In The Hobbit, a novel by J.R.R Tolkien, Bilbo Baggins is a hobbit who frowns upon action and adventure. Bilbo is pushed to go on an adventure to help a few dwarves take down a dragon and recover the lost treasure. J.R.R Tolkien develops Bilbo Baggins’ character similar to how a child would mature into an adult. Throughout The Hobbit, Bilbo evolves from a naive, childlike hobbit to an experienced, mature hero.
Bilbo Baggins starts the transformation from meek hobbit to strong hero before the quest begins. Prior to meeting Gandalf and the dwarves, Bilbo is quite content with the simple, quiet comforts of home. Meeting the dwarves awoke something inside of him, “he wished to go and see the great mountains, and hear the pine trees and the waterfalls,
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and explore the caves, and wear a sword instead of a walking stick”(Tolkien 15-16). Listening to the dwarves sing brings out his Tookish side and he longs to explore the world. Bilbo wants to leave behind his conservative, respectable life for an adventurous life. This yearning for an uncertain and potentially perilous life quickly diminishes and he becomes plain Bilbo Baggins again. Tolkien hints at the upcoming changes in Bilbo’s demeanor when Gandalf says, “There is a lot more in him than you guess, and a deal more than he has any idea of himself”(19). Gandalf sees the potential in Bilbo, more potential than Bilbo sees in himself. His character evolves slightly prior to the quest, as he becomes increasingly curious about the quest and stepping out of his comfort zone. This is the first step as Bilbo begins the typical hero’s journey. Bilbo has the most developments throughout the main part of the journey.
A huge development occurs when he is assigned to go spy on the trolls. “Yet somehow he could not go straight back to Thorin and Company empty handed”(Tolkien 35-36), Bilbo didn’t want to return without having done anything useful. He feels a need to prove himself to the dwarves as a valuable member of their team. This is a monumental moment in Bilbo’s character development. One of the most important events, the finding of the ring, leads to drastic changes in Bilbo. Bilbo shows the traits of a hero when he spares Gollum’s life despite the fact he could have easily killed him. After he finds the ring, it gives him confidence and bravery. Bilbo shows more signs of becoming a leader and a hero when they encounter the spiders. It is common for heros in other stories to name their swords and after killing the giant spider Bilbo says, “I will give you a name...and I shall call you Sting”(Tolkien 156). Bilbo establishes himself as a leader and a valuable asset to the team by freeing the dwarves from the spiders. The killing of the giant spider changes Bilbo. He “felt like a different person, and much fiercer and bolder”(Tolkien 156). Bilbo is evolving into a true
leader. At the end of the quest Bilbo proves himself a true hero. Bilbo proves not only his physical strength, but also his mental strength when he tricks Smaug into exposing his only weakness, “Why there is a large patch in the hollow of his left breast as bare a a snail out of its shell”(Tolkien 227). Bilbo uses his own cunning to trick Smaug into showing him his underbelly. This shows that not only has Bilbo’s confidence improved but also his mental capability. Another development is the ease with which he stole the arkenstone, “Now I am a burglar indeed”(Tolkien 237). Bilbo has made many good transformations, but his pride in stealing a precious gem is not one of them. At the beginning of the book Bilbo was, “wagging his mouth in protest at being called...fellow conspirator”. If only the Bilbo Baggins at the beginning could see himself taking the heart of the mountain. ‘Along with great power comes great responsibility’;a common phrase told to many superheroes when they receive their power. When Bilbo got the ring, it was not surprising that the power would go to his head, resulting in the stealing of the arkenstone. One could say that Bilbo was being selfless when he stole the arkenstone and gave it to Bard in an effort to stop a horrible battle, but despite that he still stole the stone from Thorin. Even though Bilbo did steal the arkenstone, he was still a hero and Bilbo came a long way from where her began. Bilbo Baggins changes from a respectable, home-loving hobbit to a courageous hero and leader. As he returns home, Bilbo realizes he is not the same hobbit he was when he left and he no longer searches for approval among other hobbits. He takes pride in his newfound adventurous spirit. Bilbo Baggins is a true hero and has fulfilled the role he was forced to take.
He went from being a reluctant hero to an epic hero just from a few slight changes. Bilbo was almost forced out the door to begin his journey with the dwarves by Gandalf. He did not want to go on the journey and certainly did not feel the need to be a hero, although he reluctantly ended up being one in the book. In the movie, on the other hand, he had many opportunities to become the hero and he took these opportunities, becoming an epic hero. While change can greatly impact some things, it can also take away from important pieces of the
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
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.
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.
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 363).
This story begins with a small fellow by the name of Bilbo Baggins. This fantasy story was written in 1956 by J.R.R. Tolkien. It is about a hero’s journey through the dangers and wonders of Middle Earth. Although it was not meant to become such a well-known book, it is filled with much literature. Throughout the book, Tolkien uses literary devices such as repetition, similes, and metaphors to develop the theme of cunning and cleverness.
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).
...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.
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.
Finally, as the novel is coming to an end, it is apparent how much Bilbo Baggins has changed throughout The Hobbit. In the introduction of the book, Tolkien displays Bilbo as a fearful creature afraid to follow his Took roots. As the book continues, Bilbo sees things that change him and make him a stronger hobbit than the old Bilbo. By the end of the book, Mr. Baggins finally gained his well earned respect and found out that being an adventurer is not an awful thing to be. So, it seems as if the theme of change in The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien was shown through Bilbo’s character.
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
The Hobbit, written by John R. R. Tolkien, is a fantasy novel published on September 21, 1937. It was written as a prelude to the famous series, The Lord of the Rings, written seventeen years later. The Hobbit introduces the reader to an incredibly immersive fantasy world, that enriches the reader into its epic storyline. The story takes place in a land called Middle-earth, a land filled with enchanting surprises and magical wonders. It was the perfect playground for Tolkien to develop his main character Bilbo Baggins. Bilbo Baggins was a small hobbit, who unaware in the beginning would become a large role in the plot. It is through this character that Tolkien implemented the theme of heroism into the story. Bilbo’s unexpected adventure with the dwarves and the wizard gave him the opportunity to develop into the ultimate hero of Tolkien’s tale. Bilbo’s epic journey to become the hero of the story begins when Gandalf, the wizard, tells Bilbo of an expedition that would soon change his life forever.
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