Compare And Contrast: George Babbitt Vs. The Hobbit

784 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: The use of humor in literature

Babbitt vs. The Hobbit

Sinclair Lewis’ character of George Babbitt is similar to J.R.R Tolkien’s character of Bilbo Baggins, but they are also very different. These two characters are alike in two different ways: in personality and the heroic journey. However, on every other subject these two characters are extraordinarily different. The most basic of these differences being that George Babbitt is an anti-hero and Bilbo Baggins is a hero.
In the beginning both characters seem very much alike in the way that they are portrayed. Babbitt is shown as a well to do middle aged man enjoying an afternoon nap. He is also shown to be extremely …show more content…

Bilbo was tested several different times, each dealing with his loyalty and service to the dwarves. One example of such a test was at the Lonely Mountain just before the Battle of Five Armies. Bilbo had stolen the Arkenstone from Thrain and decided to use it as a bargaining tool between Bard and the dwarves. The hobbit had to choose between his own desire for the stone and the good of everyone barricaded inside the mountain. Bilbo decided to help the dwarves and Men settle their differences. This looked like it was a bad decision at the time. Nevertheless, it was the right choice and if it hadn’t been for Bilbo’s actions the goblins would have won in the end. Babbitt’s test was of a similar kind, he had to choose between two different women and decide which one would give him a better life. Babbitt starts to cheat on his wife, Myra, with Tanis Judique. Under her influence Babbitt starts to smoke and drink more than usual, and under the influence of these drugs, Babbitt begins to discover that his long-held opinions are crumbling before him. Babbitt refuses to join the Good Citizen’s League which is full of hypocrisy, much like Babbitt himself, because of this decision Babbitt’s entire world starts to fall apart. He is thrown into a state of indecision, not knowing whether to stay with Tanis and be rejected, or to stay with Myra and go back to his unrewarding conformist lifestyle. Myra has a bout of appendicitis, which brings Babbitt home to his family and his old way of

Show More
Related

  • The Hobbit by JRR Tolkein - Bilbo Baggins

    916 Words  | 2 Pages

    Bilbo Baggins lived a very simple life, a life he enjoyed very much, until the day when the wizard Gandalf arrived at his door one morning. Gandalf was searching for someone to share an adventure with, but Bilbo quickly declined, saying, “We don’t want any adventures here. You might try over The Hill or across The Water,” and with that the hobbit dismissed the wandering wizard, but not before he had given the wizard an invitation for tea the next day. This of coarse, was the polite thing to do. But Gandalf saw something more in Bilbo and would not be discouraged.

    Read More

  • Bilbo Hero Quotes

    888 Words  | 2 Pages

    Bilbo cleverly eluded Smaug’s temptation, spared the life of foul creature Gollum, and demonstrate courage more and more throughout his journey. These exquisite traits made Bilbo into the revered character that was loved and respected for generations of readers. Throughout the book, Bilbo’s character had changed. At first, he was the ordinary hobbit who described adventures as “Nasty disturbing uncomfortable things” (4) but by the end of his journeys stated to Thorin, “I am glad that I have shared in your perils” (290). Bilbo’s ability to fight evil, make new friends, and to look beyond his maps and books enable him to become a hero. As Gandalf once said at the very beginning, “There is a lot more in him than you guess, and a deal more than he has any idea of himself” (19). Gandalf was right. What appeared to be an uneasy hobbit who fainted at the thought of adventures, turned out to be a brave leader, a compassionate friend, and an inspiring

    Read More

  • Examples Of Bilbo In The Hobbit

    572 Words  | 2 Pages

    Within J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit, Tolkien uses the character of Bilbo Baggins to reveal to the reader the constant struggle between heroic and anti-heroic qualities within Bilbo and ourselves.

    Read More

  • Religious Revelation in Carver’s Cathedral

    1067 Words  | 3 Pages

    The structural and technical features of the story point towards a religious epiphany. The title of the story, as well as its eventual subject, that of cathedrals, points inevitably towards divinity. Upon first approaching the story, without reading the first word of the first paragraph, one is already forced into thinking about a religious image. In addition, four of the story’s eleven pages (that amounts to one third of the tale) surround the subject of cathedrals.

    Read More

  • Bilbo Baggins' Transformation Depicted in Tolkien's The Hobbit

    886 Words  | 2 Pages

    Bilbo Baggins changes a lot in the novel The Hobbit. In the beginning he is a small peaceful Hobbit who lives in Hobbiton. He loves to keep things in order, and hates things that are disorganized. “Please be careful,” and “Please don’t trouble. I can manage” (Tolkein, 12). Then one day a wizard by the name of Gandalf comes and gives Bilbo the opportunity to go on an adventure. Bilbo turns his offer down, but the next day thirteen dwarves come to his house. They have meals together and they sleep at Bilbo’s house. Gandalf then convinces him to go on an adventure with them. Bilbo is many things, in the very begging he is flat, static, main, and he is the protagonist. By the end of the story he is round, dynamic, main, and he is still the protagonist. By the end of the story, Bilbo is a changed Hobbit.

    Read More

  • Transcendentalism in America: The Philosophical and Literary Movement

    1060 Words  | 3 Pages

    The 1830s was a time of serious religious conflict. Many people, especially authors, had different opinions on how to find true spirituality. In the end, authors in America created Transcendentalism. Transcendentalism is a philosophical and literary movement that searches for individual truth through spiritual reflection, complete solitude, and a deep connection with nature. Because this was established by authors, many of them wrote different pieces reflecting and using the beliefs of Transcendentalism. Ralph Waldo Emerson was considered to be the father of Transcendentalism. He wrote many influential pieces that follow and emphasize major Transcendental beliefs. The major beliefs include the over-soul, nature, and senses. In addition to those, there are minor beliefs and overall ways of living. These beliefs were included in Transcendental pieces as a general way to share the belief and to create a movement. Due to the use of nature, senses, and the over-soul as its three core Transcendental beliefs, Ralph Waldo Emerson’s “Nature” successfully explain the fundamentals of Transcendentalism.

    Read More

  • Characterism In Carver's The Cathedral By Raymond Carver

    1534 Words  | 4 Pages

    When Robert asked if the narrator was religious, he confirmed that he was not “I guess I don’t believe in it. In anything. Sometimes it’s hard. You know what I am saying?” (Carver, XXX) It is then that Robert asked the narrator if he could draw a cathedral for him. With the guidance of Roberts hand and encouragement “terrific, you’re doing fine”, he begins. It starts off as a simple box, but the more the narrator draws, the more it begins to look like his own house. The reader can start to sense there is a change beginning to take place “Never thought anything like this could happen in your lifetime, did you bub? Well, it’s a strange life, we all know that. Go on now. Keep it up” (Carver, XXX). He was so overcome with emotion, that when he wife awoke and asked what was going on, he was not able to answer her. He continued to draw, with the encouragement of Robert. At the end of the drawing he was truly amazed at what he drew. When Robert asked him if he seen what he drew, he said “It’s really something”. (Carver, XXX) For the first time, the narrator was able to see with his eyes still closed, what he had in live, as if he had a coming to Christ moment, with him sitting in his cathedral, which was used to be closer to God. It was a freeing moment “But I didn’t feel like I was inside anything”. (Carver,

    Read More

  • Analysis Of Bravery In 'The Hobbit'

    750 Words  | 2 Pages

    Bilbo was a hobbit that didn’t do very much, but when Gandalf comes to ask him to go on an adventure he didn’t know if he wanted to go. When bilbo says that he’ll do it he seems to be a little shaky at first, but as the book keeps going bilbo gets braver, and saves the dwarves from danger on the way to the Lonely Mountain. Like when the dwarves ask him to go and get the treasure from the dragon. Such as the quote ” Now is the time for our esteemed Mr. Baggins(Bilbo), who has proved himself a good companion

    Read More

  • Analysis Of Bilbo In The Hobbit

    1081 Words  | 3 Pages

    Bilbo Baggins is a hobbit, one who enjoys peace and quiet, feasts and fireplaces, and the coziness of his home. At the beginning the The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien, Bilbo could not even imagine going on a tenacious adventure, but by the end he has survived the longest, toughest battle yet. Throughout the novel Bilbo Baggins changes from a prudent, typical hobbit into a courageous, sacrificing adventurer.

    Read More

  • Transcendentalism Today

    724 Words  | 2 Pages

    As you can see transcendentalism is still around today it isn’t exactly the same as Ralph Emerson and Henry Thoreau. But the ideas are basically the same.

    Read More

  • Essay On Transcendentalism

    1230 Words  | 3 Pages

    The movement of transcendentalism was a powerful movement that began to emerge in American in the nineteenth century. These powerful movements made readers question, challenge, and examine what they were accustomed too. Transcendentalism was the belief that what the person can see, touch, feel, taste, or comprehend goes beyond those senses. People were to knowledge their thoughts through instinct and imagination not through logic or the senses; they were to trust themselves to be their own authority on what is right. When people were able to receive these ideas not as a religious beliefs, but as a way of understanding life then they were consider a transcendentalist. Transcendentalism was one of the many literary writing styles used during

    Read More

  • The Hobbit: Thematic Analysis

    1279 Words  | 3 Pages

    Bilbo begins his long journey with the dwarves, who at the time were still skeptical of Bilbo’s abilities. The dwarves didn’t see why they needed such a small incompetent hobbit with them along their journey. Gandalf tells them to stop complaining and to trust that there is more to Bilbo than meets the eye (Tolkien 6). Bilbo soon shows his courage and heroism for the first time in the story when they run into their first obstacle, three large trolls huddled around a campfire. Bilbo, who was once a shy, non-adventurous type, begins to develop into a hero as he tries to steal one of the trolls’ money purses. This is a dramatic scene in the novel because it was Bilbo’s very first act outside his comfort zone. It was this...

    Read More

  • The Hobbit

    1076 Words  | 3 Pages

    ...ting points of the plot also relied on Bilbo’s courage. If Bilbo did not have such a valuable trait, the story of the Hobbit would’ve been fairly short.

    Read More

  • The Effects Of Transcendentalism

    1765 Words  | 4 Pages

    The ideas on the importance of nature still exists today and will always exist because it constantly surrounds us and is present in our lives everyday. A modern example of how Transcendentalism is still present is in the movie Pocahontas. Pocahontas and her people are Native Americans and rely heavily upon nature to provide for them what they need to survive. During the movie, English men come to America to take over and explore the land. Pocahontas ends up falling in love with one of the English men. Her father is angered by this because he feels she should only marry someone who is also a Native American. Pocahontas does all she can to hide her relationship from her father but eventually goes against his wishes. This relates to Transcendentalism because of the Native American 's dependence on nature and also Pocahontas 's desire to be independent and love the person she desires. She did not conform to what her father had wanted for her. Because of the Transcendentalists, American culture saw a revival where new ideas about imagination, independence, and creativity were

    Read More

  • Individualism And Transcendentalism

    1316 Words  | 3 Pages

    Transcendentalism is a movement that was brought to the global horizon in the nineteenth century through prominent leaders such as Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau. The adoption of this movement took a great role in New England, touching upon a variety of categories including, religion, philosophy, and literature. The need for this movement came about as a response to the world’s rapidly changing society. Many were in search of a source to redefine man and wanted an element that would bring about greater self-sufficiency and a more naturalistic view of life. As many started to take on the role that was associated with the adoption of a transcendentalist lifestyle, the far most pivotal element of the Transcendentalism movement arose: Individualism.

    Read More

More about Compare And Contrast: George Babbitt Vs. The Hobbit

Open Document