Week 6: The Hobbit

Bilbo Baggins is not a character one would define as a “hero” at first glance. A laidback, pipe-smoking Hobbit who has been living his same bucolic life in The Shire for many decades would not be expected to accomplish courageous deeds and go through a plethora of adventures in his lifetime. His story starts in a very similar fashion to the ones of many other heroes present in literature and other types of media, and whose stories are included in Joseph Campbell’s Hero’s Journey. The journey starts with the Innocent World of Childhood, which in Bilbo’s case might be a bit different, given his older age. However, because of his peaceful and non-confrontational life as a Hobbit, one could argue that he is still in his child/adolescent years before the next step in the Hero’s Journey: the call to adventure. This call comes in the form of the great wizard Gandalf, and the 13 dwarves led by Thorin Oakenshield, as they invite Bilbo to join their party as a burglar to take back the Lonely Mountain. Although he refuses at first, his adventurous spirit (and a little supernatural help from Gandalf) propels him into joining them. Not shortly after, he crosses the first threshold of his journey as a hero, when his wits and courage are put to the test when the party faces the 3 trolls: Bert, Tom, and William. That was his first taste that the road ahead would not be easy, and the first of many trials.

His next major development as a hero is undoubtedly when he is separated from the party at the caves of the goblins. There, he finds one of his moments of nadir, alone, cold, and having to face the dangerous and unpredictable Gollum in a battle of riddles. There again, his wit and quick thinking (with a bit of luck and a ring) save him from harm. However, from that moment on, he gains a new level of confidence not only on himself but on his party companions. After many adventures, he finds his ultimate boon in the Battle of the Five Armies and, upon his return to the Shire, he realizes things would never be the same again, not only because of his hero journey but because of what would come next. His possession of the ring hints to what the next adventure would be. Even though Bilbo is not the main hero in the journey of The Lord of the Rings, his presence is felt, and his journey is once again manifested in Frodo’s journey to destroy the ring.