A Heros Journey in The Hobbit

Eilene Myers

There are many stages a person must go through before they are named a hero.
A sword tells the story of a hero and the battles he has been through. Different races
can be a heros friends or enemies. Heroes are always changing to fit in the world
around them. Every hero has a grand opportunity to achieve greatness in their journey.
Lineage can take a hero far if he uses his name for good and not evil. A hero is always
driven by an idea or belief, making them a protagonist. As a hero goes along in his
journey, he must create trust with others. Even though a hero becomes strong in many
ways, they do not change who they truly are. In J.R.R Tolkiens The Hobbit, Bilbo
Baggins shows what it is like to go from ordinary to extraordinary.
In The Hobbit, Tolkien's role of the swords in Bilbo Baggins' journey is linked to a
greater part of Bilbos journey in becoming a hero. A sword that has a name shows the
story of the hero and the journeys they have been through. The swords that Gandalf
and Thorin take from the trolls cave have names because they have been through the
Goblin Wars. Though Thorin and Gandalfs swords and Bilbos knife have elven power,
Bilbo does not realize the knifes power until he is called upon to save the dwarves. The
use of an unnamed sword represents Bilbo before he transitioned into a hero. When
Bilbo got the knife, he is an ordinary hobbit with no experience of being heroic.
However, having an unnamed knife gives Bilbo room to grow as a hero. Bilbo cannot
name his knife like a sword until he has earned courage. When Bilbo fights the spiders

in Mirkwood Forest, he names his sword Sting. Bilbo had transitioned through
experience from an ordinary hobbit into a hero.
Throughout the novel, Tolkien introduced many different races of creatures.
Elves, hobbits, and dwarves are peaceful creatures that do not fight, and they are often
found being in harmony with nature. Goblins and trolls are evil creatures that take elves
and dwarves as prisoners. The goblins live underground in dark tunnels, showing their
disassociation with nature, which they are often seemingly at odds against. In Tolkiens
world, hobbits are often the most passive, being content with lounging around
lackadaisical with often no care in the world. One of the only exceptions to this is Bilbo
Baggins. His Took side is often adventurous, loving the excitement. However, his
Baggins side is almost the exact opposite. This puts Bilbo in conflict with himself.
Though Bilbos adventurous Took side wants him to go out traveling with the dwarves,
the calm, reserved, and content side of the Baggins in Bilbo makes him want to stay
home and smoke his pipe all day. This family lineage puts Bilbo in constant internal
conflict throughout The Hobbit.
Constant internal conflict in Bilbo allows him to grow more mentally, allowing him
to overcome his internal battles with fear. Bilbo becomes braver as he is able to use his
knowledge to defeat his enemies. Bravery first came to Bilbo when he had to save
himself and the dwarves from the spiders in Mirkwood Forest. With this bravery, Bilbo
becomes quick with his thinking and strategized every move he makes. For example,
when the dwarves get captured by the spiders, Bilbo saves the dwarves by using the
ring to appear invisible. By turning invisible, Bilbo is able to lead the spiders away from
the dwarves who are hanging from the trees. Bilbo then returns to the clearing and is

able to free the dwarves. The spiders, however, return and begin to attack by trying to
poison the dwarves, but Bilbo is able to fight off the spiders long enough for them to
enter a clearing where elves are feasting. Saving the dwarves has also made Bilbo
selfless because he is no longer thinking about just himself. Bilbo begins to feel much
fiercer and bolder in spite of an empty stomach because of the confidence he gained
rescuing his friends. As Bilbo progresses with his journey, his wit and courage are
becoming stronger and making him grow as a hero.
Bilbos wit and newfound courage provide him with the grand opportunity to
prove his worth. One of the most important turning points in The Hobbit is when Bilbo
kills the spider that tied him up and tried to eat him. This provides Bilbo with the resolve
to make his own decisions. The first big decision Bilbo has is when he follows the
dwarves and the elves to the Elvenkings cave to find Thorin. The dwarves, however,
are also locked up for the same reason as Thorin. Both refuse to tell the Elvenking that
they are going to defeat Smaug and take back Thorins birthright because they do not
want to share the treasure with the elves. If they are to escape, Bilbo must make a plan.
In his search for an escape route, Bilbo notices that the elves float empty barrels down
the river to Lake-Town. Using his ring, Bilbo steals the keys from the elf guard and frees
the dwarves. By placing each of the dwarves in an empty barrel and jumping on one of
them, everyone is able to escape. With his wit and bravery, Bilbo can successfully save
himself and the dwarves from the Elvenking.
Tolkien uses Thorin and Bilbos ancestry and lineage to represent the importance
of family. Thorin Oakenshield's grandfather was a well respected man. As a result,
Thorin is able to use his name to earn respect from others when he arrives at Lake-

Town. People know who Thorins grandfather is because he was the Great King Under
the Mountain. Though Thorins name represents a time of peace and prosperity, Bilbos
Took-side represents adventure. The Tooks are known for having fairies in their
ancestry. When Gandalf offers Bilbo the chance to go on an adventure, despite his
reluctance, he decides to go anyway. As a result, Bilbo is able to use his courage to
become a leader. However, the Baggins side of Bilbo still makes him want to return to
his hobbit-hole and smoke his pipe all day. Whether Bilbo realizes it or not, he is not an
ordinary hobbit, but becoming an extraordinary hero.
Bilbo changes from a normal hobbit into the protagonist by becoming the leading
character who stands for an idea or belief. In the beginning of The Hobbit, Bilbo shows
the traits of many other hobbits: comfort and complacency. Gandalf says, there is more
to Bilbo than meets the eye. The reason Gandalf says this is because he knows all of
Bilbos potential for becoming a hero. Throughout the novel, Bilbo has gone through
many physical changes. For example, Bilbo becomes more in touch with the Took-side
of himself, making him more adventurous. The most significant transformations Bilbo
has are when he battles the spiders and saves the dwarves from the Elvenking. Bilbo
also shows how he can create a plan, using the same trick he used against Gollum to
get away from Smaug. As Bilbo becomes braver, his traits of a hero become more
prominent. This allows Bilbo to transform from a leader into a hero.
Dwarves are greedy and only trust their race, making it impossible for them to be
heroes.
"The most that can be said for the dwarves is this: they intended to
pay Bilbo really handsomely for his services; they had brought him to

do a nasty job for them, and they did not mind the poor little fellow
doing it if he would; but they would all have done their best to get him
out of trouble, if he got into it. . . . There it is: dwarves are not heroes,
but calculating folk with a great idea of the value of money; some are
tricky and treacherous and pretty bad lots; some are not, but are
decent enough people like Thorin and Company, if you dont expect
too much.
Gandalf pressures Bilbo into helping the dwarves regain their lands and treasure.
Dwarves are greedy creatures that only think about themselves. Because Thorin is
giving Bilbo a share of the treasure, he expects him to do the dirty work regardless of
the danger. This forces Bilbo to develop his qualities in courage, heroism, and initiative.
For instance, Bilbo risks his life for the dwarves when he saves them from the spiders,
and he risks imprisonment when he saves them from the Elvenkings cave. However,
the dwarves eventually become comfortable with Bilbo and are willing to help him in
return. Bilbo does not become a hero for fame or glory. Bilbo becomes a hero by putting
his friends before himself. All Bilbo wants to do is return home and be lazy and smoke
his pipe.
Bilbos want to return home and smoke his pipe shows one of the most important
traits of a hero; they do not change. Heroes are those who help others out of necessity,
not for treasure or fame. Bilbo becomes a hero by completing a journey in which he
must assist the dwarves on their quest for Thorins birthright. As the novel progresses,
Bilbo is the one who transitions from ordinary to extraordinary. Bilbo never changes who

he is, but he grows in courage as he outwits his enemies. These changes make him
heroic. The Took-side of Bilbo becomes more prominent than the Baggins side, making
him adventurous. Bilbo shows the final traits of a hero when he gives the Arkenstone to
Bard and the Elvenking to stop the Battle of Five Armies. Though Thorin is a leader, only
Bilbo can be the hero. Dwarves cannot be heroes because they only think about
themselves. There is only one time where the dwarves do not think about themselves
and think about Bilbo first. The other participants of the quest become corrupted and
driven by greed; Bilbo, however, maintains his common sense, courage, and eagerness
to please.
Being a hero isnt easy. It often presents difficult and taxing challenges, as when
Bilbo battled the spiders of Mirkwood Forest, or used his wit to outsmart Gollum. The
reward at the end, however, is well worth the challenges. As Bilbo became a hero, he
saved lives. This didnt just stop with the dwarves lives in Mirkwood forest though. Bilbo
saved countless lives when he stopped the Battle of the Five Armies. Theres more to
being a hero than Bilbo shows however, and more often than not, its never as grand. A
hero to one person could be completely different than to another person. Being a hero
could be as little as putting a smile on someones face, or giving your life to save
hundreds of others, as 343 firefighters, 60 police officers, and 8 paramedics did on that
fateful day in 2001. Anybody can be a hero, at anytime.