Bilbo Heroism

In J.R.Rs book The Hobbit and A Long Way Gone they main characters go on a Hero 's journey. They are both Heros, but not in the same way. Even though these Heros don 't wear capes and shoot lasers from their eyes they are still Heros in there own way. We know this because they go on a Hero 's journey. For example, In The Hobbit by J.R.R there is a hobbit named Bilbo Baggins he goes on a journey.

The Unlikely Hero “Some believe it is only great power that can hold evil in check, but that is not what I have found. It is the small everyday deeds of ordinary folk that keep the darkness at bay. Small acts of kindness and love. Why Bilbo Baggins? Perhaps because I am afraid, and he gives me courage.” ― J.R.R.

Michael Shermer, a science writer and historian of science said, “Humans are pattern-seeking story-telling animals, and we are quite adept at telling stories about patterns, whether they exist or not.” In J.R.R. Tolkien's novel The Hobbit, Bilbo Baggins, the main protagonist, joins a group of dwarves to recover their lost, forgotten gold from Smaug the dragon. Joseph Campbell’s A Hero with a Thousand Faces, he states that many legendary heros follow a pattern in their adventures. Matthew Winkler has his own ideas of the heroic quest pattern, stating the hero's follow a pattern of eleven stages. Both The Hobbit and the heroic journey have similar elements with departure, initiation and then return.

The steps in the hero’s journey are Call to Adventure, Assistance, Departure, Trials, Approach, Crisis, Treasure, Result, Return, New Life, and Resolution. In The Hobbit Bilbo Baggins is invited to go on an adventure with Gandalf the wizard and thirteen dwarves. Bilbo soon finds himself in an adventure he has never anticipated on being on. Bilbo faces the giant orcs, crazy wolves, and a scary forest to try and get the gold that lays under the mysterious dragon, Smaug. A similar book to The Hobbit is a memoir called A long way gone.

He is the ring bearer and nephew of Bilbo Baggins, the original hobbit to find the Ring. Frodo is sent on a journey by Gandalf to destroy the Ring. Frodo provides leadership through encouragement, hope, and praise. Frodo’s courage is motivated by pity, mercy, and love. Frodo always looks for the good in the situations, and in people

Our main character Bilbo faces many challenges from trolls to greedy dragons. But his main goal is to help his fellow dwarves recover the gold and riches that were stolen long ago by the evil dragon, Smaug. (Jackson). In the movie Peter Jackson changes two details that I think are not effective to the story line. The first change is to the character Gollum who he makes a lot more uneducated and clueless in his version.

In the story “The Hobbit” Bilbo can be seen as the hero when he sacrifices his family’s name to be a part of the quest to get Thorin's gold back Bilbo's first approach is his attempt on stealing the trolls’ treasure. He later is met by the goblins, Gollum, elves, and spiders. Each fear he faces develops Bilbo as a hero, getting him ready for his greatest quest, stealing the treasure from Smaug.. Another example of Bilbo putting others before himself is the treasure he willing to give in order to bring peace to the men, elves, and dwarves. Last, but not least, Bilbo is willing to sacrifice his life for a cause bigger than himself. He risks his life on more than one occasion to save his friends and bring peace between the different races.

Have you ever noticed the continuous recurring theme in your favourite movies and books? That is called the hero’s journey. Bilbo Baggins, a supposedly unadventurous hobbit is requested to go on a difficult journey with a group of dwarves by none other than Gandalf, the well-known wizard himself. Ishmael Beah, a young, happy boy goes out with his friends without saying goodbye, not knowing it may be his last time to see them. While with his friends, his town gets attacked by the rebels and his whole world turns upside down.

Do his actions in the novel make him deserving of his death at the end? By the time the Battle of the Five Armies commences, Thorin has incurred the contempt and disrespect of many of the book’s characters (and probably most readers). But to Thorin’s credit, he shows tremendous courage in attempting to reclaim his ancestors’ treasure from Smaug. We come to learn that his failings—which become apparent once he is inside the Lonely Mountain—are common to all dwarves, who possess a great desire for gold and a fierce, even arrogant

He writes, “as they sang the hobbit felt the love of beautiful things made by hands … moving through him, a fierce and jealous love, the desire of the hearts of dwarves … Then something Tookish woke up inside him” (28). As the dwarves tell stories of the dragon hoard, Bilbo becomes drawn to the dwarfish treasure. This first instance of greed demonstrates the motivating power of greed. As hobbits tend to avoid the unexpected, without Bilbo’s initial greed, he would not have had the motivation to join the adventure, making this greed very important to the story. Tolkien continues to build on Bilbo’s greed throughout the book, assisting in the development of the theme of greed.