“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, …show more content…
As evidence to illustrate, “ ‘This is the Arkenstone of Thrain,’ said Bilbo, ‘the Heart of the Mountain; and it is also the heart of Thorin. He values it above a river of gold. I give it to you. It will aid you in your bargaining” (Tolkien 272-273). Throughout the bargain, Bilbo sacrifices his relationship with Thorin and the other dwarves by bartering the Arkenstone to make sure the Lakemen and wood elves rightfully get their fair share of treasure found in Smaug's lair. Bilbo can be portrayed as a hero making personal sacrifices since he put the great good above his personal issues in life. Bilbo is the definition of a hero since he took action to resolve a conflict instead of being a bystander. In the long run, Bilbo Baggins may be a fictional hero, but has made personal sacrifices that the readers can relate to and deen him as a
A hero is a person who is praised or admired for their phenomenal work done in a certain situation. Bilbo Baggins is considered to be a hero in the book The Hobbit, written by J. R. R. Tolkien. Although Bilbo is considered a hero in this book, he does everything unwillingly. In the movie, however, Bilbo is seen as an epic hero because of the way certain things are portrayed differing from the book. For example, the arrival of the dwarves at Bilbo’s home is different in the book than it is in the movie. Even though this scene does not have a major change involved with it, it loses a connection with the arrival at Beorn’s later on in the movie. Changes in the movie that affected the type of hero Biblo Baggins include the beginning of the journey,
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
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
The dictionary defines hero in mythology and legend as, "a man who is endowed with great courage and strength, celebrated for his bold exploits, and born of divine or royal blood. He is a person noted for feats of courage or nobility of purpose, especially one who has risked or sacrificed his or her life." In addition, I believe a hero is one to be looked up to and emulated. What is interesting about epic heroes is that their great deeds and exploits all have to do with defeating themselves, so with help from the gods they can truly become heroic. They can only defeat themselves with the help of the gods.
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.
Before one can be considered a true hero, they must complete a series of eleven steps that put them up to the test. More simply, they must start with departure, then initiation, and finally return home. Harry Potter in Harry Potter the Sorcerer's Stone, courageously completes all of these steps and is therefore considered a hero. He strong-willingly embarks on a journey that challenges his limits and tests his bravery. Without any support from his family, and being the despised child, he defeats his enemy, Voldemort. To push through the worst challenges, and starting from nothing is what makes a true hero. As Joseph Campbell stated, “You enter the forest at the darkest point, where there is no path. Where there is a way or path, it is someone
A hero is someone who is confident and competent. They show that they are fearless and put others before them. A hero is alert and aware of the lives he or she lives. Heroes usually have a passion for what they do and they do it and finish it, no matter the consequence. Therefore sacrifice contributes more to heroism because heroes putting themselves before others shows that they are selfless.
What is a hero? A hero can be classified as a number of things. A hero can be a person who in the opinions of others has heroic qualities or has performed a heroic act and is regarded as a model or ideal. Ervin Staub, a holocaust survivor from Hungary and as scholar on altruistic behavior, has written, "Goodness like evil often begins in small steps. Heroes evolve; they aren't born. Very often the rescuers make only a small commitment at the start, to hide someone for a day or two. But once they had taken that step, they begin to see themselves differently, as someone who helps. What starts as mere willingness becomes intense involvement." The business man, Oskar Schindler, demonstrated a powerful example
Between sacrifice and success, sacrifice contributes more to heroism. A hero is someone who would be willing to sacrifice almost anything for something greater. Heros also show great courage, leadership, and sometimes other qualities. Usually, a hero will sacrifice themselves to protect other people, displaying that they are caring. Being a hero can be defined or seen in several ways, but sacrifice is still important to heroism.
Heroism entails several things; a selfless act, courage, or the accomplishments of bold and daring expeditions. A hero can also mean courage in the face of death. Others may view this type of hero as stupid, or a martyr. Every hero has faults and these faults along with heroic deeds make the man or woman; a hero, heroine.
Tolkien’s The Hobbit and Garth Hinds’ Beowulf are both works of art. Both display great acts of heroism and they are both great stories to follow and enjoy. We see in both The Hobbit and Beowulf the hero’s journey. We see the characters develop throughout the works. We see the ways they handle tough situations, almost wriggling out of them by the skin of the teeth. It can be said that as much as Bilbo Baggins from Tolkien’s The Hobbit displays acts of heroism, he is still very much different from Beowulf portrayed by Garth Hinds.
...s. Bilbo is the one that gives the precious Arkenstone to Bard to help stop a war from starting. If it was not for Bilbo’s courage, Thorin would still be fighting for the Arkenstone and might have also been hurt. Bilbo also helps the dwarves by being a good leader and helping them find a way out of Smaug’s lair. Without Bilbo, the dwarves would not have the audacity to try finding a way out of Smaug’s cave. Bilbo, like a real hero, always makes sure that he finishes the task he sets out to do. Without Bilbo, the dwarves would not be able to finish all the tasks that they want to finish. Bilbo is also the reason why the dwarves are still alive. Bilbo saves the dwarves from many different disasters. The disasters range from the spiders to Smaug. Through good or bad, Bilbo has been able to show the characteristics that a real hero should be able to show.
Joseph Campbell defines a hero as “someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself” (Moyers 1). The Hero’s Journey consists of three major parts: the separation, the initiation, and the return. Throughout a character’s journey, they must complete a physical or spiritual deed. A physical deed involves performing a daunting and courageous act that preserves the well-being of another person. A spiritual deed calls for action that improves another individual’s state of mind.
What does it mean to be a hero? According to Webster, a hero is someone "of great strength [and] courage" who is "admired" for his or her "courage and nobility."1 Stretching this definition a bit further, I would argue that a hero is someone who uses this strength, courage, and nobility to help or save others. Nora Helmer, in Henrik Ibsen's A Doll's House, leaves her husband and family at the end of the play-a move that can be viewed as either very selfish or very heroic. Because Nora uses her strength and courage in effort to save others and herself from the false "doll's house" life they are living in, her final act of leaving home is truly heroic. Nora saves her children from being raised by a mother who doesn't know the first thing about being a mother and she saves Torvald by no longer enabling him to live the false life he has built for himself. Finally, she saves herself by taking herself out of the "doll's house" and into the real world to discover who she is and what she believes.
...y a little fellow, Gandalf hints that even he was impressed by the large role Bilbo played in their journey, adding irony to the theme of heroism. Bilbo was the perfect character for Tolkien to express the theme of heroism because he was just the average, everyday character with a kind heart. He wasn’t some wizard or renowned warrior, but a hobbit, a simple hobbit who didn’t ask for heroism. Bilbo would much rather stay in the quite of his own home, but fate would have him do much more, even though Bilbo wouldn’t say so himself, he was indeed…a hero.