Category: Tolkien

“Children are meant to grow up, and not to become Peter Pans. Not to lose innocence and wonder; but to proceed on the appointed journey […] on callow, lumpish and selfish youth peril, sorrow, and the shadow of death can bestow dignity, and even sometimes wisdom.” J.R.R Tolkien, On Fairy Stories (Tolkien, 1983)

Both Tolkien and Lewis wrote about characters going on great adventures into the “unknown world”, meeting new people, and returning to their “known world” different but wiser. (Campbell, 1968) But their similarities do not end there, with both sharing similar themes through their portrayal of the journeys. Both authors use journeys to share the stories of young characters thrust into a war they were not prepared for in unfamiliar terrain, fighting their way to return home, returning both wiser and with a new sense of purpose and bravery. Both books also use the journey to represent children growing into a metaphorical adolescence, facing the hardships of growing, and returning having matured and learnt important lessons. And finally both authors use the medium of the journey of their characters to foreground Christian values, and how redemption and forgiveness can be found in religion.

At the turn of the twentieth century, fantasy fiction as a children’s literature genre was on the rise. Some have claimed this is due to the increasing urban development and industrialisation of the world, which fits with Tolkien and Lewis’ visions, as The Hobbit is set in a fictional time period which feels like a fantasy medieval period, and the land of Narnia in The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe (TLWW) is of a similar period, with swords instead of guns, no electricity, and a distinct separation between the fictional setting and the reader’s reality. The frequent use of fantasy during this time could also be seen as escapism, with The Hobbit, published in 1937 and TLWW published in 1945, both writers were creating worlds for children at a time when their own were shaped by war and forces out of their control. Fantasy fiction allowed them to escape for a time, into other people’s lives in a far off land with a predetermined happy ending, and gave them hope for their own. (Bailey, 2016)

“My dear Bilbo!” he said “Something is the matter with you! You are not the hobbit that you were.” J.R.R Tolkien, The Hobbit (Tolkien,1937)

Tolkien used his experiences of war to form his stories and their themes. If his The Lord of the Rings trilogy intended to show the “shadow of war” and its lingering destructive effects on the human soul, The Hobbit shows us the flip side; how something as terrible as war can bring out the best traits in people, foregrounding the “remarkable resilience” of the “little folk”. (Loconte, 2015) At the time of publication it had been over 20 years since World War I, and was only two years before the start of World War II. Children of the time would have been familiar with stories of war passed down from their parents. Tolkien’s approach was to both inform his young audience of the realities of war, while keeping a lighthearted tone and showing them that good will prevail and grow from their experiences. “Tolkien deals with the solemn and frightening things, but he still strives, through comical turns of phrase, to keep The Hobbit from becoming terrifying.” (Olsen, 2013)

In The Hobbit, Bilbo represents an innocent, naive young man, navigating through his mundane reality before he embarks on a journey, and finds himself in the midst of a war he is unprepared for. In the Battle of the Five Armies at the end of the book, Bilbo plays no real part in the battle, much like the children readers of the book. He was not the hero of the battle as Tolkien had been, on the frontlines of war, and Tolkien having first hand experience may not have wanted to glorify it for children. Bilbo has an experience similar to that of a child’s during the war, where his friends fight in the battle and Thorin is killed. Children too would likely have lost family members to the war. Bilbo does, however, confront Smaug, which Tolkein argued was “the bravest thing he ever did.”

Bilbo, who begins his journey as “plain Mr. Baggins of Bag-End,” and shudders in fear at the thought of a dragon, learns courage and determination as he faces new challenges on his journey, and by the time he faces Smaug he is brave enough to face the dragon on his own. Though he did not fight the battle at the end, as Tolkein said, “He fought the real battle in the tunnel alone.” (Tolkien, 1937)

Through his portrayal of war, courage and bravery in The Hobbit, Tolkein educates children on the horror and reality of war and shows how war can change a person, but he also shows that life continues and with time they will move on from their experiences having grown as people. It could also be seen that Bilbo returning home to the idyllic Shire at the end of the book parallels the child refugees of the war, returning to their homes in the city, and while their homes may not have changed, they themselves have.

“Christendom has made two efforts to deal with the evil of war — chivalry and pacifism. Neither succeeded. But I doubt whether chivalry has such an unbroken record of failure as pacifism.” C.S. Lewis, God in the Dock (Lewis, 1970)

Unlike in The Hobbit, where the child surrogate character is shielded from the true horrors of war, the children in TLWW have a more harrowing journey, fighting on the frontlines for the freedom of Narnia at a young age, as Lewis himself did, arriving at the Somme Valley in France on his nineteenth birthday. In a letter to E.L. Mascal on the topic of a ‘Just War’, Lewis stated “If war is ever lawful, then peace is sometimes sinful.” Lewis did believe that it was necessary in some cases for example as a last resort and if the ends are proportional to the means used. (Mosely, 2019)

The four siblings begin the book as ordinary children, sent to live in the countryside during the war, but though they begin their journey as young, naive children, spending their time playing “hide-and-seek” and reading, by the end they “bravely join the battle to free Narnia.” (Lewis, 1950) The children in this book begin as most children during war time, shielded from the war and danger and unable to help, but Lewis places them in a situation where they must learn and grow along their journey as they are placed at the heart of the action until they are victorious against the White Witch. At the start of World War II, Lewis attempted to re-enter the military, but his request was declined. This feeling of helplessness and the inability to protect his country may have been projected onto the children in TLWW, but he used the medium of fantasy to allow them to take part and fight in the way he wished he was able to.

“It’s a dangerous business…going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don’t keep your feet, there’s no knowing where you might be swept off to.” J.R.R. Tolkein, The Fellowship of the Ring (Tolkien, 1954)

At the beginning of The Hobbit, Bilbo is living a safe, comfortable life, shielded away from darkness in the world in the small town of Hobbiton. He begins his journey stubborn, closed-minded and child-like, as shown when Gandalf appears seeking someone to share an adventure “We are plain quiet folk and have no use for adventures. Nasty disturbing uncomfortable things! Make you late for dinner! I can’t think what anybody sees in them.” The Hobbit can be seen as a classic bildungsroman, following Bilbo through his journey to maturity, if not physically then mentally. As Poveda points out, there are many similarities between hobbits and young children, as the depiction of hobbits speaks to “the child’s inclination to hide in small places…Their habits of eating six times a day, of going barefoot…” (Poveda, 2004) Children, much like Bilbo, like to hide and feel safe and secure, and this is something Bilbo is not willing to relinquish at the beginning of his journey. However, after overcoming challenges along his journey such as facing Stone-Trolls, and saving the Dwarves from the spiders, Bilbo gains a sense of courage and confidence he did not previously possess.

When encountering Gollum, Bilbo decides to spare him rather than kill him, feeling “a sudden understanding” and pity for him. Learning empathy as Bilbo does is a key point in his development, as stated by Batson et al, “Empathy is important for morality and prosociality.” (Batson et al., 1991) Following Bilbo through his journey and discovering the world as he does allows the reader to “connect with Bilbo’s movement from innocence to experience and from egocentricity to social awareness.” From a Jungian perspective, it is suggested that Bilbo’s journey is a metaphor for the “internal process of identity construction”, through his search for maturity and seeking to build and grow himself as a person on his adventure (Hunt, 2013). This idea is further reinforced by Tolkien, as upon Bilbo’s return he is shunned and has “lost his reputation”, with the other hobbits regarding him as “queer”. (Tolkien, 1937) The other hobbits have not had the same journey and experiences as Bilbo, and therefore have not matured in the same way he has and have remained young and naive. While he may not have grown physically, by the end of his journey he has matured into a well rounded, confident person.

“When I became a man I put away childish things, including the fear of childishness and the desire to be very grown up.” C.S. Lewis, On Three Ways of Writing for Children (Lewis, 2017)

While in The Hobbit, Bilbo Baggins grows only physically, the children in TLWW mature both mentally and physically. Beginning their journey as young children, and by the end they “grew and changed as the years passed over them.” Their change in physical appearance mirrors the change they go through mentally on their journey. At the start of TLWW the children are playing and acting as normal children would, but along their journey through Narnia they grow, learning courage, responsibility, and knowledge of life they did not previously possess. Their titles at the end of the book reflect this growth, with “Peter the Magnificent”, “Susan the Gentle”, “Edmund the Just” and “Lucy the Valiant”. (Lewis, 1950) The children have grown into these personality traits they have developed over the course of their journey through Narnia, becoming well rounded and responsible rulers. Though at the end of the book, the children return to their previous forms and are in children’s bodies once more, they have mentally grown and changed, and the child readers, having gone along their journey with them, will have learned and changed alongside them, being both innocent children and well versed in the adult world simultaneously.

“Faith is an ongoing adventure, not just a one time choice: “The road goes ever on and on” as Bilbo regularly reminded Frodo. Once we hear the knock on the door and step onto the road, there’s no turning back.” Sarah Arthur, Walking With Bilbo (Arthur, 2005)

Tolkein once stated that he “cordially dislike[d] allegory in all its manifestations,” and much preferred to use ‘applicability’ as he said “one resides in the freedom of the reader, and the other in the purposed domination of the author.” (Tolkien, 1954) The Hobbit is a book which contains plenty of applicability, particularly when it comes to allusions to Christianity. This allows the inference to be made that Bilbo’s journey is a spiritual one. Making parallels between characters, Gandalf would be a substitute for Jesus, Bilbo and the dwarves being his disciples. Bilbo, much like a disciple, is chosen by Gandalf at the beginning of the story, as gandalf is searching for people to “share in an adventure” (Tolkien, 1937). In John 15:16, Jesus said, “You didn’t choose me. I chose you.” (John 15:16, The New King James Bible)

If we are following Joseph Campbell’s idea of the ‘Hero’s Journey’ then Bilbo’s call to adventure is a spiritual one. Upon embarking on the journey, Bilbo expresses his apologies as he has come without his hat, “and I have left my pocket-handkerchief behind, and I haven’t got any money.” Similarly, Jesus tells his disciples “Take nothing for the journey, neither staffs nor bag nor bread nor money”. (Luke 9:3, The New King James Bible) On his journey, Bilbo learns Christian values, such as forgiveness as he allows Gollum to live, and hope, as he tells the dwarves when they fear they are trapped “While there’s life there’s hope!” Bilbo finds a spiritual presence throughout his journey which gives him the courage to be brave and face his enemies and push on when his situation seemed dire: “when the dwarves were most despairing, Bilbo felt a strange lightening of the heart, as if a heavy weight had gone”. Bilbo goes on “An inward journey of the soul”, and the book as a whole can be read as having strong Christian morals at its core, as Thorin tells Bilbo, “If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world.” (Tolkien, 1937)

“The war against evil is the moral landscape of our mortal lives: a journey of souls degraded or redeemed, dragged into the Darkness of self or led into the Light of grace.” Joseph Loconte, A Hobbit, A Wardrobe, And A Great War (Loconte, 2015)

At the beginning of TLWW, Edmund renounces his siblings and works against Aslan, having given into the White Witch and in doing so, temptation. “Desire…gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.” (James 1:15, The New King James Bible) Edmund’s sins give birth to death, as Aslan is killed, and, in dying, follows the ‘ransom’ theory of Christian repentance as Alsan frees Edmund from the bonds of his sins.

Though there are several direct parallels between Judas and Edmund, such as Judas receiving “30 pieces of silver” in return for betraying Jesus (Matthew 27:3, The New King James Version) similarly Edmund receives Turkish delight for betraying his siblings. However, whereas Judas Escariot feels so much remorse at his actions that he hangs himself (Matthew 27:1, The New King James Version), Edmund is allowed to live and his sins are forgiven, as Aslan states “There is no need to speak with Edmund about his past.” Lewis makes a conscious choice to differ Edmund’s journey from Judas’, and in doing so teaches his child readership of a more compassionate, forgiving God. Through Edmund’s journey to finding repentance, he can show the readers to hesitate before condemning others, and to both seek and give forgiveness.

When writing for children, authors may feel it is their duty to teach their young readership morals and life lessons, to educate them on the world they are to grow up in and equip them with the tools to adapt to an adult world. Both Lewis and Tolkien do this, though in differing ways through different narratives. Tolkien uses Bilbo’s journey to show his readers a new world, and through Bilbo’s eyes they may learn the confidence and knowledge that he gains on the way. While Lewis uses the children’s journey through Narnia to educate his readers on the hard realities of the world, while also showing that kindness, forgiveness and responsibility will allow them to transition into well rounded adults. Through navigating the journeys these authors set out for them, the child readers may find assistance in developing into well-rounded, maturity.

Bibliography

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2. Bailey, A. (2016). Fiction for children in the first 40 years of the 20th century. Retrieved 17 October 2019, from https://www.bl.uk/20th-century-literature/articles/fiction-for-children-in-the-first-40-years-of-the-20th-century
3. Batson, C., Batson, J., Slingsby, J., Harrell, K., Peekna, H., & Todd, R. (1991). Empathic joy and the empathy-altruism hypothesis. Journal Of Personality And Social Psychology, 61(3). doi: 10.1037/0022-3514.61.3.413
4. Brown, D. (2012). The Christian World of the Hobbit. Nashville, Tennessee: Abingdon.
5. Campbell, J. (1968). The Hero with a Thousand Faces. New York: Pantheon Books.
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7. Hunt, P. (2013). J.R.R. Tolkien. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
8. Lewis, C. (1950). The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe. London: Geoffrey Bles.
9. Lewis, C. (1970). God in the Dock. Michigan, U.S.: Eerdmans Publishing.
10. Lewis, C. (2017). On Stories: And Other Essays on Literature. U.S.: HarperOne.
11. Livingston, M. (2006). The Shell-shocked Hobbit: The First World War and Tolkien ‘s Trauma of the Ring. Mythlore, [online] 25(1). Available at: https://dc.swosu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1290&context=mythlore [Accessed 17 Oct. 2019].
12. Loconte, J. (2015). A Hobbit, a Wardrobe, and a Great War. Nashville, Tennessee: Thomas Nelson.
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14. Olsen, C. (2013). Exploring J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit. New York: First Mariner Books.
15. Poveda, J. (2004). Narrative models in Tolkien’s stories of middle-earth. Journal Of English Studies, 4(4). doi: 10.18172/jes.84
16. Tolkien, J. (1937). The Hobbit. London: Allen & Unwin.
17. Tolkien, J. (1954). The Fellowship of the Ring. London: Allen & Unwin.
18. Tolkien, J. (1983). The Monsters and the Critics, and Other Essays. London: Allen & Unwin.

“Change is a good thing.”, a common idea during the 1930’s and the rest of the modernism era. Due to this idea, many modernists of the time were inspired to bring change to their world through their work and art. For literature, this meant taking on a new point of viewing the world. Therefore, many authors’ work and thoughts of that time did not reflect or compare with previous works of literature. The need for change and rebellious attitude of modernism shifted world views and affected many literary works through themes such as war and quest for discovery.

To begin with, modernism began in the 1900’s and lasted through 1930’s. According to Miami Dade College, the foundation to modernism was “the rejection of European culture for having become too corrupt, complacent and lethargic, ailing because it was bound by the artificialities of a society that was too preoccupied with image and too scared of change.” The yearning desire for change inspired modernist thinkers to think differently and defy tradition. The 1930’s were known as a time of depression for not only Britain but for the whole world. Every industrial country’s economy was in poor condition and poverty, unemployment, and homeless rates were extremely high. Therefore, modernism came forward as a way for artists and writers to bring change to their world and society. Also, mentioned in Miami Dade College, “The modernists believed that for an individual to feel whole and a contributor to the re-vitalization of the social process, he or she needed to be free of all the encumbering baggage of hundreds of years of hypocrisy.” This proves how people’s views shifted and therefore, the modernism era was born.

In addition, the politics of this time also helped flourish modernism. For instance, although the Great Depression affected everyone in different classes, it struck the poor and the middle-class worse. According to History in Context, the situation impacted the lower classes because “jobs were nowhere to be found; many sharecroppers were thrown off their farms; malnutrition and despair were constants”. Also, the British government became corrupt. For example, Britain’s king, George the Fifth, was battling with a life-threatening illness and as a result Ramsay MacDonald became the Prime Minister of Britain. However, MacDonald’s party did not fully support him which lead to him being kicked out and Labour leaders believed it was the king’s fault. Going from traditional monarchy to more of a democracy with a prime minister was a huge change for the British people. While this was a positive change toward modernism, it created a sense of insecurity in Britain. This showed many people of the time that they could not fully rely on the government to fix the situation and therefore helped shape the rebellious attitude which is at the very foundation modernism.

Additionally, the people’s lifestyle of the modernism era also shifted. New technological advances gave shape to a more civilized society. According to MDC Education, technology affected people in two ways: “they created an optimistic aura of a worldly paradise, of a new technology that was to reshape man into moral perfection” and “the new technology quickened the pace through which people experienced life on a day to day basis”. These life-changing innovations also helped change the attitude of people during this era. However, while a shift in society in general was emerging, women and minorities were still treated and seen the same.

According to The Literature Network, “women, minorities, and the poor were marginalized to the point of utter silence and inconsequence.” Nevertheless, it also states that “Women like Hilda Doolittle and Amy Lowell became leaders of the Imagist movement.” The Imagist movement was a literary movement in which clear, precise imagery and language are used (Poetry Foundation). This proves that although women were still not given much credit, they slowly started to get a name for themselves in literature.

Moreover, the art during the modernism period marked the end and the beginning of a new century. According to Gale Literary Sources, artists at the time worked “in direct engagement with … artistic uncertainties.” They struggled with whether to write about ethical demands or to write something using different techniques. Therefore, the artists of the time were experimenting and trying new thing. In fact, a huge inspiration for them during this time was freedom and passion. As mentioned in Miami Dade College, “artist were now beginning to break all of the rules since they were trying to keep pace with all of the theoretical and technological advances that were changing the whole structure of life.” For example, Pablo Picasso experimented by creating a new form of art known as cubism. On that note, writers of that time “believed in poetry’s ability to change society” and established new ways of seeing reality.

Examples of writers in the modernism era are John Steinbeck, Henry Miller, Margaret Mitchell, and F. Scott Fitzgerald. According to 1930’s Culture, their work consisted of being straightforward and bringing up the flaws in society. For instance, John Steinbeck wrote about the struggle for the poor and the middle-class to make a decent and honest living for themselves. His most famous novel is called The Grapes of Wrath in which focuses on a poor family during the Great Depression. Henry Miller. Another novel written in by a modernist author is The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald which is about a man who becomes wealthy but is never really accepted by the upper class. These novels illustrate how modernist attitude and society helped inspire their themes.

That said, J.R.R. Tolkien is also an infamous writer of the 1930’s/ modernism era and continues to be an influential writer. As mentioned in Gale Literary Sources, Tolkien’s full name is John Ronald Reuel Tolkien and he was born on January 3, 1892 in Bloemfontein, South Africa. Because of the heat of South Africa, Tolkien’s family decided to move to England. However, about a year after they moved, when Tolkien was nine years old, his father, Arthur Tolkien, died. Not too long after, Tolkien’s mother also departed. As a result, J.R.R. Tolkien and his brother were forced to live in foster homes until he went to Exeter College in Oxford. As an adult, Tolkien enlisted as a lieutenant during World War I. During the Battle of the Somme, he witnessed the horrors of war and soon after was released from duty because he got sick. While in the military, he married Edith Bratt in 1916. After the war, he became a professor at Oxford University and during that time, he published his most famous books, The Hobbit and The Lord of The Rings series. Tolkien then retired as a professor in 1959 and continued writing. Some of his later works included Tree and Leaf and Smith of Wootton Major. J.R.R. Tolkien’s life unfortunately ended on September 2, 1973 at 81 years old. He and his wife, however, had four children so his legacy was carried on. Interestingly, The Hobbit began as a bedtime story for his children.

As mentioned before, most authors of the 1930’s/ modernism period were blunt and focused on the imperfections of society contrary to J.R.R. Tolkien. Tolkien would write about fantasy. Although the authors of the 1930’s also wrote in the fiction genre, Tolkien would create and write about different worlds entirely. In fact, the entire novel of The Hobbit takes place in middle earth, a place created by Tolkien himself. This is known as escape fantasies. Escape fantasy was created in the 1930’s in order to escape the hardships of the Depression. In fact, J.R.R. Tolkien is recognized as the originator of the modern fantasy genre. Therefore, The Hobbit and other of his works are categorized under fantasy.

Furthermore, The Hobbit is an example of literature written during the modernism era having been published on September 21, 1937. This novel was J.R.R. Tolkien’s first children’s book and is about a made-up creature called a hobbit that goes on an adventure. The story is told in the perspective of a content hobbit named Bilbo Baggins. The tone of this novel is mysterious and cautious. Throughout the novel Bilbo Baggins goes on an adventure to help get dwarves their homeland back. However, Bilbo consistently thinks about the comforts of his home and ponders why he decided to go on the adventure in the first place. Because of this, it creates a hesitant tone because the hobbit questions himself every step of the way and since he is discovering places he has never been to before, it creates a mysterious tone because readers do not know what to expect. It is also a reflection of society and how it is easier to stay home, be a good host, and accept the status quo, however, one can not ignore the frustrations that come with following tradition and not challenging what is expected: change is rarely comfortable. The mood of this novel is cautious because while on their journey, there are many encounters with evil and dangerous creatures such as giant spiders and trolls and as a result, they are always keeping an eye on their surroundings. A major theme of this piece of literature is exploring the unknown and war. As mentioned before, although Bilbo was comfortable in his homeland, The

Shire, he decided to go out and help the dwarves and the thought of everything being new to him is constantly repeated throughout the novel. This goes hand in hand with the theme of discovery that is prominent in modernism. Also, since the dwarves and the hobbit regularly run into trouble, they have to fight evil creatures which illustrates the theme of war which is also evident in modernism. At the beginning of the novel, Gandalf, the wizard that introduces the adventure to Bilbo, explains how the dwarves’ home was taken over when a dragon terrorized the city for their gold setting the stage for both themes of modernism; war and discovery.

To continue, there are many aspects that inspired Tolkien to write The Hobbit, or There and Back Again. To start off, his infamous novel began as a simple bed-time story to his children. In other words, his kids are the reason the idea of this novel even began in the first place. As mentioned in Gale Literary Sources, “The Shire is often regarded as an idealized vision of a pre-industrial (and thus, in Tolkien’s eyes, prelapsarian) England. Tolkien himself told his publishers his depiction was ‘more or less a Warwickshire village of about the period of Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee.”. This shows that his hometown in England inspired the setting of his novel. In this source, it also mentions that The Hobbit was inspired by writings, languages, and fantasies by Icelandic linguistics because he studied this as a student and a professor. Another thing that affected his novel was the situation of the time. Being part of the Depression, as said earlier, people felt the need to escape. This was no exception for Tolkien. In other words, due to the need to escape, he created a novel in which help do so. While many believed The Lord of the Rings was based off World War II, Tolkien rejected these ideas. In fact, he believed that history should be told as it is and his books had no ‘inner meaning or ‘message”.

He said that the way readers interpret his novels may give off the idea of the book having allegory therefore, there is not a lot of symbolism or a deeper meaning in his novels.

Overall, modernism and J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit connect because of the attitudes and tone within the era and novel. While the author created his own genre, he still managed to stay true to the main characteristics of modernism such as discovery, war, and the desire for change. In fact, it is seen that by creating fantasy genre, he was experimenting and as said before, this was a huge part of this era. Finally, the theme of the novel was connected to the essence/ ideals of the entire modernism period: discovering something new in oneself and the world. Even though the protagonist is a hairy-footed, made-up creature, his vulnerability and courage embody everything the people of the time were yearning to be. They too were subject to war, inconsistencies of power, and economy, yet, they sought the adventure of change.

In conclusion, modernism was about bringing about a change the change one wants to see in society and experimentation. As shown in many works of the time, from Picasso’s cubism to Tolkien’s Middle Earth, modernism brought forth a sense of reinvention and individualism, a sense of hope for something new and better.

Works Cited

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14. Williams, Janice. ”The Hobbit’ Anniversary: What Inspired J.R.R. Tolkein’s Iconic Book?’ Newsweek. Newsweek, www.newsweek.com/hobbit-jrr-tolkien-anniversary-inspiration-668989.

In this essay, we are going to discuss the relation between The Hero’s Journey Model by Joseph Campbell and how his storytelling structure applies to Tolkien’s The Hobbit movie by Peter Jackson. In order to give some context, we need to ask the right questions. What is the Hero’s journey? How can we apply it to The Hobbit? What is the definition of a hero and what kind of hero does Tolkien use in The Hobbit?

‘In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat: it was a hobbit-hole, and that means comfort. ’(Tolkien,1937) That is how Tolkien began writing The Hobbit, at first John Ronald might have not even known what a Hobbit was, as weird as it may sound, at that moment Tolkien himself might have been possessed by the world he was about to create.

The ideas presented by Campbell in his book are used to analyse and study novels and their structures. There is nothing new on this book that has not been seen before, the ideas on it are ancient. What Campbell did was putting all his thoughts and structures together, that is how he discovered the pattern behind every story ever written. In his study, he discovered that in essence, all stories are the same. They might vary and may be told differently but they all come back to the same steps.

It would be interesting to note that The Hobbit was written and published many years before Campbell began doing his study on The Hero’s Journey. This journey is something that everyone has in themselves as if it was part of us and our DNA when we make up stories in either bigger or smaller ways, we have the tendency to use a certain approximation of the formula that Campbell theorised.

So what makes up the Monomyth? There are three levels of detail; which would consist of The Departure, The Initiation and The Return. So The Departure is leaving or the existing of the non-magic world where the character lives, which comes more apparent later on, the departure is focused on this idea of moving away. It gets broken down into different parts, that being The Call To Adventure, The Refusal Of The Call, The Supernatural Aid, The Crossing Of The First Threshold, and The Belly Of The Whale.

The next stage of the cycle is the Initiation, is not in the sense of getting started on something but the things that the hero does to get initiated into the world of the magical and the fantastic. The purpose of the Hero’s journey is to take a character out of normality then change them in some way, and finally return them in their improved state.

The heroes journey in The Hobbit (2012-2014) begins with the first phase, known as “The Departure”, this departure is not done right away, there are a series of steps we need to have in mind for it to take place as necessary and as natural as possible. In the first instance “Bilbo” the protagonist lives his life on a routine in The Shire, and that is how it is portrayed as a monotonous and unaltered space. Nothing changes and Bilbo likes that. Stevens. T argues that ‘The hobbits and their reality are designed to represent its readers in an idealized and over simplistic way. Readers can often see their own world within Tolkien’s book’ (Stevens. T , 2015). The fact that the hobbits are presented in that way allows for the spectator to sympathise with the protagonist on a deeper level. When Gandalf shows up to carry out the second step of the journey, the call to an adventure, the wizard lets Bilbo know that he requires someone to take on an adventure. But carrying on with the third step “Denial”, Bilbo refuses and locks himself upon his home.

Acceptance after denial.After the visit from this wizard, Bilbo is presented with a multitude of dwarves showing up to his house, his manners stop him from throwing these people out and that is when he hears of the task he was sought for. It is then that Gandalf confesses choosing the hobbit was his idea and how he wants him to be part of the party for the expedition as a smuggler, ‘While Tolkien endows his wizard with a number of stock-comic attributes’(Stevens. D, Stevens. C, 2008, pp 17-25).

The figure of Gandalf plays a huge role in the transformation that Bilbo will suffer, becoming his mentor will allow Bilbo to grow. Christopher Vogler says that, ‘The Call to Adventure may come in the form of a message or a messenger. It may simply be a stirring within the hero’ (Vogler, C ,2007, pp 100.) Here we see how it was crucial for Gandalf to push the hobbit for the adventure, his influence made him start the journey. When the hobbit decided on taking this adventure The Crossing of the first threshold began. That is the first instance of the character development of Bilbo, where he decides he will take on something he had never done before, that is more apparent later on when the company needs camping to rest, and Bilbo is dragged to look for the pony the dwarf brothers lost. They then come across a group of “Trolls” wanting to cook their pony.

Bilbo is tasked with the freeing of the animal but gets caught by the trolls, the dwarves join later on trying to free their hobbit friend, but have to surrender or the hobbit would be tear apart. They all get caught by the creatures, soon to be eaten. It is at this point that there is a change on Bilbo’s character, he proceeds to explain to the trolls the disadvantages of eating dwarves, just trying to buy their friends some time, which then Gandalf uses to transform the trolls into stone with the suns light. Bilbo wouldn’t have done this sort of thing on The Shire, and it is at this point that the transformation that all characters go through in the journey of Campbell begins. The changes in Bilbo’s character are more obvious, he becomes less lazy, more outgoing, less timid.

Campbell (2008) said that ‘the hero is the man of self-achieved submission. But submission to what?’. I would define a hero as someone who gives up their life to something that they find above them, but this definition of a hero could be attached to a villain or a fan since it does not require the reason that makes the hero sacrifice.

The next stage is Belly of the Whale, Bilbo’s transformation has begun, though he might not know it yet, something is about to change. There is a clear division between what is known to Bilbo and what he can become. Bilbo begins this stage when travelling through the mountains, they come across some dangerous rainstorms and two massive Stone Giants fighting each other. This makes the group look for shelter, which they find in a cave. Bilbo tries to leave the rest as he feels he does not belong with them and he is not good enough to help the dwarves on their mission. That does not last long as some floor traps swing open and they fall deep underground.

The Road Of Trials goes next, the movie will focus on this step most of the time, as it contains the main events for the character to develop and experience. Bilbo is left alone and falls deeper underground on a fight with a goblin, this allows him to find the One Ring, this item will grant invisibility and a new strategy for Bilbo. He encounters Gollum, the original owner of the ring. They get on a game of riddles to survive, Bilbo ends up winning due to a trick, the halfling is able to scape the cave without killing the creature, as he feels piety and compassion. George Clark says that ‘the successful outcome of the adventure depends on Bilbo’s physical and moral courage and on his moral choices’. (Clark. G, 2008, pp 43-58) . When choosing not to end Gollums life, on an unconscious way he has saved his own life and has changed the fate of all beings. Later, he reunites with his friends, they are being hunted by the Pale Orc, that is when the protagonist jumps in to help Thorin after he is knocked out. There is a clear change on Bilbo’s charisma when he is the one willing to fight, knowing there is no chance for him surviving. Hogen. J( 2016), mentions how Peter Jackson’s adaptation to Tolkien’s book makes Bilbo more physical, how he would not have grown as much on the book. I would add that it is important for the personality development of the protagonist as it creates a stronger relationship between Thorin and Bilbo, Thorin finally recognises the Hobbit’s value.

The journey to The Lonely Mountain resumes after they are rescued by giant eagles, The Road Of Trials carries on as they will continue to face more and more challenges. The ones I would like to stand out are the fighting against the giant spiders and the liberation of the dwarves from the Black Forest Elves. The first encounter with the spiders play a huge change on Bilbo’s personality after they all get caught due to dizziness and exhaustion, the hobbit manages to wake up and free himself from the spiderwebs then he attempts to free his friends. I would consider this the initiation of Bilbo into becoming a greater warrior. He has learnt to combine his boldness with his sword skills and the magic powers of the ring. There is a small encounter with a baby spider, Bilbo suddenly loses possession of the ring, and tries to kill the spider whilst looking for it. It is at this point that he is aware of the power that the ring is inflicting on him. Before he might have not killed the spider at all, for either cowardness or pity, but not this time as he feels more comfortable with his abilities and the influence of the ring on him.

There would be another example where the hobbit is able to use these newly acquired abilities to free the dwarves once again when they get caught by the Elves. He uses the ring’s invisibility powers to get them out of their prison. The departure of Gandalf was necessary for Bilbo to obtain this growth for himself since he had always been protected and guided by others. But at this time he is the one in charge of his decisions. ‘He does not need to kill a dragon or defeat evil creatures in order to be a hero; he becomes a hero with a big heart, who changes the world in a different way than by fighting battles or trough raw strength. ’ (Saputra. H, 2019) The next step is The Woman as Temptress as in this stage Bilbo will face the temptation of abandoning his friends to keep the Gem.The term “Woman” is referred to the “Arkenstone”, it has the power to make the worst out of Bilbo and to ruin the whole adventure. But in the end, he chooses the better good and tries to use the “Arkenstone” to stop the war between Humans and Elves.

‘He shows a great courage and non-selfish decision when he stands against his companions and chooses peace and harmony instead of wealth. ’ (Bouabdallah, Graine 2019, pp 52) Helen Parshal on the other hands says that ‘Hobbits, however, show the full trajectory of what courage means: starting from a place of innocent fear, acknowledging the fear and its limitations, and then harnessing those fears to do what must be done for the greater good. ’Helen Parshal (2014).They all mention courage, in the case of The Hobbit (2012-2014) that is something that has been developing thought the movies, due to the adapting of Bilbo to his environment and circumstances. He is more developed and as a consequence a better hero. As well as his sense of self-sacrifice for the greater good, it would be arguable that he has been doing this for his benefit, although the end goal is to help others.

The last phase of the journey would be The Return, it is at this stage that the hero is fully developed and changed completely. When Bilbo returns to The Shire, he is a new person, he is not bothered by things that would have made him lose his nerve in the past, he is more grounded and less worried now. The last step of the journey, Freedom To Live, refers to not fearing death, as we get to see on The Lord Of The Rings at the end(2001-2003). Bilbo goes to The Undying Lands with Gandalf and the Elves, to spend his remaining days in peace. He is happy with his choices which shows that in the end, he had the freedom to live. ‘They are content with their life and does what pleases them’ (Levin. C, 2016). I would like to point out that the choices Bilbo made on The Hobbit (2012-2014) had the biggest impact on the future of the world, since Bilbo keeping the ring and returning home with it is what sets the next call for the adventure in Tolkiens next book, The Lord Of The Rings(2001-2003), where Frodo will carry on his uncle’s journey on becoming a hero, thus resetting the cycle of the Hero´s Journey.

As a conclusion of this essay, The Journey presented here is a tool widely used and is commonly a success for either books or movies scripts. But we need to have in mind that The Hero’s journey is not a recipe or formula that needs to be followed every time, it only contains the steps, and that does not mean is applicable to every story. Likewise, The Hobbit (2012-2014) does follow those steps set by Campbell in his books, though Tolkien did not use this scheme when writing his book nor did Jackson when doing his movie, I believe that the creation of The Hobbit (Tolkien,1937) itself might have contributed greatly to the books and the theory presented by Campbell.

Bilbo is the best instance of an ordinary hero as a protagonist, like every other hobbit he values home, becoming the example of the ordinary man involved in an adventure. Bilbo is presented insecure and sometimes funny, nevertheless, the hobbit gets more experience with each adventure. Bilbo starts becoming more of a leader inside the group and his self-confidence increases too. The purpose of the journey of Bilbo character consisted of allowing him to grow enough to realise how small he was in regards to the world around him. The most valuable attribute that he gets is humbleness.

Bilbo is a hero because of the virtues of his sensible character, and that is noticeable when he shows mercy on Gollum or when he resigns on his part of the treasure. Bilbo’s decisions are what make him a hero, however, the rejection of heroes stereotypes is what makes him the ideal ordinary hero, honest and generous.

The Gaia Hypothesis provides helpful context when trying to fully understand and appreciate Tolkien’s themes of environmentalism and stewardship in his writings. Coined by a British scientist named James Lovelock in 1968, this theory is founded on the notion that the planet Earth is an ecosystem united by living and nonliving components alike. For this interconnected, international ecosystem to thrive, all aspects of the environment must be working together at all times. Just as living organisms require the resources of their natural surroundings to survive, the physical environment must simultaneously be protected by the living beings that reside there. While Tolkien never referenced this scientific theory specifically, the Gaia Hypothesis is exemplified in Tolkien’s writings. In a 1955 letter to one of his publishers, Tolkien stated, ‘There are of course certain things and themes that move me specifically… I am (obviously) much in love with plants and above all trees, and always have been, and I find human maltreatment of them as hard to bear as some find human ill-treatment of animals.’ In saying this, Tolkien expressed the essence of the Gaia Hypothesis in his own way by suggesting that humans must always be considerate of the physical environment that sustains them. Knowing that Tolkien held the environment in such high regard is an important foundation to his published works, as his stories often suggest an underlying message of environmentalism.

Beginning with one of Tolkien’s most well-known short stories, ‘Leaf by Niggle’ showcases environmental thinking through the artistic considerations of the main character. In the story, Niggle dedicated as much of his time and attention as he possibly could to painting a magnificent tree one intricate leaf at a time. Niggle saw this project as his life’s greatest accomplishment, as the Tree was his own creation. Though Niggle desperately wanted to finish his painting, it seemed as though he could not escape the world’s interruptions and setbacks. Just as humans often make decisions that are bad for the environment because of convenience or their daily routines, Niggle was constantly placed in a compromising tension between fulfilling his everyday responsibilities and making decisions that would be beneficial to the progress of the Tree. While he was forced to choose duties such as helping his neighbor from time to time, it is clear that Niggle was still very dedicated to the Tree, as he always considered the Tree before making his decisions. In reference to Niggle’s dedication to the Tree, Tolkien wrote, ‘Every tree has its enemy, few have an advocate.’ This sentiment exemplifies environmental thinking in suggesting that we must advocate for nature’s survival when making everyday lifestyle choices.

Niggle’s dedication to completing the Tree is only the beginning of Tolkien’s appreciation for nature made apparent in ‘Leaf by Niggle.’ Due to a series of unfortunate events beyond his control, Niggle was unable to finish his painting before it came time for his elusive journey. However, when Niggle reached the final destination of his journey, he found his project complete, as the Tree he had worked so hard to finish had even come to life. ‘The conclusion of the story shows how simultaneously important and insignificant is Niggle’s own contribution to the Great Tree…’ Niggle’s life-long dedication and tireless, wholehearted efforts to his artistic vision are significant, for the Tree could not have been completed without Niggle’s hard work. In this, Tolkien encouraged readers in their individual lives to care for the environment with the same persistence and commitment as Niggle showed the Tree. In a different light, however, Niggle’s dedication alone was not enough to complete the Tree, conveying the message that it takes more than just a single individual for the environment to thrive. Just as suggested in the Gaia Hypothesis, Tolkien showcased the interconnectedness of the environment with the notion that it takes many different parts of the ecosystem working together for the natural world to thrive.

While ‘Leaf by Niggle’ more directly addresses issues relating to the environment, many of Tolkien’s other works take a more subtle approach to environmentalism. Tolkien’s environmental considerations extend far beyond his short stories to some of his most well-known novels, including Hobbit. The story of The Hobbit begins in the peaceful bliss of the Shire that fills the opening pages of the novel with the hobbits’ warm, pastoral environment. The hobbits who lived in the Shire were not concerned with adventures, material wealth, or riches. Rather, Bilbo Baggins and the other hobbits led simplistic lifestyles sustained by the environment. By showcasing Bilbo’s simple and eco-friendly lifestyle, Tolkien highlighted a stark contrast between the peaceful lands of the Shire and the rest of Middle Earth. While hobbits like Bilbo tended to lean more towards valuing safety for themselves, their community, and their environment, the overwhelming majority of the characters Bilbo encountered throughout the story outside of the Shire were consumed with their hunger for wealth and power.

While Tolkien’s themes of greed and materialism manifest in many ways throughout the novel, one of the earliest and most significant examples of this phenomenon appears in a character named Gollum. When Bilbo encountered Gollum, Gollum’s sole purpose in life was to protect the powerful ring he possessed. While Gollum’s life had been overtaken with an obsession with his precious ring by the time he is introduced in The Hobbit, his life had not always been this way. Before discovering the ring, Gollum was a hobbit who lived a peaceful life sustained by the environment. However, after a taste of power from the ring, the hobbit could never again be content with a simple, environmental lifestyle. After leaving the other hobbits and his peaceful home, Gollum then isolated himself forever in the vast darkness of a cave with only his precious ring. Many scholars suggest that Tolkien used this stark contrast in Gollum’s environment and character development to take a powerful stance on the destructive nature of industrialization, which in this case shines through the power of the ring. ‘When looking at the character of Gollum as a hobbit corrupted and deteriorated, we see the effects of industrialization on a being who had a deep, meaningful connection to the natural world.’ After becoming obsessed with the ring, Gollum did not have the capacity to care for himself, let alone the environment. His actions were driven solely by his selfish desires for material wealth, and this immense greed ultimately led to Gollum’s destruction. The Gaia Hypothesis suggests that each part of the environment can only thrive through healthy relationships between the living and nonliving elements of the ecosystem. Supported by this hypothesis, Tolkien presented the idea that Gollum’s extreme greed destroyed his relationships with everyone and everything around him, including the environment, his hobbit community, and ultimately himself.

While Gollum’s greed is an indirect example of the negative effects of materialism on the environment, Tolkien provided a more vivid example later in the story through the dragon Smaug. When Bilbo, Thorin, and the dwarves finally arrived at the Misty Mountain, Bilbo was tasked with entering Smaug’s cave full of gold and riches. Bilbo only stole a golden cup from the cave, but even this one measly cup missing from the mountaintop was enough to send Smaug into an extreme rage that led to the destruction of an entire ecosystem. Infuriated and seeking revenge, Smaug destroyed the entire city of Lake-town without a single regard to the environment or the people who live there. Due to an overwhelming sense of materialism across the board, this extreme destruction is followed by the violence and wrath of the Battle of the Five Armies, which is fought over Smaug’s remaining wealth. Tolkien uses this theme of destruction to show how materialism and greed can easily bring out the worst in people, driving them to evil, unthinkable acts of violence and wrath that destroy their relationships with themselves, those around them, and the environment.

‘The Hobbit, or There and Back Again’ is one of the most critically acclaimed pieces of literature ever produced, with over a hundred million copies sold already and more being picked off the shelves every day. The author, J. R. R. Tolkien, originally wrote The Hobbit for the amusement of his own children, as noted by Christopher Tolkien in 1937; ‘Daddy wrote it ages ago, and read it to John, Michael and me in our Winter “Reads” after tea in the evening.’ Thus, it is clear that children are the implied readership of Tolkien’s cult classic.

The author manifests the status of the book as a piece of children’s literature by employing a simple plot design and various kinds of word plays while keeping explicit brutal and sexual descriptions or even an allusion to the said themes, and other adult themes at bay. The linguistic style used by the author may be described as whimsical by a few, but it is most suitable for children, the book’s intended audience. The names of the dwarves in the company of Thorin Oakenshield are rhyming such as ‘Dwalin and Balin’, ‘Kili and Fili’, ‘Dori, Nori and Ori’, ‘Bifur, Bofur and Bombur’ and ‘Oin and Gloin’. While these names are amusing, they are also easy to remember for children at the same time.

The game of riddles between Bilbo Baggins and Gollum is an extravagant linguistic playfulness that a child would adore, especially considering the fact children love riddles. Moreover, it nurtures the intellect and challenges the thinking capacity of the readers as they subconsciously try to answer the riddle themselves before the answer is revealed by the author. The book is full of various mirthful and beguiling songs and poems, all of which serve a specific purpose as well. The song ‘Far over the misty mountains cold’ in chapter 1 describes the once glorious kingdom of Thrór, King under the Mountain, its ruination by the mighty Smaug and at the same time foreshadows the perilous journey the company of dwarves and the hobbit must undertake in order to reclaim their gold.

The song ‘Clap! Snap! The black crack!’ sung by the Goblins in chapter 4, though whimsical, serves a purpose of inspiring terror and narrates what the Goblins do to those whom they have captured, which here refers to the company of dwarves and the hobbit. The songs ‘Old fat spider spinning in a tree!’ and ‘Lazy Lob and Crazy Cob’ in chapter 8 are the amusing pieces composed by Bilbo Baggins, apparently at the spur of the moment. It served the purpose of distracting the Great Spiders in Mirkwood while Bilbo Baggins liberated his companions.

One of the most interesting poems in The Hobbit is ‘The King beneath the mountains’, which prophecises the fate of Esgaroth once Thorin becomes the King under the Mountain. The prophecy did come true, but not in a way that the folk of the Lake-town imagined.

The folk of the Lake-town imagined ‘the rivers golden run’ and ‘The lakes shall shine and burn’ which is a metaphor for flourishment of businesses in the Lake-town. The prophecy’s word proved to be true, quite literally, when the mighty Smaug set the Lake-town ablaze. The absense of explicit language to describe brutal scenes, even when the situation demanded it, is also observed. In chapter 4, Gandalf kills the Great Goblin and the author describes it as “Suddenly a sword flashed in its own light. Bilbo saw it go right through the Great Goblin as he stood dumbfounded in the middle of his rage. He fell dead, and the goblin soldiers fled before the sword shrieking into the darkness.”

Tolkien describes the killing blow simply as “…go right through the Great Goblin…”. There is no mention of any blood or gore, which would have made much sense here as the Great Goblin is an insinuating personality who the readers are impelled to loathe right from the instance he is introduced as a character. He refers to the dwarves as ‘miserable persons’, ‘thieves’, ‘liars’ and ‘murderers’. The destruction of Esgaroth by the mighty Smaug was another rampage in the book which is described by the author as follows; “A sweep of his tail and the roof of the Great House crumbled and smashed down. Flames unquenchable sprang high into the night. Another swoop and another, and another house and then another sprang afire and fell, and still, no arrow hindered Smaug or hurt him more than a fly from the marshes.”

The destruction of Esgaroth is described vividly. There are clear mentions of loss of property, however, there are only allusions to the loss of human life. There is no blood or gore whatsoever, which makes it suitable for children. Even the most brutal battle of the book, The Battle of the Five Armies, is linguistically pacified to conceal the explicit brutality of the battle. The author simply writes ‘It was a terrible battle. The most dreadful of all Bilbo’s experiences, and the one which at the time he hated most – which is to say it was the one he was most proud of and most fond of recalling long afterwards, although he was quite unimportant in it.’

A prominent feature of children’s books is a child protagonist (or a childish protagonist in case the protagonist is not a human). A few of the most successful pieces of literature written for children that were published before The Hobbit, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll, for example, and those that were published after The Hobbit, The Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling, for example, feature a child protagonist. The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe by Tolkien’s friend and peer, C. S. Lewis, which was published around the same time as The Hobbit, also feature child protagonists. At first glance, this prominent feature of children’s literature seems to be missing in Tolkien’s work, but when analysed carefully, it can be deduced that the protagonist, Bilbo Baggins, himself is a manifestation of a child.

Bilbo Baggins, or rather hobbits as a race at large are an ideal reflection of the book’s intended audience, children. Hobbits are small in stature and childish in mentality. They tend to eat a lot, dress in bright colours and don’t wear shoes. The hobbits also adore lexically creative puns, riddles and poems which do not always respect the boundaries of grammar. Through the course of the book, Bilbo’s development as a character can be compared with the growth of a child. His adventures lead him out of the ideal world, the Shire, in search of his maturity, wholeness and social awareness in an unideal world.

At the beginning of the adventure, he is naive and unpretentious. He says ‘I have come without my hat, and I have left my pocket-handkerchief behind’ to Dwalin, a dwarf, replies ‘You will have to manage without pocket-handkerchiefs, and a good many other things, before you get to the journey’s end.’ This foreshadows a great many stuggles and difficulties that the Hobbit would have to face before the end of the adventure.

Perhaps the defining moment of Bilbo’s development can we witnessed when he gave Arkenstone to the people of the Lake-town and the elves as a bargaining chip. He risked his life and betrayed his company with whom he had been through the good and the bad just to avoid conflict. He is one of the most reasonable personalities in the whole affair as he points out that the ‘winter is coming on fast,’ and ‘snow and what not and supplies will be difficult–even for elves’.

Some stories can affect people emotionally, but once in a while a story can call a person to escape to it. The Lord of the Rings is an enchanting story with masterful use of setting and sensational characters that engage readers and can move them to experience life in a deeper way. As a child, J.R.R. Tolkien lived in Africa until his father passed away. Then his mother moved them to England. Mrs. Tolkien made certain that her children learned literature and languages. It was probably due somewhat to his mother’s influence that Tolkien became who he was: an author and a linguist (Corday).

Tolkien had a special interest in ‘obscure’ languages, even to the point of creating his own. He called it High-Elven and often in his stories he used the language. Tolkien also invented an entire world called Middle Earth where The Lord of the Rings takes place. Because he had invented this world it had to bow to his will and rules. He was an accomplished linguist and this greatly helped his ability to vividly portray and create in the reader’s mind Middle Earth, a place that no person has ever been (Corday).

Charters defines setting as ‘the place and time of the story.’ Also according to Charters, ‘When the writer locates the narrative in a physical setting, the reader is moved along step by step toward acceptance of the fiction’ (Charters 1008).

Tolkien’s setting gives the reader a sense of goodness or malevolence. Unlike an environment that is removed from the work, Tolkien’s setting sometimes is the story. Possibly the setting could even tell the story if there were no characters. For example, in the house of Elrond of the elves, Frodo’s experience is defined by the setting. ‘He [Frodo] found his friends sitting in a porch on the side of the house looking east. Shadows had fallen in the valley below, but there was still a light on the faces of the mountains far above. The air was warm. The sound of running and falling water was loud, and the evening was filled with a faint scent of trees and flowers, as if summer still lingered in Elrond’s gardens (220).

This describes a peaceful place that is not quite reality. The rest of the world is moving into winter, but Elrond’s gardens haven’t realized that yet. Next, is another example of how Tolkien uses setting to create a picture that could not be obtained by just explaining the scenery. Tolkien is able to bring a place to life with words. We can see this when the Fellowship winds up going through the Mines of Moria.

The Company spent that night in the great cavernous hall, huddled close together in a corner to escape the draught: there seemed to be a steady inflow of chill air through the eastern archway. All about them as they lay hung the darkness, hollow and immense, and they were oppressed by the loneliness and vastness of the dolven halls and endlessly branching stairs and passages. The wildest imaginings that dark rumor had ever suggested to the hobbits fell altogether short of the actual dread and wonder of Moria (307).

This description is one of dread and fear, but like the experience at Elrond’s house, it is filled with word pictures. It tells the reader that this place is terrible and that some evil is afoot.

Of course Tolkien received criticism as all writers do. For instance, Burton Raffel takes the opinion that ‘his [Tolkien’s] descriptions often fail to create ‘sense impressions’ needed to make language ‘more deeply felt and more deeply worked.’ Raffel also claimed that ‘Tolkien’s nature descriptions are frequently somewhat overwrought…’ (20).

Still, I maintain that Tolkien’s extraordinary ability to paint a picture with words takes the reader into a place they’ve never been and still manages to keep them following the story. The characters that Tolkien artfully created, accent the setting and bring them further to life. This is an attribute to a great setting. Charters explains that ‘setting must also have a dramatic use. It must be shown, or at least felt, to affect character or plot’ (Charters 1008). All through The Lord of the Rings the setting is imposing feelings onto the characters (e.g. fear, dread, peacefulness).

Charters describes characters in literature as ‘the people who make something happen or produce an effect,’ and explains that the ‘characters must come alive’ (Charters 1006-1007). Tolkien received criticism on his characters by Raffel as well. Raffel feels that there is ‘too little meaningful truth about human reality and our own existences in Tolkien’s characters.’ Kathryn Crabbe seems to disagree with this statement. In her efforts to describe the characters as heroic she also shows us they have some very modern human characteristics. Crabbe says that Frodo is ‘neither stronger than most men, nor braver than most…He is selfless in his love for his companions.’ If there is not enough ‘meaningful truth about human reality’ in Tolkien’s writing, then maybe it is because he portrays a picture of ordinary people at their best. The heroes in The Lord of the Rings do not succumb to evil. They do not inadvertently get caught doing good. They are selfless. Isn’t this exactly humanity at its best?

Middle Earth is a place where the spirituality of a person is closely connected to the reality of the person. Tolkien’s characters are not mere people. Each has a position and job in the universe as well, something to make them heroic and larger than life-right down to Sam whose purpose it would seem is to guard and protect his ‘master’. This is evident throughout the books but especially at the end of The Fellowship of the Ring when Sam, now understanding just what might lie ahead, insists on going with Frodo (397). The characters show that not just anyone is able to complete this quest. It requires a specific person for each job. For example, there is a reason that Tom Bombadil cannot take the Ring even though he is impervious to its power (259). Fate has chosen Frodo. In so doing Tolkien creates a story that even the average person can relate to. It propels people to see the possibilities of greatness amongst the commoners and restores our hope in the great ones. Almost anyone can find at least one hero among the fellowship.

One of the things that makes The Lord of the Rings so compelling is the way the setting and characters work together to produce the ultimate affect. The characters make the setting even more potent. As the external setting influences, each character the reader sees how the struggle becomes internal. We are led to believe that the characters are closely connected to the earth. The diversity of the setting and characters simply propels us to see the uniqueness of each place. Where a group of caves might give us one thought, hearing Gimli discuss the majesty of his cave experience helps us to appreciate the diversity of the group and to see it through a cave dwellers eyes. ‘These are not holes,’ said Gimli. ‘This is the great realm and city of the Dwarrowdelf. And of old it was not darksome, but full of light and splendour, as is still remembered in our songs'(307).

The Lord of the Rings is essentially a story about the struggle of good verses evil. The setting helps the story personify the difficulties the characters face. The characters go through the trials and share their feelings of fear and triumph with us. The two work together to make an excellent portrayal of external and internal struggles that yield an otherwise impossible effect.

At the beginning of the story, Bilbo shows domestic features. He is at home and has no adventure and he goes on life as comfy. Also he is timid character. He just does something at home. We see that he gives importance to ethical behaviours and respect. When somebody comes his home, he tries to do best. So, we know Bilbo with some feminine qualities. Bilbo’s thoughts, feelings and actions shape its plot so his characterizations change from beginning to ending. Bilbo is the perfect example to show that ordinary person can become a hero. When we read the book of Hobbit, Bilbo character grows through the book. His characterization is developing thanks to some valuable duty like being thief. While the story is advancing Bilbo changes his characteristics but it is not intentionally. This chancing is not happen suddenly. Bilbo fights against the villains and take some courage after beat them. So, Bilbo converts to brave from coward. When Bilbo steals the cup from the dragon and it shows he is brave and a true thief. When we analysis the Bilbo character in these examples, obviously we see that, Bilbo character changes from beginning to ending. One of the example of Bilbo’s character chancing is game of riddles. Bilbo solves the riddle and according to result of riddle Bilbo lives or dies. Thanks to Bilbo good at riddle and his intelligence he rescues. So, tthis example shows us Bilbo get more self-confident. Namely, Bilbo’s characterization changes from lack of self confident to becoming self confident, so Bilbo’s chancing character changes the structure of novel at the same time.

Bilbo’s characteristic of being brave and a warrior comes out when he fight the spiders and save the dwarfs. Bilbo task is to save the dwarves and kill the spiders. Also, Bilbo’s warrior characteristics grow when he fights with and kills many spiders. Bilbo’s noticeable characteristic growth when he steals a cup from Smog. He becomes a perfect thief. We all considered, Tolkien identifies to Bilbo Baggins as dynamic, round and main character at the end of the story although he identifies as a static, flat and main character at the beginning. So, Bilbo’s characterization changes because the writer would like to point out the main idea and structure of novel gives us a message like everybody has a power inside them and they can find out accidentally. The characterization depicts the people in the society and some good, hidden qualities makes people change.

We said that Tolkien tries to take attention, teach some values and give the main idea thanks to some techniques so; one of them is using rhyme and rhythms. In the beginning of the novel, thirteen dwarves comes to Bilbo’s home and they introduce themselves. Their names are like a riddle and consist some similar letter like; Dwalin, Balin, Kili, Fili, Dori, Nori, Ori, Oin, Gloin, Bifur, Bofur, Bombur and Thorin. These names show us Tolkien would like to take attention. For example, Bilbo feels strong and decides to save dwarves from spiders and Tolkien takes children attention to point out that goodness and good people will win by using a song with rhythms and rhymes. Bilbo starts to sing a song about spiders to make them follow him and save the dwarves from them. Dwarves get rid of spiders and Bilbo becomes hero. Firstly, Tolkien takes the children’s attention and provides that children focus on the story much more by using a song. Also writer gives importance to onomatopoeic sounds. For instance, Thorin and Gandalf ring the bell ‘ding-dong, a ling dong’. After that, Tolkien gives the story, the situation and children can realise goodness and its winnings. Namely, the writer gives the meaning with the help of language devices.

As a conclusion, when we analyse the structure of Hobbit, Tolkien’s main purpose is to create strong impact gives the messages so, some process which is binary opposition, rhyme, rhythm and identifying the main character in the novel gives form to the Hobbit. We see that Tolkien uses binary opposition such as good vs. evil, hero vs. villains and he gives the general meaning and teach us moral and values idea. Also we learn that how to treat good character or evil character so, the structure connects the meaning. Also, hero vs. villain in the story helps to understand the features of hero and villain and the reader realize the general structure of the novel. Tolkien also uses the main character, who is Bilbo Baggins, as a device to teach the importance of being brave, warrior and self confident so; the writer gives the main idea. The writer calls attention to reader by using rhyme and rhythm. Tolkien makes that children comprehend the story much more by using a song. Thus, Tolkien gives the story, the situation and children can realise goodness and its winnings. Shortly, Tolkien provides the main idea more stable and lasting with the structure of novel and he influences to reader deeply with the help of using language in the novel.

J.R.R. Tolkien popularized an entire genre using his wit and intellect, but where did he acquire these brilliant ideas of pure and evil quarreling, war, destruction, and freedom from in his life? Tolkien lived through many wars such as WWI and WWII, so how could he have not left secret meanings tied towards these large influences in his largely popular books. Tolkien uses his own life during World War I, World War I and II history and references to the atomic bomb to show that the Lord Of The Rings is an allusion to World War I and II.

In the Modern Literary Era, the chaos of WWI and WWII had influenced many writers to write stories of nationalism and heroic tales with sometimes tragic endings, and many authors seemed to reference these war times in their novels. First of all, during WWI and WWII Germany was the main instigator and villain whom everyone despised, but, what could have happened if they had not invaded Poland and Belgium and ignored their greed (Germans Invade Poland) (Knighton)? An example of a path that Germany could have decided to take is if they had decided not to test their fate, as this quote from(TOLKIEN 187) depicts. In this scene, Aragorn says “If I had killed…I can save you, I will.” As shown, Aragorn did not take the Ring from Frodo as his ancestor did and was not tempted by its power, showing what might have happened if Germany was not tempted by grander reward and did not invade Poland as they did with Belgium. Secondly, During WWI and WWII Germany made mistakes in their strategy, and one of those was their use of poison gas in 1915 where they completely disregarded the Geneva Protocol (Everts) (Britannica) and in turn were attacked in the same fashion and with this chain reaction brought America into the war and eventually their demise. In Tolkien’s novel, Boromir, during the Council of Elrond, states “I do not understand…forth to victory!” (TOLKIEN 285). In this passage, Boromir is among the Fellowship where he suggests that the ring may be used for their gain but does not realize the horrifying case of friendly fire that will occur while being tempted and seemingly not knowing it. Thirdly during World War I and II, America and Britain slowly brought the axis powers down utilizing joint operations and combined strategy in Europe, although they had strained their relationship they were still amicable. World War I and II are said to show America and Britain’s friendship and solidarity keeping throughout perilous times as said in (Jones 29) “Throughout the war…in all major theatres of the war.” Another relationship that personifies this is the alliance between Rohan and Gondor as they had a tumultuous relationship but ultimately, the two future kings came together and survived through the War of the Ring (Ethan 5) “As for the relationship…disturbing the new age’s peace.”

In World War I and II, many steps in technology were advanced but some were much more dangerous such as The Atomic Bomb. Firstly, The Atomic Bomb was a very difficult dilemma during its time, with the decision of either dropping the bomb and ending horrid amounts of lives or pushing through Japan piece by piece while possibly killing more in the process “it leads to a quick end… Cold War.” (History Crunch). When Elrond and Isildur were first going to throw the ring into the fire in the Second Year of the Second Age, it could be an allusion to when the Allies could have not used the bomb but it could have made things worse, or when they decided to use it and end the war possibly with fewer casualties “I was the herald…. befallen him.” (TOLKIEN 260-261). This quote could be a reference to the easy and hard way, both Isildur and America took. Isildur didn’t use the ring and it leads to more chaos. The Atomic Bomb took a very extensive amount of time for its creators to make for a very specific reason, it took a very long time for the creators to find a way to create materials that can self destruct. The Atomic bomb is an anomaly and a very interesting one because the engineering and chemical composition of an atomic bomb destroys and recreates Krypton and Barium by splitting apart the engineered 235 Uranium from a supercritical mass to two separate subcritical masses then igniting them with explosive when they hit the ground recreating a supercritical mass. (Ash 1:32-4:42). Which means that the bomb uses itself as a self-destructive method. In the Lord of the Rings, the Ring is only able to be destroyed by the very same flames it was born in. In Tolkien’s novel, the ring is written to only to be able to be destroyed when it is cast into “Orodruin’s fire nigh at hand where it was made” (TOLKIEN 260) while the Atomic Bomb is said to be destroyed if “The mass has to be kept apart so that it is subcritical until ready to be exploded” (Arvin Ash). These quotes show that the ring is an allusion to the atomic bomb because the atomic bomb is an entity born within itself with the destruction of its entire being as well as the Ring.

The Lord Of The Rings is a book that was heavily influenced by Tolkien’s life, as is with most writers but many of his influences come from his time in the war and his relationship with his wife. To begin, Tolkien and his wife were very close and he had maddening respect for her (Sheldon 8) “That summer Tolkien…to die in battle.” He has said that his wife was a heavy influence for the pivotal elvish character Luthien and many times in the book it is stated that Arwen, the elvish princess is almost a spitting image of Luthien.

So, therefore, Tolkien is using his life partner as the basis for one of the most influential elves of the year 3014. This point is shown in (Tolkien 243) when Tolkien describes Arwen “So it was that Frodo…Evenstar of her people” and another time he shows a chant describing Luthien on page 208-9 “The leaves were long…In the forest singing sorrowless.” This point is also proven when Tolkien approves the statement itself by saying in paragraph 11 and paragraph 2 of (Sheldon) with the statements of “I never called…Silmarillion” and “It was during this time…1972.”. During the horrifying battle of the Somme, Tolkien learned much about the horrors of war. He described it as “animal horror”(Garth 11). It could be said that his time in the trenches translated to his brilliant battle scene of The Siege of Gondor. In (Tolkien 853), Tolkien states that the orcs were digging trenches along with the defenses of Minas Tirith and this is a large example of his time in trench warfare. Next in (Tolkien 854) he described orcs setting up “great engines for the casting of missiles” which is a perfect description of trench warfare. Also, Tolkien is described by saying that the Rohirrim and Oathbreakers arrive and wipe out the remaining enemy which accurately depicts the heroism of the American heroes who came and aided the fight that the end (Tolkien 87). At many times in the book, Tolkien describes the battle at Minas Tirith as a closed-in space where both sides were holding out in trenches and behind walls.