The Unexpected Journey Essay -- Literary Analysis, The Hobbit

I. Subject The Hobbit is a novel about the adventures of a hobbit as he embarks on an unexpected adventure. The story begins by describing a humble hobbit-hole located in a world filled with magic and where mysterious creatures flourished. The home belonged to the hobbit, Bilbo Baggins. Bilbo, the protagonist of the story, lived a simple, happy life and wouldn’t want to change a thing. He dreaded anything unexpected; when a wizard named Gandalf came looking for someone to go on an adventure, Bilbo tried all he could to avoid joining. Unfortunately for him he found himself traveling with thirteen dwarfs and a wizard on a quest to take back their stolen treasure from a fierce dragon. Near the beginning of their journey, Bilbo was quite vulnerable to the dangers and was frequently rescued by the others. As he progressed through the quest, he went on his own little adventures which helped him become braver and wiser. He found the One Ring of Power which made him invisible; it served a great use for the dwarfs and especially Bilbo from when they were endangered. Gandalf had to leave the party halfway through the quest and the dwarfs feared that they wouldn’t go far without him, but Bilbo was a great help to the dwarfs as they progressed through their journey. He gained respect from the others because of his courageous feats of heroism. The group finally reached the dragon’s lair on a mountain known as the Misty Mountains. They had successfully regained the treasures, but rumors of the dead dragon’s treasure attracted creatures from all over the lands to head towards the mountain. This led to a war known as the Battle of Five Armies where the dwarfs, elves, and humans fought against the goblins and Wargs. Bilbo did not participate... ...es place in a nonexistent and unreal world or concerns incredible and unreal characters†¦ or may be employed merely for whimsical delight, or it may be the medium for serious comment on reality† (Harmon 192). The Hobbit takes place in an imaginary world with events, items, and characters that are fictional, but there are things that a person can relate in reality. Bilbo is a hobbit which is obviously a fictional creature, but, however, has realistic traits that a person in reality could also have. A sub-genre for this novel is a psychological novel. â€Å"[It] usually [emphasize] on interior characterization and on the motives, circumstances, and internal action that spring from, and develop, external action† (382). Bilbo grows physically and as well as mentally throughout his adventure. Tolkien focuses on Bilbo’s journey of maturation and how he changes at the end.