The Hobbit – A Tale of Adventure and Self-Discovery with Bilbo and Gandalf

This summer I read the book, “The Hobbit”, by J. R. R. Tolkien. It was a really interesting book with ups and downs just like any other. It was an adventure about a little hobbit named Bilbo who slowly discovers how brave and courageous he is. He is accompanied by 13 dwarves and occasionally a wizard named Gandalf. Together they face Goblins, Trolls, giant Spiders, Elves and even a dragon. There were things that I really enjoyed watching lay out and things that I felt brought the story line down. Throughout the book, I noticed that Gandalf had great confidence in Bilbo.

I love the way that he knew Bilbo had potential and wouldn’t let anyone say differently. Bilbo was a weak and timid little hobbit who had no idea what the world was like and what dangers were ahead of him. Gandalf could see the adventurous heart in Bilbo when no one else could. He had chosen him to be the fourteenth member of the team and was not going to be moved by any creature. In the beginning of the book, Bilbo is flabbergasted when Gandalf tells him that he will give him what he asked for. “I beg your pardon, I haven’t asked for anything! ” (Tolkien 7) He was so scared to think that he would have to go on such a perilous journey.

He had never been past the safe comfort of his hobbit-hole and was not ready to cross that line. Gandalf somehow knew that deep down Bilbo was longing for adventure. “In fact I will go so far as to send you in this adventure,” (Tolkien 7) He had an incredible faith for him that showed up quite a few times. Even though Bilbo did mess up, he would still stand up for him “Let’s have no more argument. I have chosen Mr. Baggins and that ought to be enough for all of you” (Tolkien 19) “I brought him, and I don’t bring things that are of no use. ”(Tolkien 85) Bilbo was extremely unsure of himself and didn’t know how he could be of help.

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Because of this, the dwarves assumed that he had no significance on their expedition and that he was even a weigh down. “You! You! You miserable hobbit! You undersized burglar! ” (Tolkien 247) They would persistently put him down, but Gandalf always took little Bilbo’s side. It was so fun to see Bilbo become the courageous, sneaky and cunning conqueror that he really was inside. He thought that he would never be able to do the things that he did. Every now and then he would start to warm up to the idea of danger but then catch himself and hide once again. It took quite a while for him to see how brave he was, but he got it in the end.

Sorry! I don’t want any adventures, thank you. ” (Tolkien 7) Later he fights giant spiders and out-talks Gollum. He turns out to be the bravest one on the expedition! He was the most valuable person and they would not have completed their quest without him. One thing that I really didn’t like was when the dragon came along. The whole book they talked about how the dragon would be the most difficult to handle. When they finally get to the mountain, all the dwarves can think about is the dragon. They have to hide by the secret door and be totally silent so that they don’t wake it. Bilbo sneaks into the mountain to spy around.

He finds the dragon and makes it so upset that it tries to destroy everything in its path. The dragon is the only thing holding them back. The thought of the battle they were going to have was exciting. They left you in the suspense of who was going to fight it and who would get hurt and still give everything. As the dragon is rampaging through Esgaroth, Bard shoots it with one arrow. The dragon falls dead. That’s it? I was definitely hoping for something more than that. I felt like they led up to it really well and then didn’t even have anything happen. The way that the characters spoke really reflected who they were.

Gollum, for example, called himself “my precious” and never spoke to anyone but himself. It was almost like his trademark. Gandalf was ‘the wise one’. His word choice made him seem mysterious like an old wizard should be. “Do you wish me a good morning, or mean that it is a good morning whether I want it or not; or that you feel good this morning; or that it is a morning to be good on? ” (Tolkien 5) On page 41, however, I feel like he ‘lost his cool’ when he yelled at Bilbo for asking an acceptable question. It seemed to make him less wise and more... cranky. Bilbo of course talked of his hobbit-hole and how he wished for food and warmth.

The dialogue of the character seemed as if it was their own. I think that they made Bilbo too old for the way he acts. He is always curious to know about things but so scared. He is never ‘just there’. Like a younger person, he is always alert and ready to see what is happening next. He is good at sneaking around and is very clever and active. T he book was very interesting, and I enjoyed reading it, but the speeds changed too much. You couldn’t feel the suspense as much because the same thing happened over and over, and they didn’t go on very long: they would get captured and then they would escape.

It was all very creative but I would have liked to be able to get into the moments more. After they get their share of money and fight the Goblins, nothing happens. That should be extremely close to the last page of the book. The story line is over, which leads to the conclusion. When Bilbo and Gandalf go back to the Hills, it is excruciatingly laid out. The next whole chapter was on their slow journey back. The overall theme was that you can think that there is nothing to you, like Bilbo thought about himself, and think that you are small, weak, and afraid, but that is all in your head.

When you set your mind to it, you can ‘get it done’, no matter how big or strong you are. “This is a story of how a Baggins had an adventure, and found himself doing and saying things altogether unexpected,” (Tolkien 4) “He suddenly felt he would go without bed and breakfast to be thought fierce,” (Tolkien 18) All of his fear was conquered and then came the confidence. “He soon realized that if anything was to be done, it would have to be done by Mr. Baggins, alone and unaided,” (Tolkien 158).

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