Character Analysis Of Bilbo In The Hobbit

“I like six eggs with my ham, when starting on a journey.”(Tolkien, J. R. R.) remarked Thorin, a dwarf, and one of Bilbo’s companions. Bilbo, called upon by a tall old wizard named Gandalf, is a hobbit, and the protagonist in The Hobbit. He sets out with a band of dwarves to kill the infamous Smaug, a dragon, and reclaim ownership of Erebor, the lonely mountain. Beginning hesitant and shy, he feels uncomfortable with the notion of leaving the Shire, his homeland. Though he eventually agrees to accompany the dwarves on their journey, his timid personality remains, and overcoming it becomes one of his major challenges throughout the journey. Bilbo’s journey in The Hobbit follows almost if not all of the stages in the hero's journey archetype, and he discovers his inner courage and love for adventure.

Bilbo is the paradigm of a western take on the hero archetype. He

comes from obscure origins because he is from the Shire, a place of few happenings.”They [hobbits] never had any adventures or did anything unexpected.” He is not a fool, and he is fully aware of all of the dangers of the journey before he embarks. Gandalf, his mentor calls on him to begin his journey. Bilbo’s way is not always clear because at many times they only have a goal, with little to no plan. Gandalf and the dwarves help Bilbo push past challenges and temptations such as the goblin hideout. He changes after emerging from his abyss, becoming a more courageous and adventurous hobbit.
Bilbo has a very archetypical call to adventure, with an obvious mentor and threshold guardian. Gandalf, trying to push Bilbo past the threshold states, “You asked me to find the fourteenth man for your expedition, and I chose Mr. Baggins.”(Tolkien, J. R. R.) This makes it clear that Gandalf, aware of how Bilbo will change on his journey, is both mentor and threshold guardian. Being a wise, kind man, his motives are also clear, and he wants Bilbo to realize his love of adventure. When he sprinted out to accompany the dwarves, he crosses the threshold by setting out on his journey. There is an almost literal threshold as he runs out of his house, but what best fits the archetype is the leaving of the Shire and into unknown lands. This almost perfectly fits the archetype because the portion where the journey takes place is called the unknown. Bilbo fits the archetype well throughout the first stages as Gandalf pushes him across the threshold.
Bilbo constantly faces dangers such as goblins and trolls leading up to his abyss, the stealing of Smaug’s gold. At one point, A band of trolls capture Bilbo and his companions, and almost eat them before Gandalf saves them. Though Bilbo was not the one who was triumphant, leaving the realm of comfort caused Bilbo to grow as a character and bond with his companions. This prepares him for his final goal of robbing Smaug. Facing Gollum alone is one of his toughest challenges, as Bilbo doesn't like danger. "Well, if it loses, precious, then we eats it! If Baggins loses, we eats it whole."(Tolkien, J. R. R.) Says Gollum, a shell of a man. Bilbo’s character grows and shrinks at the same time after this conflict. While he builds courage, temptations sway him to stray from his path, and refuses to be honest with his companions for fear of rejection. After Bilbo enters his abyss and sneaks into Smaug’s lair and robs him, Smaug is furious: “His [Smaug’s] rage passes description - the sort of rage that is only seen when rich folk that have more than they can enjoy suddenly lose something that they have long had but have never before used or wanted.”(Tolkien, J. R. R.) The amount of courage Bilbo, just a small, weak, hobbit, had to muster is tremendous. Here is where he faces his abyss, powerless to fight a dragon, terrified, but by persevering he becomes the character Gandalf knew he would become. Bilbo’s trials and his abyss perfectly coincide with the hero’s journey archetype, as he continues to grow.
Bilbo finds his true strength through his adventures with the dwarves, and finds his love for adventure which he was denying himself.

After escaping from Smaug’s wrath, Bilbo finally has a revelation and realizes who he is and his ability to be useful, even if he can’t fight well. Bilbo returns with a ring of invisibility, and 1/14th of the gold found on the expedition. What Bilbo was most excited to bring back to the Shire though, was an epic tale. He settles in his hobbit hole as a better character, who left behind his hesitancy in favor of courage. Bilbo grows as a hero, and learns how strong one can be without being a fighter.

In conclusion, The hero’s journey in The Hobbit explores ideas of strength and courage through Bilbo's journey as he becomes a more lively and valiant through his realizations of who he really is. In the beginning, he wishes nothing more than to sit outside, eat, and smoke. This is drastically different to his personality at the end, courageous and outgoing, which develops through his abyss and numerous challenges. Bilbo’s return to the Shire finds him a better person, a

hero.