“There he lay, a vast red-golden dragon, fast asleep; a thrumming came from his jaws and nostrils,” Bilbo Baggins was a self-centered hobbit who only cared about his well being. Like every other hobbit, he had no time for adventures but when a peculiar fellow shows up to his house, all he got was an adventure filled with perils. The book, The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien is about friendship, courage, and perseverance. The book begins in the home of Bilbo Baggins and ends in it too. Bilbo is just an ordinary hobbit but he soon changes as he gets whisked away on an adventure by a wizard named Gandalf. On this adventure, Bilbo Baggins fights his way to the Lonely Mountain by crossing the Misty Mountains, going through the Mirkwood forest and finally …show more content…
He learned to care about others at the end of the book. “‘Farewell, King under the Mountain!’ he said. “This is a bitter adventure, if it must end so; and not a mountain of gold can amend it. Yet I am glad that I have shared in your perils --- that has been more than any Baggins deserves” This quote shows that in the conclusion of the story Bilbo Baggins really cares about others. In the introduction of this story you could say that Bilbo is kind of like Mr.Scrooge and in the end is more like Winnie the Pooh. The character progression in this story is very deep and it actually surprised me. Another quote that shows that he learns to care about other is this one “ I willing to give you the Arkenstone. I am merely trying to avoid trouble for all concerned” This quote shows that he is willing to give up his possessions for his friends’ safety. Because of Bilbo’s change at the end, he and his friends were able to avoid attacks from the Elven King and his allies from stealing their gold. They were also able to fight off the goblins who were the main antagonists in the book. In the battle three of the dozen or so dwarves died. Two of them perished in battle and the third one died after the battle by succumbing to his wounds. But their sacrifices were not useless because the remaining dwarves managed to fight off the
They held a great deal of admiration for their friend who proved his worthiness through his burglaring success. After the final battle, Bilbo talks to Thorin right before the he dies, “‘There is more in you than you know, child of the kindly West. Some courage and some wisdom, blended in the measure’” (Tolkien 290). The dwarf king realized his original opinion of Bilbo was wrong. Thorin found that Bilbo was brave and honorable, not weak and incapable. The rest of the dwarves developed the same opinion as Thorin, “Then the dwarves bowed low before their Gate, but words stuck in their throats. ‘Good-bye and good luck, wherever you fare!’” (Tolkien 294). Originally, the dwarves were almost unwilling to take the little hobbit along on the journey, but by the end, they were struggling to say goodbye to their friend. Bilbo became more than just a burglar to the dwarves, he became a respected
Finally the last example of Bilbo’s heroism is a battle against himself when he goes to visit Smaug the first time. In The Hobbit Tolkien states “[Bilbo] fought the real battle in the tunnel alone, before he ever saw the vast danger that lay in wait” (200). Bilbo had to urge himself to continue down the tunnel to Smaug’s lair. Only a true hero would continue to walk towards a certain death, and that’s just what Bilbo Baggins did. Not only did Bilbo continue but he, being a burglar, stole a golden cup right in front of Smaug to! Bilbo is a hero for facing his fears and continuing to fulfill a promise.
By putting his life in danger Bilbo shows a true example of heroism. Though the dwarves were still skeptical of his abilities, they were starting to take into consideration of what Gandalf had said about this little hobbit. Continuing their adventure the group is attacked by goblins where they are eventually saved by Gandalf. Throughout the turmoil of the attacking goblins Bilbo gets lost in the caves and finds himself alone in the darkness. It is in this event when Bilbo finds Gollum’s ring. Gollum was a sickly looking creature that had been dwelling in the caves for many years. Bilbo used his wits to outsmart the creature by playing a riddle game with him and eventually made it to safety. Having Bilbo win the riddle game shows that his smart and witty mind aids him in becoming the hero. Bilbo wasn’t some tough strong stereotypical super hero, he used his smarts to outwit his foes and to triumph over evil. Though Bilbo at the time did not know the power of the ring that he had retrieved from Gollum’s lair (the power of invisibility), it was his heroic fate that he found it as it assist him in becoming the hero of the story. Fate has it that Bilbo will become a hero, but Bilbo also has the courage on top of his fate to get the dwarves out of life threatening situations.
“Going on from there was the bravest thing he ever did. The tremendous things that happened afterward were as nothing compared to it. He fought the real battle in the tunnel alone, before he ever saw the vast danger that lay in wait” (132). In J.R.R.Tolkien’s The Hobbit, the reader is taken through a parable that follows Bilbo Baggins on the ‘Hero’s Journey.’ This fantasy classic begins with an ‘everyman’ hobbit, Bilbo Baggins, who takes on a perilous journey to reclaim the dwarves’ homeland, The Lonely Mountain. After being spurred into action by Gandalf, the herald and mentor figure, Bilbo finds himself going on a pernicious venture that contradicts his docile nature, pushing him to play the role of
As children develop into adults, certain events and time periods stand out as the reason for important changes in their character. J.R.R. Tolkien portrayed the main character of The Hobbit, Bilbo Baggins, as a child on his trip into adulthood. Throughout The Hobbit, Bilbo Baggins, the protagonist, changes from a childlike hobbit to a fully matured hero. J.R.R. Tolkien divides the change in Bilbo's character into the three major part of the book, prior to the quest, during the quest, and after the quest.
Bilbo was in situations in which he had to fend for himself. When Gandalf, Bilbo, and the dwarves were kidnapped by the goblins, Bilbo escaped and had to survive in the Mountains by himself. He had had no companions and it had been pitch black in the tunnels. He was also in many situations in which he had to fend of his life, as well as the lives of the thirteen dwarves.
The Hobbit by J.R.R Tolkien is said to be one of the greatest children's novels of all time. The novel, due to its use of such characters as goblins, elves, trolls, giants, and others is in tradition, a fairy tale. The tale centers on a small hobbit by the name of Bilbo Baggins. It follows the journey of a band of dwarves, a wizard named Gandalf, and their robber, Bilbo on their way to retrieving treasure that had long been taken away from them. The hobbit traveled all over Middle-Earth, beginning with Bilbo's tiny hobbit-hole in the ground, to Mirkwood forest, to finally reaching the Mountain in which the dragon Smaug lives. Tolkien uses a large amount of imagery in his writing which can been seen through settings in The Hobbit. The
In conclusion, we can now see that Bilbo is in fact a dynamic character. He gains many qualities he can use in the future, like courage, learning to use his wits, and letting out the adventurous side in him. He used to be almost paranoid, to himself, and strict. But now he has turned into something much bigger, an adventurer. So the adventure changed him for the better. This is how Bilbo Baggins, the hobbit we thought would never do anything
The Hobbit begins with the introduction of the hero of the story, Bilbo Baggins. He was called upon by Gandalf to accompany him on an adventure to the Lonely Mountain, initially declining the offer. However with much persuasion, Bilbo finally decides to join Gandalf and the dwarves. At the beginning he seemed to be a burden to the party
Bilbo the Hobbit, persuaded by an old wizard named Gandalf, to set out on a quest with thirteen militant dwarves. Seized by a self-assured, fire-breathing dragon named Smaug, the dwarves went on a challenging adventure to reclaim their kingdom, retrieve back the gold that was kept inside the palace, and defeat Smaug for good. Along the way, Bilbo found a magical ring and was able to turn invisible, which is a very useful technique for rescuing the dwarves. They manage to pass many obstacles and met different types of villains. At the end, Bilbo and the dwarves did not go up against Smaug, instead Bard the Bowman from Lake-men defeated Smaug and after that the Battle of the Five Armies began.
Bilbo Baggins changes a lot in the novel The Hobbit. In the beginning he is a small peaceful Hobbit who lives in Hobbiton. He loves to keep things in order, and hates things that are disorganized. “Please be careful,” and “Please don’t trouble. I can manage” (Tolkein, 12). Then one day a wizard by the name of Gandalf comes and gives Bilbo the opportunity to go on an adventure. Bilbo turns his offer down, but the next day thirteen dwarves come to his house. They have meals together and they sleep at Bilbo’s house. Gandalf then convinces him to go on an adventure with them. Bilbo is many things, in the very begging he is flat, static, main, and he is the protagonist. By the end of the story he is round, dynamic, main, and he is still the
Bilbo Baggins is the protagonist of The Hobbit. Bilbo Baggins has curly brown hair and thick leathery feet. He was fat in the stomach and was half the height of an adult. He likes having multiple meals a day, and snacks. Bilbo also had long clever fingers. Bilbo is a very respectable individual. He enjoyed staying at home, Bilbo doing something unexpected was unheard of. Before the adventure, he thought highly of his neighbor's opinion about him. When Gandalf chose Bilbo the other dwarves thought that he was unfit for the job. The dwarves did not
Bilbo Baggins is one of the main characters of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit. Being a main character in a story, especially an adventure story, typically comes with some pretty hefty responsibilities. More often than not, the main character is also the hero. A hero is defined as “a person, typically a man, who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities,” and these are not necessarily qualities readily attributed to Bilbo Baggins (oxforddictionaries.com). This essay will look at three ways in which Bilbo contrasts the traditional characteristics of a hero and what transformations he ends up making to fit the mold more closely. It will examine his lineage, his strength, and his attitude as well as the changes he makes throughout the story.
First we can learn that we should try new things. At the start of the story Bilbo just wants to stay at home and continue with his orthodox daily routine, however he is eventually convinced to go on an adventure, and Bilbo’s adventure definitely pays off as he makes new friends and gets rich. Another lesson is that you shouldn’t let your possessions possess you. When thoran gets the Arkenstone near the end of the story, he becomes very irate he becomes obsessed with it and his friend no longer like him in fact they start loathing him because he lets his obsession with the stone take him over. The third lesson is that you need good friends, Bilbo definitely has good friends in Gandalf and the dwarves as they save his life several times. Bilbo also learns the importance of bravery. Towards the end of the story Bilbo goes out on a whim and takes the Arkenstone to the leaders of the opposing army and implores them to use it to barginn with Thorin, this is an incredible show of bravery. His actions eventually lead to the end of the conflict between the dwarves, men, and elves. Several lessons that we can apply to our own lives appear throughout “The
Loyalty is Bilbo’s greatest strength and the linchpin of his heroism. His un-yielding commitment to his friends and staunch sense of selflessness is what elevates Bilbo to a level purely reserved for heroes. This act of heroism is manifested throughout the book. From his rescuing of the dwarves from the savage spiders of Mirkwood, to his aid and abetment in rescuing the dwarves from an eternal imprisonment in the cave of the Wood-Elves, Bilbo remains loyal to his friends. However, Bilbo’s greatest test of loyalty is his handing over of the Arkenstone to Bard on the eve of “the Battle of Five Armies.”