Tolkien’s Development of Greed in The Hobbit
In narrative writing, one of the crucial elements is the plot, or the sequences of events. Oftentimes, these sequences of events are used to develop common topics or themes through literary works. In The Hobbit, J.R.R Tolkien uses various sequences of events to develop the theme of greed. In the beginning of the book, Tolkien begins developing the theme of greed when Bilbo decides to join the party. 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.
Soon thereafter, the party had its first encounter with treasure, a treasure was found in the trolls cave. Tolkien tells that “they brought up their ponies, and carried away the pots of
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He relates, “and now usually [Gollum] hid [the ring] in a hole in the rock on his island, and was always going back to look at it. And still sometimes he put it on, when he could not bear to be parted from it any longer” (87). Gollum’s life had become centered on the ring. Despite his isolation, he was consumed with the idea of someone finding his ring and stealing it. This greed defined him; demonstrating the effects of greed when left unchecked, and also providing an important incite to greed (that is the consuming power), which Tolkien would later
Steel Marks English 8 Mrs.solko 3/20/23 The Greedy people of The Hobbit People have always had a desire to get power. The Hobbit by J.R.R Tolkien has many characters that fit the role of succumbing to a kind of power. When Bilbo has to go on that treacherous journey to slay the dragon with the dwarves and regain all the treasure under the mountain. This will show how some of those characters came into that power. From Bilbo to Thorin, gollum, bard and the elf king have all come to some kind of power, some of it not necessarily bad.
Even though this part of the hero’s journey was portrayed pretty similarly, there is still a bit of a difference. They both used their instincts, but Bilbo was influenced a bit by the dwarves. His Took side had shown while the dwarves were contemplating whether he was fit for the adventure or not. This made him want to prove himself to them. Instincts aren’t normally the cause of the call to adventure, but for some reason, these two very different novels are similar this way.
In the beginning of the novel, Gandalf chooses Bilbo Baggins as the company’s burglar, and the dwarves doubt him. As they travel on they meet trolls, and Bilbo tries to steal food for the group. He fails, and gets the dwarves captured. Gandalf comes and rescues the group, but Bilbo’s attempt to steal food wasn’t just a failure. the group finds weapons, and they head off towards the Lonely Mountain.
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.
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.
A hefty portion of us, as children, have watched films in which a brave man goes out to destroy the evil and spares his kin. We always thought of this hero to be brave, tall, strong, and fearsome. Bilbo Baggins is as much as a hero as these heroic characters, however he is only a short, weak, cowardly hobbit who is afraid to leave the Shire, yet by the end, Bilbo Baggins defeats the five armies and spares all of Smaug. The Hobbit, or There and Back Again, is written by J. R. R. Tolkien. When Bilbo Baggins gets an unexpected knock on his door, he is called to reclaim the kingdom of Erebor, he refuses, unwilling to escape the comfort of his hometown: the Shire.
“Don’t be afraid to change. You may lose something good but you may gain something better.” In the Hobbit by J.R.R Tolkien presents an unlikely hero, a hobbit named Bilbo Baggins. Another important character in the novel is Gandalf, a wizard and an old family friend, forces Bilbo to come out of his comfort zone onto a journey to recover the dwarves name and gold from the evil dragon, Smaug. Bilbo fulfills the archetypal hero’s journey by starting of an in ordinary world ,facing Ordeal, Death, and Rebirth, and The Road Back while illustrating the theme of innovation.
Greed is a major theme in J.J.R. Tolkien's book, The Hobbit. This type of desire can drive people to achieve great things, but it can also lead to disastrous consequences. Throughout the book, we see how greed motivates the characters and alters their actions, eventually leading to their downfall. Thorin, a great leader, Gollum a small slimy creature, and Smaug a fire-breathing dragon. They all demonstrate how greed can corrupt anyone.
Written by J.R.R. Tolkien in 1937, The Hobbit has become an award winning novel, that was able to influence modern day literature. Tolkien’s story follows the hero, Bilbo Baggins, and his quest to cease the long lost treasure. Through his quest, readers have the opportunity to witness the hero’s journey through Bilbo’s adventure. A Hero’s Journey lays out the path that most heroes and protagonists follow throughout their trek, in order to reach their goal. Divided into three main acts, the hero’s journey has 13 key steps, and The Hobbit demonstrates all of them.
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 company faces many challenges while Gandalf aids them. Eventually, Bilbo becomes forced to take charge and lead the company to the mountain. The experiences Bilbo encounters throughout his journey define and shape him into the hero he becomes. The Hobbit follows the story of Bilbo by mirroring the heroic journey, showing Bilbo’s dramatic change from the Hobbit he once was.
In both the novel and movie adaptation of The Lord of The Rings (written by J.R.R. Tolkien and directed by Peter Jackson), a major theme is greed. To show this characteristic, J.R.R. Tolkien uses a ring - “One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them”. Created for the evil Sauron, this ring is physical manifestation of greed that corrupts the wearer, leaving them a mere shell of what they once were. Take Gollum for example. Gollum, the most obvious of characters where greed is observed in this series, was once a young hobbit who went by the name Sméagol.
Thanks to Gandalf, Bilbo went on an adventure, but it wasn’t just any normal adventure. This adventure was to help dwarves take back their home. Bilbo is a hero because he becomes selfless, hardworking and skillful. During the beginning of The Hobbit Bilbo Baggins is selfish and doesn’t want anything to do with the dwarves.
Hero’s Journey Essay Literary Analysis of The Hobbit by J.R.R Tolkien What happens when one day a cloaked figure asks you to join a group of heavily bearded men in search for treasure in a dragon’s lair? Bilbo is fortunate enough to experience such a peculiar invitation, but the Baggins side of him is quick in refusal. Yet off he still goes from his warm and fuzzy hobbit hole in the Shire to the desolate land of Dain, where he learns to prove his worth amongst his hot-tempered Dwarf companions. Along the way, allies are made, secrets kept and human desires put into play, eventually culminating in the concluding battles where Bilbo plays a pivotal role in the management of order in the fellowship.
The Hobbit Literary Analysis Would you be able to step out of your comfort zone for the sake of adventure and a promise of treasure? This was the predicament Bilbo Baggins is unexpectedly presented with one sunny afternoon. Thirteen dwarves appear at his door and put forward their offer. Bilbo is a little apprehensive at first but soon comes to the realization that in his ordinary life of a Hobbit in the Shire he will never get another opportunity like this again. When reading The Hobbit, being able to step out of your comfort zone is a major key.