Examples Of Bilbo In The Hobbit

Bilbo is faced with many internal conflicts throughout his adventure. He is conflicted with moral decisions and practical ones. One of the main internal conflicts that Bilbo experiences throughout the book is deciding to either go with his Tookish or Baggins side. Sometimes Bilbo acts rashly and does things that get him in trouble and other times he thinks things out and things turn out well. He starts his adventure with a rash decision; however, things would not have turned out so well if he had not gone.
Right from the beginning Bilbo is faced with the internal conflict of who he is. For all of his life he has lived as a Baggins, “The Bagginses had lived in the neighbourhood of The Hill for time out of mind, and people considered them very

respectable…but also because they never had any adventures or did anything unexpected: you could tell what a Baggins would say on any question without the bother of asking him” (Tolkien 2). Bilbo and his family are considered normal people, there is nothing unpredictable about them, and they don’t do anything silly like having adventures. Basically, the Baggins are known for their sensibility. This is not so when it comes to the Took family. “But certainly there was still something not entirely hobbitlike about them, and once in a while members of the Took-clan would go and have adventures” (2-3). Bilbo’s father was a Baggins and his mother was a Took. Bilbo can be either sensible or adventurous and this leads us to our first conflict. Bilbo has always leaned toward the sensible side of the family, but when the opportunity arises, his Tookish side comes out. “Pardon me,” he said…but I think I am right in believing…that you think I am no good. I will show you…Tell me what you want done, and I will try it” (18-19). Bilbo makes a decision, he will no longer be a respectable Baggins, and he will go with the Tookish side of the family. This decision decides his fate. He will go on an adventure and only time will tell if his decision was the right one.
Bilbo desires to prove himself to the others. Rather than go with his sensibilities, Bilbo commits a mistake and allows his pride to take over reason. “He wished himself a hundred miles away, and yet-and yet somehow he could not go straight back to Thorin and Company emptyhanded” (Tolkien 35-36) Bilbo’s internal conflict of wishing to prove he is valuable causes him to put himself and the others at risk. Bilbo’s attempt to steal the troll’s purse ends in disaster. Instead of letting the Baggins side take control, Bilbo gets caught by the trolls and ends up proving that he might not be a good burglar; hence, he gets the opposite effect of what he wanted. Bilbo must learn to balance his Baggins side with his Took side.
The fact that Bilbo decides to go on an adventure does not mean that he does not go back and forth between being a Baggins and being a Took.

“Why, Oh why did I ever leave my hobbit-hole” (Tolkien 66)! Bilbo says this many times throughout his adventure. He wishes to be at home, yet at the same time, he shows strength and courage, and comes to the rescue of the dwarves many times. “Bilbo saw that the moment had come when he must do something” (158). At this moment Thorin and Company were trapped in the webs of spiders and Bilbo knew that he had to do something to save his friends. Bilbo’s Tookish side took away his fears and helped him to free his friends, after that Thorin and Company respected Bilbo very

much.
Bilbo may have internal conflicts of what he should do, but throughout the story he shows he has his heart in the right place. “He did not wish do desert the dwarves, and he did not know where in the world to go without them” (Tolkien 174). In the Elven kings castle, Bilbo shows good character in his decision. Although he was conflicted, he allowed the greater good to choose his actions. Bilbo does not abandon the dwarves, and he does not allow his fear to keep him from helping them escape.
Another conflict that Bilbo had was with the Arkenstone.

“Now I am a burglar indeed…I suppose I must tell the dwarves about it-some time. They did say I could pick and choose my own share…All the same he had an uncomfortable feeling that the picking and choosing had not really been meant to include this marvellous gem, and that trouble would yet come of it” (Tolkien 237-238). It seems that Bilbo is taken with the Arkenstone, but when it comes down to it, Bilbo chooses to use it in an unusual way. Bilbo wishes to stop a war and uses the Arkenstone as a bargaining chip. As Bilbo predicted, some trouble came with the keeping of the Arkenstone; yet, some good came of it

also.
Throughout the story Bilbo has shown that he is a man of good character. He experiences many internal conflicts through his journey. In the beginning he allows his Tookish side to make impetuous decision, but in the end, Bilbo balances his Baggins and Took side. Many times he was not in his element, but he manages to survive, and he ends up making many good decisions. Bilbo may have had internal struggles, but throughout it all, he is a man with a great heart.