The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkien, is centered on Bilbo Baggins, the classical hero who starts out as an average hobbit in an immense world, goes on an adventure and begins find his special gifts that are unique to him, and returns to his old way of life having been changed forever. Bilbo Baggins is a very respectable hobbit living in the Shire. He is just a tiny speck in the vast expanse of Middle Earth and what lies beyond. By a rule, hobbits are to strive for respect from their fellow hobbits. Consequently, it is extremely rare and looked down upon for a hobbit such as Bilbo to venture out of his comfortable hobbit hole and embark on an "adventure". In Bilbo's own words, adventures are "nasty disturbing uncomfortable things! Make you late for dinner!" So like a classical hero, Bilbo starts out as an everyman denying any sort of adventures that come his way. However he may deny it, his Tookish side, or the more adventurous side of his ancestry, is ever present within Bilbo. The dwarves, also on this adventure along with Bilbo, can't see any use in bringing him along, but Gandalf the wizard assures them that Bilbo has greatness within him and they will one day thank him for bringing him. As he says himself while talking to the dwarves, "I brought him, and I don't bring things that are of no use. If we can only find him again, you will thank me …show more content…
Bilbo is no stranger to this quest. He is torn between his Took side and his more respectable side. He struggles to find his place in the lawless world of adventure that he has embarked on. When the company encounters the trolls, Bilbo tries to prove his worth by stealing something from the trolls. When this goes wrong and he is discovered, the dwarves try to find him and they also are captured by the trolls. While trying to prove himself, Bilbo just about turned the whole company (except Gandalf) into a troll's
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.
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.
The first act of Bilbo’s heroism is when he makes his first attempt at burglary when he steals from the trolls. Even before Bilbo steals from the trolls he is told by the dwarfs “Now it’s the burglar’s turn.” (33 Tolkien) And by Thorin “You
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
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
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.
“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
The dwarves respect his many decisions that he had made with quick reflexes accordingly to the actions that are provoking him to take action in being a leader, saving his fellow expedition mates. Bilbo using his traits of courage, heroism and intelligence demonstrate to him that adventures aren’t as bad as the hobbits have always thought they were.
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.
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.
In the fantasy novel The Hobbit, by J.R. Tolkien there are a lot of obstacles the character Bilbo Baggins has to confront. Throughout the book Bilbo seems to take on different challenges, which allow him to mature faster in a way that the Shire would not allow. In the Shire, Bilbo was just a normal hobbit who minded his own business and was never late for dinner. But after Gandalf and the dwarves came knocking on his door, his whole life seemed to change in an instant and it kept changing in a way that Bilbo had no control over. The farther that Bilbo moved through this journey the more he opened up to the world. At the shire Bilbo could have been considered a child in some ways because, he knew of no evil that existed outside of his world
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
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.
Bilbo uncovers things about himself that he didn't even know possibly existed within him. In the cliché theme of 'good versus evil', Bilbo, without question, automatically jumps to the 'good' side. In his character, there are no uncertain borders, as there are in the temperaments of the dwarves. From the beginning to the end he stays an honourable and honest hobbit,
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.