The Hobbit (Cyclopedia of Literary Characters)
At a glance:
- Author: J. R. R. Tolkien
- First Published: 1937
- Type of Work: Novel
- Type of Plot: Fantasy
- Time of Work: A mythical past
- Setting: Middle-earth
- Genres: Long fiction, Adventure, Fantasy
- Subjects: Values, Self-discovery, Traveling or travelers, Voyages, Folkloric or magical people, Magic or magicians, Mythical animals, Nature, Escapes, Friendship, Human race, War, Good and evil, Fantasy, Imagination, Mysteries, Ethics, Adventure, Heroes or heroism, Dragons, Dwarfs, Treasure, Quest, Elves, Lifesaving, Nobility, Rescue, Rings
- Locales: Middle-earth (mythic)
Characters Discussed
Bilbo Baggins, a hobbit, the protagonist. Fifty years old when the story begins, Bilbo is respectable, unadventurous, and predictable. Forced into an unwanted role as burglar with Thorin’s expedition, Bilbo encounters a series of monsters and learns with growing self-reliance to use his luck and his wits, becoming the leader of the expedition. By discovering Smaug’s weak spot, Bilbo helps slay the dragon, though no one remembers his contribution. One year after setting out, Bilbo returns from his adventure a changed hobbit: No longer respectably...
[The entire page is 869 words long]
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