and I looked hopefully at the jungle wondering if I could find Samneric’s fire as well as something to eat. In the morning light the jungle seemed like an old and tattered rug chewed to bits by moths, yet despite this the jungle and the whole island was beautiful shining in the sun’s warmth. I kept on walking as the jungle beckoned me calling me with its beauty. As I passed between the trees, the canopy overhead plunged me into velvet darkness. The only source of light was from the small gaps in the shell of overlapping leaves, where the sun glistened through. Moss and lichen covered the ground in abundance, thriving in this humid atmosphere, and feeding on the eerie green light that managed to penetrate through the ceiling of emerald leaves. The strange green shade and the various knotted pillars made it impossible to see for great distances or to walk about freely.