Preview

Bilbo Baggins: A True Hero?

Better Essays
Open Document
Open Document
1410 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Bilbo Baggins: A True Hero?
Preston
English 1301
12 November 2012
Bilbo: A True Hero? What is a hero? Is it someone who possesses great strength and bravery, or is it someone who attains fame and wealth? In the world of Middle Earth that J.R.R Tolkien has created, Bilbo Baggins shows us that a hero can be quite the opposite. He is offered (and partially set up by Gandalf the wizard) to partake in an adventure as a burglar to help reclaim the bearded Dwarves’ homeland from the dragon Smaug. The little hobbit is frightened by the mere thought of danger, but the adventure in him ignites and causes him to agree. Through a series of events, Tolkien uses Bilbo’s characterization and ethics to portray the overall theme of heroism. Bilbo certainly does not possess the attributes seen in a typical hero. In most heroes, physical brute strength that aids in the heroic quest is given. Tolkien describes hobbits as “a little people, about half our height, and smaller than the bearded Dwarves,” as well as stating “hobbits are just like rustic English people, made small in size” which brings about an image of a creature not likely to accomplish much, let alone defeat a dragon (Tolkien 4). He also is not aware of much outside of his home, shown in perhaps one of the most famous lines: “Bilbo had never seen or imagined anything of the kind” in his ventures across new landscapes and mountains. Second, a sense of courage is what accompanies a typical hero on their journey, to which Bilbo does not show just yet. It is easy to see his lack of courage when “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” overtook him after he had received the invitation to go on the journey (Tolkien 5). However, his lack of heroistic qualities described in these beginning pages of the novel create a vision of an ordinary being, one that is relatable to everyone; and maybe that’s just what



Cited: CARPENTER, Humphrey. J.R.R.Tolkien : a Biography. 1977. London: Unwin Paperbacks, 1978. p.180. J.R.R. Tolkien 's The Hobbit: An Unlikely Hero Driven to Heroism. - Tolkiendil. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Mar. 2013. "The Hobbit Quotes." By J.R.R. Tolkien. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Mar. 2013. Tolkien, J. R. R. The Hobbit, Or, There and Back Again. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1996. Print. Wiklander, Cecilia. "The Image of Heroism in Tolkien 's The Hobbit." Gupea.ub.gu.se. N.p., June-July 2011. Web.

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Better Essays

    The Hobbit.

    • 1022 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Cited: SparkNotes Editors. “SparkNote on The Hobbit” SparkNotes.com. SparkNotes LLC. 2002. Web. 11 Jan. 2013.…

    • 1022 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Bilbo is his own hero when he saves himself from the clutches of Gollum and the goblins. For example,” Bilbo had escaped.” This shows he saved himself and began to show a little bit of heroicness. This is just the beginning of Bilbo becoming a hero.…

    • 249 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    In this ISP, I will demonstrate that the character Bilbo Baggins, in fact, evolved into a hero throughout the novel. I will try and prove this tentative thesis by using specific examples from the novel where Bilbo shows acts of heroism. I will also go through different stages of Bilbo becoming a hero. In doing this, I hope to show that Bilbo does become a hero. Also I want to show that Bilbo may not be the “classic” hero, where strength is measured by the might of his sword, but he is a hero in courage, and intelligence, but most importantly his loyalty to his friends.…

    • 558 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Starting out on a new adventure was different for this hobbit, not only different but foreign. Mr. Baggins starts this tale not even interested in Gandalf's plan. Bilbo does not travel at all, or at least not as much as this journey was calling for. To set out in this journey he was going to have to face an unheard of danger, something he would eventually become accustomed to throughout the novel.…

    • 1395 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    A hero is someone or something who helps others with an honorable purpose, or a person who possesses traits that others could see as the traits of a role model. In my mind, Frodo Baggins holds these heroic characteristics and, in the end, made choices to assist the well-being of his companions. Frodo’s efforts display that he is concerned for the future of all living things and does not act simply based on his own wants. For instance, when Gandalf questions Frodo of the Ring’s prospect, Frodo chooses to eliminate it. Though he would be destroyed, as well as others, it proves later that he did not do it to benefit only himself. Furthermore, in a meeting discussing the Ring’s future, Frodo volunteers to bring it to the evil land of Mordor. Any…

    • 269 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Hobbit Answers

    • 582 Words
    • 3 Pages

    2. In Chapter 5 Bilbo is alone without Gandalf or the dwarves to assist him and he has to deal with Gollum all by himself. This helps Bilbo transform and grow into a smarter, more courageous and confident little “Hero” by making his own decisions the “right” decisions, for example he could’ve killed Gollum but he felt bad and let him live.…

    • 582 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    The Hobbit

    • 349 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Answer all questions in sentence form using RACE when applicable. Restate (your question in answer) Answer (the question) Cite (use quotations from the novel as evidence) and Explain (your response).…

    • 349 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Bilbo Heroism

    • 1058 Words
    • 5 Pages

    His decisions, personality, and sense of morality makes him the hero he is without being the stereotypical warrior. Bilbo is a small hobbit with a huge heart, who changes the world differently than any other hero. He chooses the life of a savior rather than a warrior. He doesn't fight his battles through sheer strength. He shows compassion, innocence, and ethics in developing into the unique hero that Tolkien intended. Bilbo represents a hero that will ultimately contribute in shaping an ideal and peaceful world in a lighthearted and caring…

    • 1058 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Many science fiction fantasy novels have a hero or heroine. In J.R.R Tolkien’s novel the hobbit Bilbo Baggins is a hero, Even though he finds a ring of invisibility that allows him to preform surprising feats. Some of his acts of heroism are when Bilbo make his first attempt at burglary when he steals from the trolls, when he creates a plan to free his friends from the ElvenKing and follows it through and when he goes down to visit Smaug for the first time to fulfill a promise.…

    • 676 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Bilbo's Journey

    • 290 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Bilbo was a quiet, simple hobbit. He always wanted to stay in his little hobbit hole, until one day. Throughout his journey, bilbo loses this idea more and more. He instead starts to enjoy the life of adventure, and he develops as a character. Bilbo is forever changed by his journey.…

    • 290 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    The world we live in is full of heroes that are different shapes and sizes that people don't remember who they are a month after they do something. The story The Hobbit may make you think of a half sized person as an no everyday hero, but his actions will touch your heart and make you think that it's really possible to change the world around you no matter what size you are. The half sized person in this story by J.R.R. Tolkien is named Bilbo and his race is known as hobbits. In his distant homeland called the Shire, he was summoned by a wizard named Gandalf who requested he join them on a quest for treasure. This quest was probably the first time someone from his village had ventured out into the far reaches of the land. As you may know not all adventures take place with just one person and that was the not the case in Tolkien’s adventurous tale. Bilbo was to be accompanied by 14 dwarves including their leader Thorin and he was warned by Gandalf, "This adventure will change your life". The story grabbed a hold of situations that involved heroism, greed, metamorphosis, and Tolkien’s perfect example of how war has affected the world we live in today. Tolkien's The Hobbit proves someone can succeed even through adversity and danger while showing that a hobbit is more than meets the eye.…

    • 2039 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Secondly, Bilbo is a very resourceful character. He can figure out how to make things work, and he can find solutions to problems using imaginative methods. He finds somebody or some way to solve his problems. He doesn’t have the physical stature required to be able to win battles so he must rely on his wits to survive. This is all evidence of Bilbo being resourceful. He also uses the ring to become invisible, and uses barrels to get the dwarves out of the elves castle.…

    • 335 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Who Is Bilbo A Hero

    • 1666 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Bilbo was a prime example of this, since he was a common hobbit and had nothing special about him. Even though he was as traditional as the next hobbit, Bilbo was able to become a leader and grow into a hero amongst the dwarves he was with. Nowadays, people live as if there is nothing unique about them and they have no defining characteristics. With this mentality, of course nothing spectacular will be accomplished. Being a hero does not necessarily mean soaring into save lives. Becoming a hero can be as simple as leading others and encouraging them when given the chance to do so. People need to recognize this and live through it, but if they become overly comfortable, they will never experience this lifestyle. No one was born a hero; rather through individual experiences and persistence comes the traits of a…

    • 1666 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    “This is a story of how a Baggins had an adventure, and found himself doing and saying things altogether unexpected. He may have lost the neighbours’ respect, but he gained -- well, you will see whether he gained anything in the end” (Tolkien 2). The Hobbit by J.R.R Tolkien presents an unlikely hero, a hobbit named Bilbo Baggins. Gandalf, a wizard and old family friend, forces Bilbo out of his comfort zone onto a journey to recover the dwarves home and gold from the evil dragon, Smaug. Bilbo fulfills the archetypal hero’s journey with the help of his magical talismans, a ring and a sword, and facing his final ordeal illustrating the theme of character development.…

    • 766 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    “A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles.” Everyone wants to be that one person who saves the day, but most do not have the guts to do anything heroic. Some individuals might get pushed into an adventure, and maybe that ordinary individual might find out who they were really meant to be. Just like a little ordinary hobbit, Bilbo Baggins, who did extraordinary things, became a true hero. In “The Hobbit”, Bilbo Baggins goes from a hobbit to a hero by saving his friends from giant spiders,from castle dungeons, and from a terrifying dragon.…

    • 598 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays