“Far over the misty mountains cold To dungeons deep and caverns old We must away ere break of day To seek the pale enchanted gold. The dwarves of yore made mighty spells, While hammers fell like ringing bells In places deep, where dark things sleep, In hollow halls beneath the fells.” (Tolkien, 17).
In The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien, the protagonist, Bilbo Baggins is sent on a journey across the land of Middle Earth with 13 dwarves by a wizard named Gandalf. The purpose of this journey is to reclaim the treasure that was taken from the dwarves by an evil dragon named Smaug. Smaug lives in the Lonely Mountain, which is far away from the Shire, where Bilbo lives. Over the course of their journey, Bilbo encounters many interesting characters
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They are surrounded by a dark, thick, and terrifying forest. This represents another challenge in Bilbo’s journey. However, this one is bigger than the last. Here, he has to completely rely on his skills to survive Mirkwood. For example, Bilbo needed his keen eyesight to cross the river, or else they never would have been able to throw the rope. “Bilbo kneeling on the brink and peering forward cried: ‘There is a boat against the far bank! Now why couldn’t it have been this side!’
‘How far away do you think it is?’ asked Thorin, for by now they knew Bilbo had the sharpest eyes among them.” (Tolkien, 156) Again, he also discovers even more of his adventurous side. This is highlighted most when he defends himself and the dwarves from the giant spiders. Also, you can see his change when he is trapped in the Wood-Elf fort. Mirkwood marks the final challenge leading to Bilbo’s ultimate test. The Shire, the Misty Mountains, and Mirkwood make The Hobbit more than a typical adventure book because of their detail and contrasting tones. If The Hobbit didn’t have these settings, it could be bland and very formulaic. Setting is not what always immediately catches our eyes in a book, but it provides the backdrop that everything must be built
In the story the Hobbit Bilbo the main character is completely new to adventuring. He is just a little Hobbit who never left his Hobbit hole, and now he is going on adventures with wizards and dwarves.¨He had never seen a thing that looked so big before.¨ Is what Bilbo said, this quote shows how he feels about going to the Misty Mountains. Bilbo has to learn to adapt to his surrounding and learn how to cope with the people he is adventuring
Bilbo is a hero in several ways. Bilbo is hero for going on the quest in the first place. Bilbo is also a hero because he saved the dwarves from giant spiders. Bilbo is also a hero because he saved the dwarves from the elves. Bilbo is a hero for going on the adventure in the first place.
Bilbo, Gandalf, and the dwarves travel out of the hobbit-lands toward the Lonely Mountain. In the Lone-lands, the travelers encounter trolls who capture the dwarves and tie them up in sacks, planning to roast and eat them later. They are rescued
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.
Bilbo shows that he could be a hero in dire situations, where no-one else could help. In the middle of the journey, Gandalf leaves to attend other matters. So, Thorin becomes the “leader”. They go to Mirkwood and became lost easily. Thorin does not have any plans of getting out, and eventually gets captured by the wood elves.
In the end, Bilbo is showing many of the characteristics seen in an extraordinary hero. By using his intelligence and skills he finds way out of these perilous situation the group faces everyday. He slayed a spider, freed his friends and stopped a war which can prove that he has changed from that everyday ,run of the mill hobbit into an audacious, courageous, selfless hero that the readers can see and believe that even themselves can become a hero if they ever wanted
The Courage of Bilbo Baggins Bilbo Baggins's character in J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Hobbit" exemplifies the strength of fortitude in the face of adversity. Bilbo ultimately demonstrates himself as a courageous and resourceful hero whose bravery inspires those around him despite his initial reluctance to embark on a dangerous journey. According to the lore of Middle-Earth, the Hobbits are a race that loves to live a quiet and peaceful life. They live in the Shire, the homeland and safe heaven of Hobbitkind.
At the beginning, Bilbo has no intentions of leaving the comfort of home. I assume the only reason he actually goes is because he does not like being called a coward grocer. Plus the Took inside of him is eagerly waiting for a chance to be released, as we can see from the following quote. “Then something Tookish woke up inside him, and he wished to go and see the great mountains, and hear the pine-trees and the waterfalls, and explore the caves, and wear a sword instead of a walking-stick. ”-J.R. R Tolkien (The Hobbit, Chapter 1, page 19)
Bilbo’s Transformation/Maturation Some people say that people never change, while others believe that if given the chance, they will. In this case, J.R.R. Tolkien gives the character Bilbo Baggins the chance to change dramatically in his book The Hobbit. Bilbo undergoes many significant changes in his personality as a result of engaging in Gandalf's journey with the dwarves. The most important transformations include Bilbo going from cowardly to brave, from being ridiculed to respected and from being helpless to resourceful.
In The Hobbit, J.R.R. Tolkien uses symbolism throughout the story to show how Bilbo went from cowardice to courageous. Hobbits are known to be unadventurous, bucolic, and somewhat shy. In the beginning of the adventure/quest, Bilbo wants to go home and doesn't want to be a burglar. But when Gandalf leaves Bilbo and the dwarves, he slowly starts to step out of his comfort zone. The symbols that represent Bilbo’s change include Bilbo’s home, the ring, and his sword.
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.
“Then Bilbo, not without a shudder, not without a glance of longing, handed the marvelous stone to Bard”. This shows immense inner strength, for him to give up something so powerful and
At first, Bilbo turns down the favor without a second thought. Eventually, he changes his mind and decides to part take in the risky adventure. He escapes death many times and has to overcome numerous obstacles. In the end, Bilbo Baggins is
Gandalf calls Bilbo to adventure at the beginning of the story, and Bilbo is forced to realize that “adventures are not all pony-rides in May-sunshine” (Tolkien 33). Bilbo’s journey to a hero begins with gaining an understanding that he must expose himself to uncertainty in order to help his group. After Bilbo crosses the first threshold with help from Gandalf, he finds himself in the ‘belly of the whale’ with
Bilbo faces a person against self conflict with his family blood. Half of him is a Took, and the other half is Baggins. The baggins side of him is the lazy, relaxed side. But the Took side is adventurous which is frowned upon by other hobbits. Bilbo had to decide whether to be a hero or stay home and be respected by other hobbits.