The Hobbit

THE HOBBIT

This week I read the Hobbit and watched The Color Of Magic. The Hobbit tells the tale of Bilbo Baggins' adventures beyond the Shire. The book is written from the viewpoint of Bilbo, as if he was actually the author. Bilbo is a middle-aged hobbit(age 50) when the novel begins, as he reluctantly joins Gandalf and the 14 Dwarves, lead by Thorin Oakenshield, to the Lonely Mountain. Along the way they encounter Trolls,who want to cook and eat the hobbit and dwarves, Elves and their leader Elrond at Rivendell, Goblins and Wargs, Beorn the Skin-changer, and the Men of Long Lake, among others.

The novel itself is a novel of education, in which Bilbo learns all about the outside world, the politics, the races and people, and of maturity. Bilbo also learns that the world isn't just wondrous new sights, but the evils of the world persist as well. As Tolkien was a veteran of World War I, you can absolutely see his thoughts on war echoed in Bilbo at the Battle of Five Armies. Bilbo doesn't see the point in war, as nothing is truly accomplished with all the loss.

The novel also has many of the pieces of the Heroes Journey as described by Joesph Campbell a few years after the Hobbit's publication. The Hero is a reluctant one, who is not very keen on accepting the call to adventure. He gains some courage from Gandalfs involvement as the Guardian/Mentor. The Abyss part(death and rebirth) in my mind is in the Misty Mountains, as Bilbo is separated from the rest of his group and gains his Supernatural Aid then, which allows him to transform into the Burglar he is supposed to be.