The Hobbit Chapter 1-6 Analysis

Here they encounter Smaug, the object of their journey. Smaug in The Hobbit is the epitome of evil, as he kills relentlessly and all he lives for is greed and the treasures that he cannot use. Bilbo and the dwarves don’t actually kill Smaug. Bilbo makes him angry and Smaug decides to take it out on the people of Esgaroth. He terrorizes them until a man named Bard shoots him and kills him.

In the novel, The Hobbit, the author J.R.R. Tolkien, suggests when an individual pushes themselves to explore risk-taking, they take the opportunity to grow within themselves, and test the extent of their newfound values, which result in the character fostering a stronger sense of self-identity.

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.

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.

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.

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.

However, after the riddle game, Gollum go back to his island to get his precious golden ring that make him go invisible. It was ring of power that if you try to slip the ring on your finger, it will make you go invisible. However, he couldn’t find it in the island. There, Gollum families over his “precious,” a magic ring until he accidentally loses it which Bilbo end up finding it. When Bilbo found it he puts on it and was able to discover the magical power in it. When Gollum didn’t find his magic ring he suspicious the hobbit of stealing the ring and then he runs at him in an anger. The archetypes characters I have seen in this character is Devil figure and the creature of nightmare. The reason I think the creature of nightmare archetype character goes along very well with his character because he was very dark who have lived in the island for many years in the darkness with the monster look and he tried to threaten the life of a hero, Bilbo, where he was just trying to trick him by playing the riddle game, so if he wins he can eat

Looking. Searching. Seeking. There is just nothing like it for getting to conclusions. Finding. “There is nothing like looking, if you want to find something. You certainly usually find something, if you look, but it is not always quite the something you were after” (Tolkien). Certainly, when E.M Forster wrote A Passage to India or J.R.R Tolkien wrote The Hobbit or Kurt Vonnegut wrote Slaughterhouse -Five they were not looking for anything. However, they ended up finding a crucial link in their books–links to society at the time their books were published. 1924, 1937, 1969 or is it 1890, 2157 (Shire reckoning), 1945-It is not possible to be entirely sure. And it is this ambiguity that reveals a major aspect of literature. Literature has a tendency to represent the prevailing collective outlook. Forster highlights the growing discontent, of both Indians and the British, with the way the sub-continent is handled. Tolkien represents, very allegorically, the hardy nature of the people surviving the great depression, naming them hobbits. Vonnegut expresses the general disillusionment of the post-war years and Billy Pilgrim’s fatalist nature provides a grim undercurrent to the cheery “good war” (Jarvis 62). Thus, as seen through Forster, Tolkien, and Vonnegut’s books A Passage to India, The Hobbit, and Slaughterhouse -Five (respectively) authors tend to mimic

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.

Chapter 5 writing task- In everyone's life they have bits and pieces of their personality “that either comes from their mom or dad’s side of the family.” In the novel, The Hobbit, Bilbo begins to come out of his comfort zone (which is the Baggins side of his family) and become a bit more of an adventurous Took. While doing this Bilbo goes on a journey, takes the risk of pick pocketing troll, and tricks a mysterious creature named Gollum.

Again Bilbo is trying to prove himself to the dwarves, so by trying to get past the goblins in the coming chapters he gets hurtled into a hole and ends up in a dreary under land with Gollum. Here Bilbo has a riddle competition with Gollum in order to try and win his help with getting out of the wet and damp cave. When Bilbo finally tricked Gollum and found the ring that turned him invisible. He now had to escape; in doing this he ended up following Gollum out to the exit and then jumping over him.

The ring makes him invisible, but he doesn’t know that yet. He then comes across a little shriveled up hobbit named Gollum. He knows the way out of the cave so he made a bet with Bilbo. If you can beat me in a game of riddles I will show you the way out, but if I win I get to eat you. Bilbo bravely accepts his challenge. Bilbo then wins the challenge by pure luck. “What have I got in my pocket?” (Tolkein, 78) That was his last riddle that Gollum didn’t get. Gollum gets mad and thinks Bilbo is trying to trick him. He then puts on the ring. Gollum then goes to the exit of the cave unknowingly followed by Bilbo. Bilbo then jumps over Gollum and out the door. He was very brave to face Gollum.

In chapter 5, “Riddles in the Dark”, Bilbo is lost inside of Gollum’s cave and doesn’t know where Gandalf or the dwarves are. The only way Bilbo will find the dwarves and won’t get eaten is by outwitting Gollum

Bilbo trying to escape from the cave and catch up to the dwarves ran into Gollum. Gollum sees

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.