Bilbo’s Heroic Journey Essay
In all the stories, tales, and novels there is always a main character, most of the time the main character is a hero or hero-like. A lot of the time the author would use a formula called The Hero’s Journey or The Archetypal Journey, it is a way for writers and authors to keep track and follow step by step in order to successfully form a heroic character in a story. The Heroic Journey was written by Joseph Campbell, he was an American mythologist and writer. Some people do not believe Bilbo Baggins in the novel The Hobbit does not follow the heroic journey, but I think he follows the heroic journey step by step.
The steps of The Heroic Journey start out within the normal life of the ordinary world. In The Hobbit,
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The next step is test, allies, and enemies, which means the hero would be tested and facing his enemies and test. In the novel Bilbo Baggins’s allies would be the thirteen dwarves and Gandalf, during this stage of the story Bilbo’s enemies would be the giant spider in the forest, and the dragon Smaug (143). Bilbo when facing his test and enemies he uses his ring to outsmart escape and save his allies and friends. Bilbo is changing his characteristics throughout the story, he now should be a lot braver and smarter, because in the beginning he was just a coward that did not want any changes in his life and not willing to commit to the adventure that he was invited compared to the beginning of the story, he now should be making the preparations needed to approach the inmost cave that leads to the journey's heart, or central ordeal. Which should be the time when Bilbo was talking to the dragon before the fight, and took the arkenstone from all the treasures and golds. Afterwards, Bilbo and the dwarves were able to get rid of the dragon and survived the day. After escaping from Smaug the dragon, Thorin and other dwarves was hiding in the castle with all the treasures which should be the reward they get after survived the death from the dragon, Thorin was affected so badly by the treasures that he did not allow men kinds and the elves to get the golds and treasures from them, but then Bilbo helps …show more content…
After defeating the orcs, winning the war and burying Thorin, he has successfully became a hero or a herolike person in the special world during the times that he was with the dwarves, which is the road back in the heroic journey. When Bilbo finally was preparing to go back to his lovely hobbit hole, the dwarves were so sad and unwilling to leave Bilbo back to the peaceful land of his. When Bailbo finally gets back the hobbiton, the other hobbits was so shock that he is still alive, because he was not there for over a year, so the other hobbits assumed that he’s
Joseph Campbell’s, The Hero’s Journey, appears in the foundation of modern hero tales, such as drama, storytelling, myth, and religious rituals. The first step in The Hero’s Journey is the Departure phase, it’s where the hero has an unusual birth or early childhood and is forced to leave their everyday life to face the challenges that await them. Next, is the initiation phase, it’s where the real challenges and trials occur. The hero has a mentor or guide who gives them a special weapon or advice so that when the hero faces the darkest part, the temptation to give up or quit, they will transform and achieve their goal. Lastly, the return phase is when the hero returns home and is able to recognize the experiences the hero had in the other world.
The dwarves discover something that they didn’t think would happen when they first started onto their adventure, they have relied on Bilbo more than once to get them out of a sticky situation. The dwarves, first heart broke when they hear that Gandalf was leaving them, didn’t think that Bilbo was a worthy burglar to bring onto the trip, believing that he had caused the trip to slow more than necessary. They then begin to realize and discover why Gandalf did leave them though, Gandalf knew that Bilbo would help the dwarves as the journey progressed and he gained more
While The Hobbit chronicles the journey of Bilbo Baggins, it forms also a journey for the reader. It starts in the cozy hobbit-hole of Bilbo, who is very relatable. He is just a hobbit, content with smoking pipe, eating cake and drinking tea to fill the rest of his days. And then, Gandalf appears.
The hero’s journey is a pattern of storytelling that is common in many stories about the mythological Greek Heroes. Even though this story type was prevalent in Greek Mythology, the pattern is still commonly used in modern stories. Take for example the movie Moneyball. In this movie, Billy Beane, the general manager of the Oakland Athletics, followed the hero’s journey. The Athletics had very little money to spend on the team, and in order to make up for this, Beane decided to adopt the new strategy of “moneyball.”
Campbell, author of The Hero with a Thousand Faces, and Winkler believe after the hero’s departure, they are faced with a trial or many trails to overcome when they finally meet their biggest enemy, “The hero undergoes a series of trials often on a perilous journey.” (Campbell) Bilbo’s first trial is after Bilbo escapes from Gollum which he is reunited with the dwarves and are surrounded by Wargs but after it seems all hope is lost, eagles swoop down and save the adventures before it is too late. In Mirkwood, the dwarves and Bilbo are starving when they get captured by spiders, and Bilbo has to save them, “Bilbo saw that the moment had come when he must do something. ”(Tolkien 64) Bilbo escapes by himself and then finds the dwarves trapped and defenseless against a mob of spiders which Bilbo has to defeat by calling them names, and angering them until Bilbo has unraveled the dwarves.
In the novel, The Hobbit by J.J. Tolkien, Bilbo Baggins as a character grows tremendously. He goes from caring about nothing besides his cakes and tea, to opening up to a whole different world outside of the Shire. As the book begins, Bilbo is put to the task of reclaiming a place known as the Lonely Mountain by a wizard named Gandalf, after such request Bilbo states “Sorry! I don’t want any adventures, thank you”(Tolkien 4) and ultimately shows his cowardness. Throughout this journey, Bilbo changes for the best.
A hero’s journey then and now The Hero's Journey The hero’s journey is a path of 12 steps in which the hero finds himself passing through trouble and achieving his purpose, his destiny.. There are many versions of the hero's journey one of them is the hollywood kind where the hero starts in the normal world In which he is considered as a nobody. Later he follows his path and gets a call to adventure at first he refuses to the call because he thinks is not for him. He runs away from his destiny and finds himself meeting up with his mentor.
Understanding Death The concept of the Hero’s Journey is about telling a story. The Hero’s Journey was created by Joseph Campbell who was an anthropologist who studied myths and stories around the world. It is a cycle where a person goes from a state of certainty to a state of uncertainty. There is a twelve-step process where a person goes from an ordinary world into a state of confusion.
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.
Bilbo risks his own life to save the dwarves many times during the adventure, which in turn gains him the respect he deserves. This new respect that Bilbo has acquires gives him plenty of confidence in himself to get the job done, whatever it may be. This clearly shows that Bilbo's change from being ridiculed and doubted by the dwarves to being very highly respected is a dramatic one and deserves recognition. All Bilbo needed is a chance to prove the dwarves wrong, and that is what he gets when those same dwarves appear on his doorstep that sunny afternoon. Along with Bilbo Baggins becoming a braver and more respected hobbit, he also develops the most important change in the story; he changes from being incompetent to very resourceful.
The journey of an epic hero is a literary story that is repeated time and time again in a variety versions. One of the oldest examples is the epic poem Beowulf and one of the latest examples is the movie The Hobbit. In both stories, the main characters, Beowulf and Thorin, go through trials and display certain qualities that qualify them as heroes. The three trials that Beowulf and Thorin go through in Beowulf and The Hobbit reveal the heroic characteristics that both of them possess or learn to possess. Both Beowulf and Thorin are willing to fight against wicked creatures when no one is able to in order to protect their people or others in need.
reality VS myths make us conscious The hero's journey is the most important part of a myth. It is a cycle where someone left their house and everything when he was a kid; left for an adventure or a mysterious event. Pass through many fight, have power or treasure, in some cases the foundation of a city. After it, have a fight to death with their enemies.
Along the way, they overcome many obstacles that threaten their lives and put their trust for one another to the test. Bilbo learns that there is more to him than he realizes and through hard work and dedication, he can accomplish almost anything. Overcoming these problems and learning more about himself helped Bilbo change from an ordinary, self-doubting hobbit into a clever, courage-filled, loyal hero. In the beginning, Bilbo has no desire to go on an adventure of any kind, but he quickly learns about the cleverness he obtains when he is forced to make quick decisions.
The journey that Bilbo endures transforms him into a hero. Bilbo encounters many tests and trials throughout the story which reveal character. These courageous actions display the heroic character of Bilbo. Throughout The Hobbit, Bilbo displays the universal message that anyone can develop into a hero. Even the smallest and seemingly weakest creatures and people can become as great as Bilbo.
He was aching in his bones for the homeward journey” (Tolkien 290). This truly represents a step in the Hero’s Journey because he is actually questioning his belonging now. The worries that Bilbo have about not fitting in vanish after he remembers what it is like to be