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. Bilbo Baggins, the son of predictable Bungo Baggins and adventurous Belladonna Took, begins his journey in the Shire, in his comfortable hobbit-hole (Tolkien 29-31) . Bilbo enjoys the comforts of his hobbit-hole more than anything
Bilbo is “not the hobbit that [he was] before he left the Shire (Tolkien, 360). He has lost his reputation as a perfectly predictable Baggins, but he has gained “the honor of dwarves, wizards, and all such folk as ever passed that way” (Tolkien 361). He spends his time now “writing poetry and visiting the elves,” and despite all the other hobbits’ disapproval of Bilbo and his adventures, “he [remains] very happy to the end of his days” which are “extraordinarily long” (Tolkien 361). Although Bilbo’s character has changed and become more Tookish in many ways, he remains “only quite a little fellow in a wide world after all” (Tolkien 363). Bilbo is happy to visit the elves and have tea with Gandalf, but he is also just as happy to relax in his hobbit-hole and enjoy the comforts of home that he longed for so much on his journey. Bilbo Baggins undergoes a hero’s journey in The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien. He departs from his home, is initiated into a more mature mindset, undergoes a road of trials, goes through his innermost cave, and is returned home and reintegrated into society. Bilbo’s journey is also a quest for self identity, because he realizes his place as “quite a little fellow in a wide world” and learns to balance out his respectable Baggins heritage with his adventurous Took background (Tolkien
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.
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
It is shown that this story can convey a strong message that all readers should know. That when you believe in yourself that you could accomplish things that were only in your wildest dreams. Bilbo Baggins had been the one to overcome his fear of changing his daily life and become the hero that he should be known for. Even though he starts off as the most non-courageous person in the world into a great hero. He goes one to defeat spiders, goblins, and outsmarts doby into getting the ring.
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.
At the beginning of the novel, Mr. Baggins starts out at his comfy little hobbit home, but suddenly a grand, wise wizard shows up. Not long after, 12 dwarves began to appear, one by one at Bilbo’s door, and they have come to carry him off on a life-changing adventure, full of greed. That was the beginning of our hairy hobbit’s transformation from a shy, quiet hobbit, to a strong and bold life-saving hero, who enchants any who come in contact with him. For example of his strength and boldness, would be in chapter 5, when Bilbo rhymes riddles for an unknown creature, who calls itself Gollum. Bilbo would’ve been eaten if he were to have lost, but took his chances, and risked it anyway. After all, it did get him out of that goblin-infested cave.
As any developing hero does, Bilbo contemplates accepting the Call to Adventure. At the time for the hero, “the problem he faces may seem to much to handle and the comfort of home far more attractive than the perilous road ahead” (Bronzite). Bilbo has adapted to a calm and quiet style of living, and has found content in living in his hobbit hole. He recognizes the possible dangers of the journey and would much rather stay in the comfort of his own home. Thorin explains vague details about the trip and mentions “perhaps all of us may never return” (Tolkien 17). Bilbo is deeply affected by the previous statement as he has never thought about going on an adventure and never returning to his home. Bilbo is awoken by the fact that there are perils in the world that could prevent him from returning home. He reacts by shrieking and falling flat on the floor (Tolkien 17). After hearing Thorin’s comment, he contemplates refusing to go on the journey. Eventually, Bilbo chooses to accept, although he is a bit wary. Continuing through the stages, Bilbo meets with his mentor. He and his mentor Gandalf have met previously, but on different terms. Now Bilbo is meeting Gandalf, the wizard, in comparison to Gandalf, the neighbor. The hero’s mentor is there to “provide the hero with something (physical or mental) which will help the hero move forward in his adventure”
During The Departure period in The Hobbit, Bilbo Baggins lives a respected life with no adventures or anything unexpected like a hobbit should. Gandalf asks Bilbo to join the dwarves on their quest, “‘I am looking for someone to share in an adventure I am arranging’” (Tolkien 4). This serves as the call to adventure, the first part in the departure. The following part of the
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 worry. I can manage” (Tolkien, 12).
Heroes are present in many of the films produced today and these heroes generally follow both Campbell’s “Hero’s journey” and “Heroic Archetypes”. Some of Campbell’s tenets for a hero are that he must be called to a quest, he will face trials and tribulations, face temptation, complete a task, and eventually return home. The hero must also fit an archetype and its quest, fear, dragon, task, and virtue. Bilbo Baggins in The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is in fact one of the aforementioned heroes. Bilbo Baggins has always wanted an adventure and one day he is called on a quest to win back the Dwarfish kingdom of Erebor from the dragon, Smaug. Bilbo had not realized at the time of his departure that he was a hero and at first he even refused to go on the quest. Bilbo fits many of the tenets of the departure, initiation, and return of Campbell’s “Hero’s Journey” along with one of his archetypes. Joseph Campbell defines a hero as “someone who has given his life to something bigger than himself” and this is what Bilbo Baggins has done by accepting his quest to aid the Dwarves on their journey to the Lonely Mountain.
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
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.
Bilbo assumes that he is an inadequate companion for the adventure, and that idea is apparent as he and the dwarves equally doubt his skills that Gandalf is so confident about. " 'I have chosen Mr. Baggins and that ought to be enough for you...There is a lot more in him than you guess, and a deal more than he has any idea of himself. '" (Tolkien 33) The dwarves allow Bilbo to join their company, but they do not completely take Gandalf 's word and have a difficult time becoming accustomed to the hobbit. The party describes him during the journey as being "more trouble than use so far" and wished Gandalf had "chosen someone with more sense" (119). However, once they realize that in spite of how traumatic a situation is for Bilbo, he still finds a way to help them when they can 't defend themselves, and because of that they accept him as a friend and stay loyal to him until the end of the quest and the
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...
Bilbo doesn’t realize it at first, with the help of Gandalf he sees he has changed. He has become brave and fearless. He has also learned the value of friendship and kindness through his new friends and their journey together which has now forever
Bilbo Baggins Bilbo Baggins is a hobbit who lives in a luxurious hobbit hole called Bag End, built by his father for his mother. Bilbo Baggins, like every other Hobbit, is an introvert. But one day, Bilbo gets 14 unexpected visitors, who turn out to be looking for a burglar to help them reclaim their land of the ¨Lonely Mountain¨ north of Rhovanion. According to Harold Bloom, “Bilbo has never really left his immediate environs and knows little of the world beyond the Hill where he lives”(fofweb.com). According to Harold Bloom, “Hobbits ‘are little people, about half our height, and smaller than the bearded dwarves’[and are generally fat]" (fofweb.com).