Very few books can challenge the Bible in terms of sales. “The Hobbit”, and its successors, is one of them. Written by J.R.R. Tolkien, the book has sold about 100 million copies till date. It features the story of a hobbit and his adventures. The book is very well written, and contains many different characteristics that appeal to the reader. One of these is the plot, which can be easily fit in a Hero's Journey chart. A Hero's Journey chart is divided into 3 ‘acts’, which are further divided into a total of 23 archetypal steps. J.R.R. Tolkien exceptionally develops three archetypal steps, namely ‘ Refusal of the Call’,' The Approach’, and ‘The Road Back’ in “The Hobbit.”
‘Refusal of the Call’ is one of the first archetypal steps in the chart. Seen in Act 1, it deals with the Hero trying
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to refuse, or weigh the pros and cons of, the main adventure. “This is a story of how a Baggins had an adventure, and found himself doing and saying things altogether unexpected”(The Hobbit, 4.) As seen in the previous quote, Bilbo Baggins fills the role of the protagonist in the story, because the book talks about him and his adventures. “I should think so- in these parts! We are plain quiet folks and have no use for adventures. Nasty disturbing uncomfortable things! Make you late for dinner!”(The Hobbit, 7.) Bilbo’s hatred for adventures can be clearly seen in the quote, so Bilbo is refusing the call to Adventure. ”’Don’t be a fool, Bilbo Baggins!’ he said to himself,’thinking of dragons and all that outlandish nonsense at your age!’”(The Hobbit, 32.) Again, Bilbo;s thoughts contradict his previous adventurous mood, thus refusing the call again. Therefore, “The Hobbit” clearly develops ‘Refusal of the call’, as both the hero, and his refusals, can be correctly inferred from reading the text. Located in the second ‘act’, ‘The Approach’ is another archetypal step clearly developed by the Author.
This step deals with the Hero approaching his biggest obstacle in the story. He/she often rest, or recover, during this step. “These were inspired largely by the Master and they did not particularly please the dwarves but in the meantime they were well contended and they quickly grew fat and strong again”(The Hobbit, 216.) According to the archetypal step, the Hero may rest and recover during ‘The Approach’, which can be seen here. “They reached the skirts of the Mountain all the same without meeting any danger or any sign of the Dragon other than the wilderness he has made about his lair”(The Hobbit, 220.) An inference made from this quote would line up with the archetypal step, as the Hero, or his group, approach their biggest obstacle in both cases. “They knew that they were drawing near to the end of their journey, and that it might be a very horrible end”(The Hobbit, 220.) Here again, the hero’s group approaches their biggest obstacle, since they may not come back from it. All of the three quotes prove the claim that J.R.R. Tolkien has successfully developed ‘The
Approach’. Finally, ‘The Road Back’ is the third archetypal step that is well developed in this tale. Needless to say, it contains the hero’s journey from defeating the biggest obstacle to returning to his ordinary world. “At last the time came to him to say goodbye to his friends”(The Hobbit, 318.) Evidently, Bibo, the hero, leaves his friends, the dwarves, which probably means that he will soon reach his home. “Then the elves turned towards the forest, and Bilbo started on his long road home “(The Hobbit, 318.) Clearly, the hero is on his journey to his ordinary world. “‘But our back is to legends, and we are coming home’”(The Hobbit, 324.) Mr. Baggins is seen returning home in this quote. These three quotes definitely show that “The Hobbit” perfectly develops ‘The Road Back.’ In all, “The Hobbit” does an outstanding job in developing the three archetypal steps ‘Refusal of the call’, ‘The Approach’, and ‘The Road Back.’ Developing these steps creates a strong base for the story, and makes it more interesting to read. Some examples of this are the “Maze Runner”, “Big Hero 6”, ”Harry Potter”, and, of course, “The Hobbit.” Even though there are some exceptions, most stories that do not follow the Hero’s Journey chart seem quite bland. That is why most writers should use the chart as a template or a base for their stories. Thus, the Hobbit’s plot can be partially credited for the book’s humongous success.
Tens of thousands of stories fit into the hero’s journey archetype created by Christopher Volger. Out of these, a large number of them are stories with remakes that share notable resemblances in their heroes’ journeys. However, none of these quite match those very strong similarities found between Homer’s The Odyssey and Joel Coens’s O Brother, Where Art Thou? These stories share crucial components of the hero’s journey whether it be “crossing the first threshold,” where the main characters of both stories begin their long adventure that transforms them into heroes; “the supreme ordeal,” where the main characters are both deprived of the opportunity to get home sooner; or “return with elixir,” where Odysseus and Ulysses both return to their homes alive the comfort of their wives. In their major plot points, the novel The Odyssey and the motion picture O Brother convey obvious similarities in key elements of their heroes’ journeys such as “crossing the first threshold,” “the supreme ordeal,” and “return with elixir.”
Every story has characters with different roles, and each of them are important to make the story complete. Three characters, Bilbo, Gandalf, and Smaug represent three archetypal roles in this story. Their guide Gandalf, represents the mentor, Bilbo represents the hero, and Smaug represents the shadow. Smaug symbolizes fear to the characters, and the dragon represents one of the characters that are most often causing the most terror and trouble to the other characters in the story. The hobbit symbolizes the hero of the story, because he sacrifices himself throughout the book. Mr. Bilbo Baggins learns more and more each day, and he tries to always do the right thing. Gandalf symbolizes the guidance and help as a mentor, and he provides training and motivation to the characters. These three important characters greatly explain the
Learning Module Seven - “Human Action” Myth in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
J.R.R Tolkien's action packed, fantasy driven, inspiring novel The Hobbit shows the message that everyone must know, that you should never give up even if all hope seems to be lost. It shows setting of evergreen forests with villages scattered along the paths of which they must take and mountains just on the horizon. The read must go along with bilbo baggins a hobbit that does not realize there is more to him than just being a baggins and that he will live up to his family's name. Even after gandalf tells him that he will embark on a great adventure he still doesn’t believe he is anymore than just bilbo. Therefor this story is inspiring and shows that with the setting, character, and theme combined make this story a great read.
Watching a film, one can easily recognize plot, theme, characterization, etc., but not many realize what basic principle lies behind nearly every story conceived: the hero’s journey. This concept allows for a comprehensive, logical flow throughout a movie. Once the hero’s journey is thoroughly understood, anyone can pick out the elements in nearly every piece. The hero’s journey follows a simple outline. First the hero in question must have a disadvantaged childhood. Next the hero will find a mentor who wisely lays out his/her prophecy. Third the hero will go on a journey, either literal or figurative, to find him/herself. On this journey the hero will be discouraged and nearly quit his/her quest. Finally, the hero will fulfill the prophecy and find his/herself, realizing his/her full potential. This rubric may be easy to spot in epic action films, but if upon close inspection is found in a wide array of genres, some of which are fully surprising.
The human need to be relatable is unquenchable. We love to be able to see parts of ourselves in others, and to be able to feel like our idols are not untouchable. The Hero’s Journey format is one that can be found in almost any story, even in real life. Overall, it is the perfect recipe for keeping readers engrossed. Another place the journey has shown up is in Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand and Odyssey by Homer. These two stories—one a biography, the other, an epic poem—are so effective in their storytelling, it is easy to see how authors today continue to use the same method to make stories that grab the readers’ attention. What makes them most alike, however, is the emotions and thoughts they have the power to provoke.
In JRR Tolkien’s novel The Hobbit, Bilbo Baggins, the protagonist, undergoes the five stages of the hero’s journey: departure, initiation, the road of trials, the innermost cave, and return and reintegration into society. When the adventure is all done, Bilbo takes away an important lesson about who he is from his travels. Thus The Hobbit, the novel by JRR Tolkien is an example of a heroic quest for identity, because the protagonist, Bilbo goes through each aspect of the hero’s journey and learns about who he is.
The overarching stages of these steps defines the important trilogy of the departure, the initiation, and the return of the hero in the spiritual, physical, and emotional changes that are experienced in this mythic cycle. Campbell’s insightful evaluation of the ten stages of the hero’s journey define the initial reluctance of the hero to follow his destiny, yet he or she slowly walks through the various obstacles and the awakening of consciousness through the death and rebirth of their identity. Finally, the return of hero to “home” reveals the liberation from previous prejudices and limitations of the mind, soul, and body that were present before they partook in the adventure. Surely, Campbell’s’ heroic cycle defines the overarching challenges of selfhood that the hero must endure to raise his or her consciousness to a higher level of understanding and realization. These are the important aspects of the ten stages of Campbell’s heroic journey that define the transformative nature of the journey and the hero’s initiation into the mysteries of life in this mythic theory of the heroic
The hero’s journey follows eight different steps. All of these eight steps contribute to the story and make them interesting to us. An example of the hero’s journey is the popular Disney movie “Mulan.” “Mulan” follows all of the steps of the hero’s journey starting with the ordinary world. The ordinary world showcase the main character in a normal setting and the audience can see the situation or dilemma
Can the lust for adventure alter the everyday thoughts and actions of the common man or woman? Will this person choose to leave their home and the place that where they know they are safe for a world of unknown and possible danger? In The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien, Bilbo, a common hobbit of the Shire, is startled one morning during his second breakfast to find the great wizard Gandalf at his door. Gandalf alerts Bilbo of an upcoming quest, and asks him to join him and the Dwarves on a journey across Middle-Earth. At first he refuses, but eventually, Bilbo joins the Company of Dwarves on the epic quest to regain their homeland and the treasure buried inside.
These timeless tales relate a message that readers throughout the ages can understand and relate to. While each of these tales is not exactly alike, they do share a common core of events. Some event and or character flaw necessitates a journey of some kind, whether it is an actual physical journey or a metaphorical one. The hardships and obstacles encountered on said journey lead to spiritual growth and build character. Rarely does a person find himself unchanged once the journey is over.
The paper will begin with a look at the life of Tolkien. This will serve the purpose of providing some context for the novel. Looking into the life of Tolkien will also serve to give the reader some insight into the mind that gave birth to such a rich land and why the novel may have some importance for sufferers of mental illness. Next will likely be a short summation of the
The departure stage of the journey includes the call to adventure, a mentor or aid, and the belly of the whale. The call to adventure serves as an important stage, because this is where the adventure starts. Lawson studied Joseph Campbell’s hero journey and wrote an article about it. Lawson delivers the idea that “the hero’s journey is set in motion by means of a supernatural event that casts the innocent into a strange and unfamiliar area.... ...
Tolkien, J. R. R. The Hobbit, Or, There and Back Again. New York: Ballantine, 1982. Print
In movies, novels, and life, people are named as heroes. The heroes we establish and the heroes we recognize, however, may not meet the criteria for a mythic hero. A mythic hero ventures forth on his journey, and comes forth from the hero’s path to greatness. Joseph Campbell, a mythologist who studied many of the great human myths and religious tales, realized, in studying these myths and tales, that there were certain steps that every hero went through. Campbell called this “The Hero’s Journey”; it is based on Carl Jung's idea that all human beings have an archetype. After Campbell studied a lot of the great myths and realized this pattern, he published his findings in his book The Hero with a Thousand Faces. Ever since then, authors have used “The Hero’s Journey” as an outline to tell their stories. “It is important to note that not all of these individual steps are present in every hero’s tale, nor is it important that they be in this exact order” (Vogler 20). The Hero with a Thousand Faces gives a sense of significance as it looks into the inner mind and soul. The author, Joseph Campbell, performs two extraordinary accomplishments: compelling his readers that myth and dream, those are the most effective and everlasting forces in life and a unification of mythology and psychoanalysis with a gripping narrative. One well-known example of “The Hero’s Journey” from popular culture is the Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, by J.K. Rowling. In the novel, Harry Potter, the main character, is the chosen one and “The Hero’s Journey” applies to his life from the moment he is attacked by He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named as a baby.