There are many ways to define a hero, from Henry Miller’s definition above, to their story arc. Some are better than others. Bilbo Baggins, the protagonist of “The Hobbit” is not a traditional hero when the book opens. He is a thoroughly respectable Hobbit, nearing middle age, who had done nothing out of the ordinary in his life. By the end, however, he has become a seasoned adventurer, having fought goblins, massive spiders, and a Dragon. He wore a sword, and had seen (part of) a battle the likes of which hadn’t been seen in three millennia. He didn’t start a hero, but was he one by the end? Through the plot of the story, it can be seen that Bilbo was a hero. Bilbo’s story mostly follows the traditional arc for a hero. Many stories …show more content…
In the first few pages of “the Hobbit” a brief history of Hobbits is given, specifically of the two families Bilbo is from: the Bagginses, and the Tooks. About the books, it says, “...once in awhile members of the Took-clan would go and have adventures.” and later, “Bilbo,... although he looked and behaved exactly like a second edition of his solid and comfortable father, got something a bit queer in his makeup from the Took side, something that only waited for a chance to come out. The chance never arrived, until Bilbo Baggins was grown up...”. This clearly foreshadows an adventure to come. This theme of Bilbo’s “bookishness” carries throughout, and even continues into ‘Lord of the Rings’, where Frodo, who has even more Took in him, goes on an even greater …show more content…
At the start, Bilbo is so frighted at the mere thought of going on this quest that he faints. He is frightened by the thought of leaving behind the comforts of home, and by the fear of dying on the journey. However, by the next chapter or two, his “bookishness” reveals itself, and he rushes to join the company. He still worries about his handkerchiefs, but he is starting to become more open to change and adventure. By the end of the book, he is stronger, courageous. He doesn't seek danger, but neither does he shrink from it as he did when he began his
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.
Many of us 7th graders think of a hero as something that has super powers. That is not always what a hero is, they could be the protagonist in a book. A hero that means a lot to me is Bilbo. Bilbo is the protagonist in the book "The Hobbit". This book is one of my favorite and I really enjoy reading it. The book is a very challenging but enjoyable at the same time. The hero's journey is the path or route that a main character takes in a book to become a savior or hero at the end of the book.
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 Baggins changes a lot in the novel The Hobbit. In the beginning he is a small peaceful Hobbit who lives in Hobbiton. He loves to keep things in order, and hates things that are disorganized. “Please be careful,” and “Please don’t trouble. I can manage” (Tolkein, 12). Then one day a wizard by the name of Gandalf comes and gives Bilbo the opportunity to go on an adventure. Bilbo turns his offer down, but the next day thirteen dwarves come to his house. They have meals together and they sleep at Bilbo’s house. Gandalf then convinces him to go on an adventure with them. Bilbo is many things, in the very begging he is flat, static, main, and he is the protagonist. By the end of the story he is round, dynamic, main, and he is still the
The Hobbit, written by John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, describes a quest that Bilbo Baggins and his friends made. Bilbo Baggins, the protagonist of the novel, was one of the many
Bilbo’s story is a story of a hero’s journey. From his origins we do not see that Bilbo likes to go on adventures. However, his mother’s side of the family got the best of him and he does decide to go on the adventure. We will look at his call to adventure and why he decided to go on the trip. Next, we will look at Bilbo and the weapons and supernatural help he used. The final aspect we’ll look at is Bilbo’s trials and transformations and goals during Tolkien’s The Hobbit.
Although this may seem like something your typical hobbit would stray away from, Bilbo is not your typical hobbit. In this moment, Bilbo truly becomes a hero. Before Bilbo was needed to save the dwarves, he was all by himself facing off against a spider. Once he had killed the spider with no help from any dwarf or wizard he became very confident. The book says,”Somehow the killing of the giant spider, all alone by himself in the dark without the help of the wizard or the dwarves or of anyone else, made a great difference to Mr. Baggins.” Bilbo knew that he was capable of being a hero, which aided him in becoming a one. After this, with the help of his magic ring, Bilbo was able to rescue the dwarves from the other evil
“I wish I could be a hero!” Many adults in today’s society hear small children wishing they could become heroes. Children wish to be more like heroes for the reason that heroes are the type of people who risk their lives to help others. Throughout history, children have had a positive connotation with the word “hero.” The heroes many small children talk about are the fictional ones who protect cities from villains: Superman, Batman, Spiderman, and others. However, these are not the only types of heroes in today’s world. Firefighters and policemen are also considered heroes because they save the lives of those in danger. Many adults consider their inspirations to be heroes, such as Mahatma Gandhi, Martin
“Heroes are made by the path they choose, not the powers they are graced with”
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
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
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.
Have you ever been so excited to ride the tallest rollercoaster in the park only to wait in line for an hour and when you finally get to the top you begin to think to yourself, maybe this isn’t a great idea after all? Well, this closely resembles the feelings that Bilbo Baggins encounters in J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit when he is faced with going on an adventure. His Tookish side shows through his enthusiasm about going on the adventure. His Baggin’s side shows through his hesitation when the adventure actually begins.
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.
Prior to the quest, Bilbo Baggins was a conservative, respectable and stubborn hobbit who lead a rich and comfortable life (Stephanie web). These characteristics, as well as safety and a dull existence, are typical of the Baggins