Not many have never heard of John Ronald Reuel Tolkien’s The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. Set in a prehistoric era, Tolkien invented a world made up of humans, elves, dwarves, orcs, trolls, and hobbits (Doughan MBE). His works, while not without criticism, have captured the imaginations of many and are highly regarded by the general population. He created an entirely new mythology, which is no small feat. Tolkien, by immersing readers in a world complete with its own history, languages, and culture, would influence the fantasy genre for years to come. J.R.R. Tolkien, who was born on the third of January in 2017 in Bloemfontein, South Africa (“J.R.R. Tolkien”), was a scholar of the English language, mostly focusing on Old and Middle
Tolkien’s book, The Hobbit, starts with the well-known line: “In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit” (1). This famous statement was first thought up when Tolkien, a professor, was marking examination papers (Doughan MBE). He found that one page of one of the answer books was left blank and wrote what would become the opening line to The Hobbit (Doughan MBE). The Hobbit follows Bilbo Baggins, a hobbit, as he goes on an unexpected journey to Erebor, the mountain that the dwarves once lived in. Smaug, a dragon, had taken over Erebor, holding the gold and the dwarves’ treasures captive in their, now his, mountain. This causes the dwarves to ask Gandalf the Grey, a wizard, for his help and to find a burglar. The burglar would steal the Arkenstone, the dwarves’ greatest treasure, right from under Smaug’s nose. Of course, Gandalf would enlist Bilbo, a simple, mild-mannered hobbit, to carry out this daunting task (The Hobbit). This story probably became far more popular than Tolkien would have expected. It has an almost inexplicable charm to it. Perhaps it is the way Bilbo, an ordinary hobbit, is thrust from a safe and normal life in his home into an exciting and dangerous world, or the way Tolkien seems to write it as if he were a historian, writing Bilbo’s biography, or perhaps readers simply found the concept of hobbits fascinating and wanted to learn more about
As a result, her works have been influenced by that of Tolkien as well. In her series The Song of the Lioness, she portrays a young woman named Alanna, who was similar to Tolkien’s Éowyn in that they both “were raised in environments that led to them identifying not with the stereotypical position of a Lady of their status, but that of a shield maiden” (Curry). Also, similar to George R.R. Martin, Pierce has attempted to correct the issues she found with Tolkien’s book in her own writing, stating that “what I wanted to read was girls having adventures and girls kicking butt” (Curry). Pierce is one of many examples of fantasy authors who were partial to Tolkien’s works as children and borrowed elements from his
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.
In a world of myth and magic where wizards, hobbits, and dragons dwell, and evil lord rules but long ago he lost his Ring of Rower. In the beginning of the book, The Fellowship of the Ring by J. R. R. Tolkien, starts when Bible, the second hobbit to posses the ring, gives the ring to his heir Frodo. The bulk of the story is about the origins of the journey of many years to destroy Frodo’s inheritance. The reason he desires so fervently to obliterate it is because it is evil, crafted for nefarious ruler, and created to control nineteen other magic rings. This paper will first discuss Middle-Earth, then some of the main characters, and finally the threefold parts of the endurance the Frodo displays. (Tolkien)
J.R.R. Tolkien (1892-1973) gained a reputation during the 1960’s and 1970’s as a cult figure among youths disillusioned with war and the technological age. His continuing popularity evidences his ability to evoke the oppressive realities of modern life while drawing audiences into a fantasy world.
Imagine yourself in a pre-industrial world full of mystery and magic. Imagine a world full of monsters, demons, and danger, as well as a world full of friends, fairies, good wizards, and adventure. In doing so you have just taken your first step onto a vast world created by author and scholar John Ronald Reuel Tolkien. Tolkien became fascinated by language at an early age during his schooling, in particularly, the languages of Northern Europe, both ancient and modern. This affinity for language did not only lead to his profession, but also his private hobby, the invention of languages. His broad knowledge eventually led to the development of his opinions about Myth and the importance of stories. All these various perspectives: language, the heroic tradition, and Myth, as well as deeply-held beliefs in Catholic Christianity work together in all of his works. The main elements of Tolkien’s works are Good versus Evil, characters of Christian and anti-Christian origin, and the power of imagination.
J.R.R Tolkien creates this sense of belonging through his implementation of so many wonderfully divers and loveable races that live in Middle-Earth. Since each race differs from the rest, it allows all readers, no matter their background, to find a character they can identify with. From Elves to Dwarves, readers can find a place where they fit in and feel accepted; “ Good books and characters help you feel understood” (Vero). Every race in Middle-Earth has a place and by immersing the reader in his fantasy world by generating a sense of belonging amongst his characters, Tolkien effectively creates an escape (Tolkien). The author also uses the tone of wonder to evoke a sense of awe and admiration towards The Hobbit’s protagonist, Bilbo Baggins. This Halfling is the novel’s most relatable and loveable character and therefore helps engage the reader all the more and makes them feel at home in Middle-Earth. Bilbo is a Picaro, an unlikely hero who goes on this amazing adventure and accomplishes impossible feats. This iconic character evokes a sense of belonging from the reader as he is painted with a tone of wonder and readers can see a reflection of themselves in him. Baggins is a curious hobbit who does not see how truly valuable and brave he is; “We identify with Bilbo because he is an unlikely hero and he surprises us with his bravery on the quest. We see him grow as a person and transform into a hero as he tries to help his friends. He shows us that we can do the impossible and that to be a hero, you don’t have to look like the Hulk” (Vero). Bilbo hence lures readers into Middle-Earth by giving them the impression to be on the quest with him (Tolkien). This familiarity with the Picaro enhances the reader’s ability to relate with the character and
Fredrick, Candice, and Sam McBride. “Battling the woman warrior: females and combat in Tolkien and Lewis.” (2007): 1-10. Print.
Ethan Kimani Grimes 07-C 14 May 2024 The Hobbit RTL Essay The huge fantasy Hobbit by J.R.R Tolkien follows a tiny Hobbit man named Bilbo Baggins on his unexpected adventure with 13 grizzly dwarves. Led by Thorin Oakenshield, and accompanied by a wizard named Gandalf, the group sets out on a daring adventure to reclaim the lost treasure that belonged to the dwarves' ancestors. Bilbo is given the crucial role of being the group's burglar throughout the book; we see him live up to his role and purpose. First Bilbo shows the dwarves how helpful he can be during the encounter with trolls Tolkien states, “.
Tolkien has created a world in which millions of people can go to escape to. He wrote stories that expand and capture the mind as you follow the fellowship, or as you learn of Bilbo’s next action. He created a rich back story to his world, creating myths as if the world he created has existed for millennia. He created Hobbits and Dwarves. Tolkien brought mystery and magic to the world stage, and that is why he is deserving of the title “father of modern fantasy”.
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.
J.R.R. Tolkien Research Paper As many have grown up during this generation, they have been dazzled by the work of J.R.R. Tolkien as well as the artistic interpretation of this trilogy by Peter Jackson. This movement started when Tolkien created The Hobbit and then later the Lord of the Rings trilogy in the 1930’s, 1940’s and 1950’s. However, there are those who have criticized both the books and the cinema for being sexist and/or racist. Tolkien is not sexist because he develops his female characters by revealing their individualism and dynamic features, and is also not a racist because much of the criticism comes from Peter Jackson’s interpretations and because racism is harshly looked upon more in this generation than it was back in the 1940’s.
Tolkien describes, "It had a perfectly round door . . . the door opened on to a tube-shaped hall
The first important place they went in the hobbit is bilbo’s hobbit hole .In the hobbit hole it really tells who the characters are and ,what their personalities are.It also tells what adventure’s they’re going to go on ,and it explains really how Bilbos personality is like, his tookish and and Baggins side between his mom and his dad.He also claims his fear of dragons ,and it just explains how Bilbo loves to go on missions ,and since he goes on the
John Ronald Reuel Tolkien was born in South Africa to a rather well to do banker. His early life was comfortable if middle class, but it lasted only a few years. His father died before he was five, and Tolkien spent the majority of his remaining life in what he called "genteel poverty." His linguistic genius emerged around the age of eight while his mother was tutoring him in Greek and Latin. It was around this time that Tolkien began devising a language of his own which would later develop into Elvish--a language complete with poetry and history, but not yet a people. In 1904, his mother died, leaving him and his brother orphaned and in the charge of a Catholic priest in Birmingham. Through this priest, the direction of his life would emerge. He met his future wife in the boarding house where the priest had him and his younger brother lodged. Also while in the boarding house he merited a scholarship to King Edward VI High School with the recommendation of the same priest. In high school, h...
Murray, Roxane Farrell. "The Lord of the Rings as Myth." Unpublished thesis. The University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 1974.
The most famous work in the epic fantasy genre is The Lord of the Rings, written by J. R. R. Tolkien over the course of ten years and published in 1954. Over the last few decades, there has been a lot of controversy over whether or not a story in this genre could be considered a valuable literary work. It was suggested that fantasy was clichéd and too unrealistic to be in touch with the daily life. However, when one reads between the lines, one can find a different interpretation within the same story; an interpretation that might not be as clichéd and farfetched as one might think. While it is often claimed that literary works in the genre fantasy cannot have any literary value, the The Lord of the Rings-trilogy contains the beautiful, the true and the good (Flood) and therefore is original, is historical or ethical relevant and has human truth value, which are necessary qualities for a literary work to be valuable.