Frodo Baggins And Adversity

In The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, directed by Peter Jackson, all of middle-earth goes through a transformation. Each culture is affected including: the elves, the dwarves, the wizards, the men, and the hobbits. There is no escape from adversity which everyone is faced with. Some were transformed meanwhile others were destroyed. Frodo Baggins is faced with adversity when: Frodo’s uncle, Bilbo Baggins, leaves behind the ring, when Bilbo runs away, and when Frodo volunteers to be the ring-bearer. Many obstacles arise throughout the movie. In this essay I will discuss the ideas created by the text creator regarding the role adversity plays in shaping an individual’s identity. To show this I will be using the hobbit Frodo Baggins.

In LOTR the main protagonist is Frodo Baggins. From the beginning of the movie he lacks all the usual traits of an archetypal hero.

Frodo is physically weak, which leads to some trouble on his journey, lacks the skill to fight, and has no leadership trait. Although he is not just any archetypal hobbit, meanwhile back at the shire other viewed him as peculiar. As Gandalf said “You are too curious to be a hobbit”. Frodo used to always dream of going on an adventure with his uncle, the adventure that he is faced with is not by any means simple. The first adverse task that changes Frodo is when Bilbo leaves the ring for Frodo. Though he is faced with this great task - of keeping the ring discreet and to destroy it, to him though that is all he sees it as. Throughout the movie he does not pursue the desire of the power that the ring holds. Frodo learns to fight shortly after finding out that the Nazguls were searching for him. He had to become wiser, and learn how to defend himself if he wanted to finish this task. The hardship of this journey hardened him in a way that changed him. By the end of the movie he is wise, selfless, thoughtful, brave, and much more!

Near the beginning of the movie on the night of Bilbo’s 111th birthday, and Frodo’s 33rd birthday, Bilbo left the shire.

After he left Frodo did not have a father-like companion, a role-model, or a friend anymore. Frodo looked up to him, even though from the viewer's perspective he was a little eccentric. He had to learn new ways without Bilbo. Frodo was under a greater role of responsibility and authority over his own life with Bilbo being gone. In addition to that he was now also accountable for the ring. He was not ready for the great deal of power that the ring possessed. Peter Jackson shows the adversity Frodo has to face by leaving the Shire, and losing his only family member. Gandalf explained to Frodo - after lots of scrutinizing about what the ring was, and what it attains, Gandalf found out that this was indeed ‘the ring’. Frodo then had to learn how to keep himself on the down low, well at least try to, because he was being searched for. This duty changed more of his ‘hobbit’ ways, and matured his personality. By the end of the movie you can definitely see the changes made to

him.

During the council of Elrond it was decided that the ring must be destroyed into the cracks of doom. Frodo is faced with the burden of being the ring-bearer, which is self inflicted because he volunteered. This unfavourable fortune that he has taken on has helped shape his identity. He has become stronger, and more heroic - compared to his old timid self. Near the end of the movie he seems to have almost given up on the ring, when the Orc’s started to attack, but in the end he continued on his journey with Sam. It took a lot of inner strength in order for Frodo to not give up, but he knew that this was for the better, so it had to be done. He figures he has nothing to lose, after losing Bilbo, as well as the fellowship started falling apart. This adverse task changed him in a way that he had importance for once. For him being a hobbit all they do is drink ale, smoke pipe weed, garden, and eat… lots!

To concatenate my thoughts, Peter Jackson demonstrates adversity through text many times in this movie using the main protagonist Frodo. If it were not for Bilbo leaving the shire, leaving the ring for Frodo, and him proposing to be the ring-bearer Frodo never would have gained the character that he did on his journey. This has a lot to say about his journey, because if he had have given up long before leaving with Sam, then he would not have gone through the hardship that he did, and still has to go through.