Monomyth In The Hobbit

The Hobbit; a story of good versus evil, fate, greed, and most of all heroism. Through the trials and tribulations Bilbo faces on the journey, he morphs from a fearful, inept hobbit to a strong and prominent figure on the journey to the Lonely Mountain with Thorin & Company. Being a tale of a hero, many elements of this story strongly correlate to the “Hero’s Journey” monomyth developed by Joseph Campbell. One particular section of this monomyth that truly connects to the storyline is “Entering the Belly of the Whale”.

The section name, “Entering the Belly of the Whale”, is more an elaborate description than a definition. In essence, the “Entering the Belly of the Whale” segment in a hero story is when the hero, still in “pre-hero” form per se, enters a perilous part of their route. It is typically after the hero, in this case Bilbo, crosses the point of no return or a short time afterwards. In this novel, the

point of no return would be after the goblins capture the dwarves in chapter 4. All of the examples following occurred after that point.

In The Hobbit, the hero, Bilbo, and the Company experience many hardships, dangerous circumstances and perilous adventures in the “Entering the Belly of the Whale”. One example is in “Chapter 5: Riddles in the Dark”. In this section, Bilbo had come across a circumstance that is far from pleasurable; this is his encounter with Gollum, a hobbit-like creature who lives in a voluminous cavern with a lake at its deepest depths. Gollum shows aggression towards Bilbo, but they agree that via a riddle-game, they will determine if Bilbo will be shown the way free.
[Bilbo] must stab the foul thing, put its eyes out, kill it. [Gollum] meant to kill him. No, not a fair fight. He was invisible now. Gollum had no sword. Gollum had not actually threatened to kill him, or tried to yet. And he was miserable, alone, lost. A sudden understanding, a pity mixed with horror, welled up in Bilbo's heart: a glimpse of endless unmarked days without light or hope of betterment, hard stone, cold fish, sneaking and whispering. All these thoughts passed in a flash of a second. He trembled. And then quite suddenly in another flash, as if lifted by a new strength and resolve, he leaped.
(Page 81-82)
As it its mentioned in the quote above, all things did not go as planned for Bilbo. He felt he had to kill Gollum to escape. This way of thinking for Bilbo is very different from the “old Baggins”, who would have been fearful and unable to come up clever solution to get out of the situation. This also connects to the section “Entering the Belly of the Whale” as the character develops into a more heroic and valiant figure to overcome the obstacles they face, which is clearly evident Bilbo has experienced though this text.

Another example, though it comes later in the novel, is still significant to the progression of this stage.

This comes when he kills the spider that wrapped him in its web as he slept. Killing the spider changes him, giving him a newfound sense of confidence and pride.
Then the great spider, who had been busy tying him up while he dozed, came from behind him and came at him. … As it was, he had a desperate fight before he got free. He beat the creature off with his hands—it was trying to poison him to keep him quiet, as small spiders do to flies—until he remembered his sword and drew it out. Then the spider jumped back, and he had time to cut his legs loose. After that it was his turn to attack. … Bilbo came at it before it could disappear and stuck it with his sword right in the eyes. Then it went mad and leaped and danced and flung out its legs in horrible jerks, until he killed it with another stroke. … He felt a different person, and much fiercer and bolder in spite of an empty stomach, as he wiped his sword on the grass and put it back into its

sheath.
(Page 143-144)
The spider was the first enemy that Bilbo defeated in combat. This event, correlating to the “Entering the Belly of the Whale”, was in a dangerous zone, and there was a trial of the character’s strength and vigor. Additionally, since the “Entering the Belly of the Whale” stage is included as part of the separation or departure of the character from the normal world, they typically develop a more heroic stature. As a result of the spider attack, Bilbo develops in strength of character, becoming more brave and cunning to overcome the impediments in his way. This development is noted by Bilbo’s decision to name his sword. In ancient epic literature, named swords are important symbols of courage and heroism. By doing this, Bilbo signifies his newfound ability to lead and succeed.