Bilbo Baggins, the protagonist of The Hobbit, is about half the size of humans, beardless and with hairy feet. Being this small he is known to be a timid and apprehensive hobbit. Throughout the story he shows many characteristics, some good and some bad. For the first half of the book, he is often hapless and rather cowardly. He begins by falling into a fit when he feels he is being forced to join Gandalf and the dwarves, and later he must be carried by Dori when they are escaping the Goblins. In the face of difficulties, he is often afraid and constantly daydreams of bacon and eggs and wishes himself back home. Bilbo is also shows signs of being fastidious. He does not like the mess the dwarves create in his home and he thinks multiple times that places they stay are unorganized …show more content…
He picks up the key to the troll 's secret cave, thereby providing himself with a sword from the safe inside the cave. In chapter five Bilbo finds the ring of invisibility and outsmarts Gollum while challenging each other with riddles. It is important to note that Bilbo resists the impulse to kill Gollum in chapter five because he thinks it would be unfair as Gollum is unarmed, while Bilbo is invisible and armed. Bilbo is depicted as not only clever, but ethical. This is reflected in the dwarves and Gandalf’s growing respect for him in chapter six. “‘After all he is my friend,” said the wizard, “and not a bad little chap.’” (159). In chapter eight, when Bilbo uses his sword to free himself from the spider web, he is described as feeling differently about himself, an indication that he is growing in self-awareness. At this point, he names his sword, as many legendary heroes have done, and it is clear that he is developing qualities of heroism and leadership. In chapter nine, he displays both bravery and intelligence in devising a plan for the escape of the dwarves to Esgaroth. Gandalf has departed earlier and their fate is in Bilbo 's