Summer Reading
The Hobbit
1) The first character that I chose that in my eyes shows heroic characteristics is the Bilbo Baggins. Bilbo is a hobbit, and hobits are known to live a quiet and safe lifestyle, never stepping out of their comfort zone and never interacting with anything that may cause a threat. All hobbis are content to stay at home. In the text heroic symbols are shown when Bilbo steps up to a group of dwarfs who are known to be more adventurous and ready to discover. He steps up by joining them on a dangerous quest, even though the dwarfs motives had to do with gold, slaying a dragon and taking a home town back. Bilbo didn’t have a reason to join, and that shows qualities of a hero because he risked his life just to help others
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accomplish their goals. 2) The second heroic character in the Hobbit is Gandalf, He is a wise old wizard who has a vast command of magic and tends to show up at the moment he is needed most.
He sees beyond what others see and all the good in everyone. He would be considered a hero because the way he had faith in Bilbo Baggins that took place in chapter one, Gandalf encouraged him and many others that he had potential to step up and believe in himself. By Gandalf’s motivation he realizes the true value in the quest to get everyone together to create a journey like never before. where a normal Hobbit that wouldn’t ever be interested in discovery, encounters dangerous tasks with all opposites known as dwarfs. Beyond all his magic that would make him heroic his true qualities include his desire to help others and in my eyes that’s what truly makes someone a …show more content…
hero. 3) The last hero I want to mention is Elrond. Without him a lot of things would have gone differently in the novel and the quest that was taking place would have never gotten as far as it did without his helping hand and wise words. Elrond is the leader of all the elves at Rivendell. Elrond gives Bilbo’s group aid and helpful advice when they pass through his town early in the novel. He is described in Chapter 3 as being “as strong as a warrior, as wise as a wizard, as venerable as a king of dwarves, and as kind as summer.” That goes to show he’s all about Giving people guidance and the help they need to continue on, and that’s one of the best qualities a hero can have. Part 2 1) The mentor- A) An experienced and trusted advisor. B) Gandalf would be significant to this because he’s older and wiser and everyone trusts him with his guidance and leadership. C) A secondary example would be in divergent the movie when four is an experienced character that advises Tris to fight and survive. 2) Threshold Guardian- A) The forces that stand in the way at important turning points, including jealous enemies, professional gatekeepers, or even the hero’s own fears and doubts. B) The character Thorin would represent a threshold guardian because he was always the one to question Bilbos abilities to the point he got in the way and went against him. C) The step sisters in Cinderella would be a secondary example of a threshold guardian because they get in the way of Cinderella whilst being jealous and trying to create the worst possible outcome for the main character, in the end they feel no longer hatred but compassion. 3) Friendly Beast- A) Appears to be a horrible monster, but has a heart of gold and helps our hero. B) In the hobbit Beorn is the friendly beast because he is a shape changer that protects Bilbo and his friends, He watched them when they walked to the edge of the mirkwood and he also appears at the battle of five armies toward the end of the book. This goes to show although he may not be pleasant to the eye he has a big heart. C) Another good example of a friendly beast is the beast in beauty and the beast.
He protects Bell in all ways possible when they end up falling in love.
4) The Quest-
A) The symbolic quest to find your inner heroes, faces your worst enemy, and attain wholeness.
B) Defeating the evil dragon Smaug was a big quest for Bilbo and his peers.
C) A good example of a quest in a movie is the Wizard Of Oz when Dorothy and her friends go on a journey to find and talk to the wizard.
5) The fall-
A) The hero experiences some kind of downfall or setback.
B) A fall in the book Hobbit would be when the trolls captured Bilbo and the dwarfs.
C) The fall in another book would be The fault in our stars when 2 people fall in love and have cancer but at the end one of them passes away which creates a traumatic downfall in the movie and for the partner.
6) Magic weapon-
A) The power of apparently influencing the course of events by using mysterious or supernatural forces.
B) In the Hobbit a magic weapon is used, Bilbo finds a ring that makes him invisible which helped him get by in a specific situation.
C) A secondary example for a magic weapon is in The Chronicles of Narnia when they use a wardrobe to relocate into a new scenery and
world.
George Washington. Aragorn. Beowulf. Captain America. Martin Luther. Han Solo. Wright Brothers. History, books, and movies are full of these types of characters. Whether they led our country to victory or saved a galaxy far far away, these people can be defined as heroes. A hero could be defined as someone who is cunning, shows justice and mercy, and has the courage to take on many challenges. In J. R. R. Tolkien’s renowned book The Hobbit, he fills the pages with many heroes. There is Thorin, King under the mountain, who has come to reclaim his home. There is Bard, a bowman, who kills the chiefest and greatest dragon Smaug. There are the mighty eagles, who rescue the dwarves, Bilbo, and Gandalf moments before their death. And there is also
The first major step is a call to adventure. In this step, there’s something in the hero’s life that requires them to do something or go somewhere and take some type of action. Second, the hero must enter the unknown. This step sends the hero into a new world, entering something unfamiliar to the hero. By entering unfamiliar territory, whether it’s a place, an event never experiences, there are challenges and temptations the hero must face. With every new world comes new challenges. Dealing with new people or being alone.
For example, Bilbo fits the role of the hero, because he sacrificed and helped all the characters along the journey. Stated in the amazing book, The Hobbit, the author wrote, “It was at this point that Bilbo stopped. Going on from there was the bravest thing he ever did. The tremendous thing that happened afterwards were are nothing compared to it. He fought the real battle in the tunnel alone, before he ever saw the vast danger that lay in wait” (Tolkien, J.R.R., The Hobbit, page #233). Bilbo had basically sacrificed himself, so all of the other characters and himself could get through the journey safely. Their hero, Bilbo became braver each and every day while he tried to help and support them. Written in the fantastic book, The Hobbit, the author has written, “‘I have no idea at the moment-if you mean about removing the treasure. That obviously depends entirely on Smaug. Getting rid of dragons is not all in my line, but I will do my best to think about it. Personally I have no hopes at all, and wish I was safe back at home’” (Tolkien, J.R.R., The Hobbit, page
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.
“A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself,” quoted by Joseph Campbell, a very famous American mythologist, writer, and lecturer. Campbell is correct when his definition of a hero, but there is more aspects to heroes we don’t know about. For instance, heroes make difficult decisions to help others and to make a positive change in people's’ lives. Sacrifice is an essential component to the development of heroes since they must sacrifice things such as comfort to be defined as a hero in the eyes of others. In order to become a hero, personal sacrifices are necessary because he or she pledges to put others before themselves. Also, heroes are the ones held accountable for everyone in a dire situation and have society’s expectations weighing on their back. Personal sacrifice can be seen with Bilbo Baggins, when he sacrifices his relationships with the dwarves to remain at peace with the Lakemen and wood elves. In addition,
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.
Every generation has its own heroes that display, what they believe to be, ideal characteristics. While each is different in their own way, many of these role models share similar qualities. Most tend to have courage, strength, compassion, or another respected trait, but this is not necessarily why they win the adoration of their followers.
To fully appreciate the significance of the plot one must fully understand the heroic journey. Joseph Campbell identified the stages of the heroic journey and explains how the movie adheres meticulously to these steps. For example, the first stage of the hero’s journey is the ordinary world (Campbell). At the beginning, the structure dictates that the author should portray the protagonist in their ordinary world, surrounded by ordinary things and doing ordinary tasks so that the author might introduce the reasons that the hero needs the journey in order to develop his or her character or improve his or her life (Vogler 35). The point of this portrayal is to show the audience what the protagonist’s life is currently like and to show what areas of his or her life are conflicted or incomplete. When the call to adventure occurs, the protagonist is swept away into another world, one that is full of adventure, danger, and opportunities to learn what needs to be learned. T...
The Spiritual and Moral Journeys in The Quest of the Holy Grail. The Quest of the Holy Grail is an exciting tale that follows the adventures of King Arthur's knights as they scour the countryside for the legendary Holy Grail. Throughout their journeys, the knights engage in many exciting jousts and sword fights with a variety of enemies. The author of The Quest of the Holy Grail intends for the story to be more than just entertainment: the knights' search for the Holy Grail is analogous to the pursuit of morality and spiritual chivalry, showing success through asceticism, confession, chastity, and faith.
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...
He had happened to stumble upon a peculiar ring in the heart of a mountain full of goblins which helped him escape. Consequently, he failed to report this to his fellow adventurers. Therefore Bilbo may have kept this to himself because the ring has a magical influence on him just as it had on Gollum. If Bilbo would have broken its control over him and told Gandalf, the ring probably would have been a better asset to the group and later events could be prevented.Keeping secrets is just like lying because it is still dishonest. Bilbo the main character in J.R.R Tolkien's “the Hobbit” refrained from seeing this. He had happened to stumble upon a peculiar ring in the heart of a mountain full of goblins which helped him escape. Consequently, he failed to report this to his fellow adventurers. Therefore Bilbo may have kept this to himself because the ring has a magical influence on him just as it had on Gollum. If Bilbo would have broken its control over him and told Gandalf, the ring probably would have been a better asset to the group and later events could be prevented.Keeping secrets is just like lying because it is still
There are many reasons why Gandalf is an obvious hero in “The Hobbit”. Without Gandalf the journey would have never happened. Gandalf is always there when he is most needed. Gandalf also tries to keep the peace before fighting. Gandalf is a true hero for many reason’s.
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. Joseph Campbell calls the initial phase of a hero’s development the “Call to Adventure.” The call is the in... ...
from the Epic of Gilgamesh, to the tales of King Arthur and the Holy Grail, to the tales of Harry Potter. The “quest” is still one of the most popular tropes in modern literature. It presents an hero, who, against all the odds, obtains their goal and rises to glory.
When I think of a hero I immediately think of someone who is strong, intelligent, handsome, and daring. Upon closer examination, many different qualities than these become apparent. Courage, honesty, bravery, selflessness, and the will to try are just a few of the overlooked qualities of a hero. The definition of heroism changes with the context and time. Heroes of the past are not necessarily heroes of present time and vise versa.