Hobbit Essay; Bilbo Baggins, a Hero

At the beginning of the adventure, Bilbo was a timid, little hobbit with no idea how to steal or survive outside of his little hobbit hole. When Thorin and the rest of the dwarves first meet Bilbo, they question

Many of us 7th graders think of a hero as something that has super powers. That is not always what a hero is, they could be the protagonist in a book. A hero that means a lot to me is Bilbo. Bilbo is the protagonist in the book "The Hobbit". This book is one of my favorite and I really enjoy reading it. The book is a very challenging but enjoyable at the same time. The hero's journey is the path or route that a main character takes in a book to become a savior or hero at the end of the book.

Bilbo is a timid, comfortable, and compact in his secure little hole at Bag End. Gandalf persuaded him into going on a quest with Thorin’s dwarves. Bilbo became afraid that he fainted. As the novel progresses, Bilbo prevails in the face of danger and adversity, justifying Gandalf’s early claim that there is more to him than what he thought. Bilbo’s journey fits into the tradition of a hero’s quest, because he basically went somewhere in order to gain something.

Being a hero is more than just the soldiers who put their lives before others to enable and sustain a way of life; being a hero is someone who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities. In the adventure book ‘The Hobbit’, the character Bilbo Baggins demonstrates numerous heroic traits. At the beginning of this book, Bilbo Baggins was known as a very unadventurous hobbit, one who always stayed indoors smoking pipes, and snuggling in bed. After the mysterious visit of Gandalf, (a well-known wizard), Bilbo finds the courage to leave his house and go on a life-risking adventure with thirteen dwarfs to take back what they once called home.

“I wish I could be a hero!” Many adults in today’s society hear small children wishing they could become heroes. Children wish to be more like heroes for the reason that heroes are the type of people who risk their lives to help others. Throughout history, children have had a positive connotation with the word “hero.” The heroes many small children talk about are the fictional ones who protect cities from villains: Superman, Batman, Spiderman, and others. However, these are not the only types of heroes in today’s world. Firefighters and policemen are also considered heroes because they save the lives of those in danger. Many adults consider their inspirations to be heroes, such as Mahatma Gandhi, Martin

When you think of a hero, is the first character to pop in your head a little hobbit named Bilbo Baggins? In most cases, people think of Superman or Hercules, but in The Hobbit, an unexpected hero emerges and changes the name for all heroes to come. The Hobbit is a novel about Bilbo Baggins and his journey, with thirteen dwarves and a wizard, seeking the treasure stolen by the dragon, Smaug. While on this unexpected journey, Bilbo and his companions overcome many obstacles to eventually get to the treasure and retrieve it. Throughout the story, Bilbo develops into a courageous man, who indeed, is a hero. Richard Tyre wrote an article, “You Can’t Teach Tolkien,” and he explains his theory in which he connects multiple story’s plot with six elements. The Hobbit, is assuredly a prime example of Tyre’s theory because it follows all six steps throughout the story simultaneously. The six elements are; “(1) those who hunt for treasure, (2) must go alone, (3) at night, (4) and when they find it, (5) they must leave some of their blood behind, (6) and the treasure is never what they expected” (Tyre 19). These elements are steps in which a character must take to emerge into a hero in the end. Bilbo Baggins is the hero in The Hobbit, but he doesn’t start off as the hero. He has always had heroic traits but throughout the novel, he pursues those six steps and in the resolution, he is transformed into an actual hero.

Throughout one’s life, one meets many different people, some of which seek to harm one, and some of which do not. This is also true for books: A variety of characters are introduced. Characters assume different roles of varying importance, and some seem “benevolent,” while others become labeled as “wicked.” Some guard an item or area, and yet others’ intentions are impossible to discern. These concepts especially apply to The Hobbit, written by J. R. R. Tolkien, which is an excellent example of The Hero’s Journey. The Hobbit showcases many archetypes, including Bilbo Baggins as the hero, Gandalf the Wizard as the mentor, and Smaug the Dragon as the shadow.

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.

(Ashton, 92). Specific characteristics come to mind when one envisions are hero, such as extraordinary strength and great courage. Heroes most commonly receive recognition for notable talents and remembered for their astonishing deeds and accomplishments. For example, Superman possesses superhuman strength, speed, and the ability to fly, qualities most frequently associated with heroes. However, not all heroes fit this model. Just a small hobbit from The Shire, Bilbo Baggins does not possess any great strengths or abilities, and many would view Bilbo as the antithesis to Superman. In J.R.R Tolkiens, The Hobbit, Bilbo Baggins portrays an unlikely hero due to his small size and stout appearance, his cowardly personality, and his tendency to appear as an onus to the group. However, through his actions of bravery, Bilbo demonstrates that anyone, no matter what size or shape, can perform heroic deeds.

Bilbo used to be one of the least adventurous hobbits out there. But he does things he never thought he would do, like accept the job as a burglar, and fulfills his duties as one. So in the sense, he gained an adventurous side of him he thought he never had. We see his adventurous side when he saves his friends from the prison of the wood elves. He could’ve just left them or begged the wood elf to free them, but he decided to wait for his one chance and escape with his friends. He stole the keys from one of the elves, set them free, put them into barrels and sent them all down the river. Now tell me what he did was not out of the ordinary or the least bit of adventurous. We also see his speech starting to change into an adventurer’s when he says, “I tell you the gold was only an afterthought with us. We came over hill and under hill for revenge.” First of all, he said this to the almighty Smaug, who could burn him to smithereens if he chose to. So he gained confidence as well, which came with the adventure side of him.

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.

Not only does the portrayal of Bilbo’s character and underlying courage convey his heroism, but so does his sense of ethics. This is what truly makes him a unique, caring hero. While a typical hero’s motive is wealth and fame, Bilbo gave up his share of the dwarves’ treasure to help avoid war between two nations that severely despise one another (the elf and dwarf kingdoms). The fact that he was willing to give up his wealth to avoid war and for the good of other people marks a significant aspect of his heroism and explains why he is “more worthy to wear the armor of elf-princes than many that have

These were all characteristics of the main character - Bilbo Baggins. The process of becoming a hero, which Bilbo goes through, begins with a simple knock on his door one morning. Soon Bilbo is recruited, unknowingly and unwillingly, as a burglar into Thorin’s expedition, by the mysterious wizard, Gandalf. Bilbo is soon called to adventure. This was probably the only opportunity a hobbit such as Bilbo would ever get to go on such an expedition, but Bilbo was very reluctant, at first. Bilbo was good hearted, sacrificing and loyal. He would have given up his life for the betterment of others and this is what made him a true hero. At first, he didn’t want any adventure, but then he saw Gandalf’s faith and belief in him, and he decided to go on the adventure. Bilbo, like a real hero, always made sure that he finished the work he set out to do. Without Bilbo, the dwarves would not be able to finish all the tasks that they wanted to finish. Bilbo was also the reason why the dwarves were still alive. Bilbo saved the dwarves from many different disasters. The disasters ranged from the spiders to Smaug. Through good or bad, Bilbo always showed all the characteristics of a real

That is the theme of The Hobbit, the definitive fantasy novel that birthed a generation of inspired literature. The heroism that Bilbo lacked, the heroism that he later earned in his own rite of passage. Becoming a hero is no easy feat, but we must all make our own attempts at becoming a hero. No matter how comfy and cozy we are sitting around in our holes and feasting on snacks between first and second dinner. Tolkien shows us the journey of a simple hobbit, a representative of our own laziness and cowardice, in order to encourage heroism in all who read his

Following his discovery of the ring, Bilbo begins to face danger (Mathews 36). During the trip in the forest of Mirkwood, Bilbo uses Gandalf's absence to confirm his position as leader of the group through the memorable battle against the spiders (Mathews 38). Tolkien illustrates the importance of this combat through his words: "Somehow, the killing this giant spider, all alone by himself in the dark…made a great difference to Mr. Baggins. He felt like 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. ‘I will give you a name', he said to it, ‘and I shall call you Sting.'" The author thus stresses the importance of this incident (Tolkien 154). The naming of swords at that time was a sign of that heroism displayed by great warriors, and shows that Bilbo is gaining self-confidence and bravery (The 1924). The escape from the spiders brought about another challenge, the escape from the elves. Although the elves would most likely have released their prisoners after some time because of their natural righteousness, a delay would have prevented the dwarves from entering the mountain through the secret passage. Bilbo proves that he has the mental toughness of a hero by using brilliant strategy to enable his friends to escape unnoticed by the elves (Tolkien