The Hobbit

Bilbo encounters Smaug the dragon in chapter twelve of The Hobbit. Bilbo is wearing his ring, which makes him invisible, but Smaug can still smell him. Smaug does not recognize the smell, and...

As in most ancient feuds, both sides believe that they are in the right and that the opposing side is the instigator of the feud. The dwarves and elves are no exception to the rule. Their feud...

One of Bilbo’s strengths in handling conflicts is that he is adaptable. One of his weaknesses is that he is stubborn. Bilbo is one clever hobbit. The fact that he is able to adapt to new...

Bilbo gets excited about Gandalf’s previous adventures, and Gandalf interprets that as Bilbo asking to take him on an adventure. Respectable hobbits do not go on adventures. The Shire frowns upon...

In the Hero’s Journey, the hero is an ordinary person who embarks on a journey of self-discovery to become a hero. In The Hobbit, Bilbo is a happy-go-lucky and somewhat hapless Hobbit who ends up...

Bibo's first assignment as a burglar is to investigate the source of the light that his party sees in chapter 2. Bilbo, being an amateur burglar with no proper experience, finds that his first...

The grey wizard Gandalf is one of the best known and most beloved characters from J. R. R. Tolkien's novels, The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. The narrator introduces him as an adventurous...

When Gandalf takes them to Rivendell, we learn that Bilbo loves the elves and loves being there. However, the dwarves and the elves have had a tense history, so the dwarves are more on edge with...

Balin brings news that Lake-town and Dale have been rebuilt. After his adventures, Bilbo returns home and begins to write about his journey. One day an old friend appears at his hobbit-hole....

The key to which you refer is a small, “long-barrelled” silver key that Gandalf gives to Thorin at the meeting in Bilbo’s home, along with the map to the secret entrance to the Lonely Mountain....

We discover that Gandalf has re-entered the narrative after leaving the dwarves at Beorn's house when Bilbo decides to steal the Arkenstone and take it as bargaining power to Bard and the Elves to...

Let us remember that in Chapter Eight the dwarves and Bilbo appear to be in a dire situation. They are walking through the middle of an enormous forest with no hope or sign of ever reaching the end...

The difference between Smaug and the dwarves is that the dwarves’ relatives created the treasures, and Smaug just steals them. When Gandalf and the dwarves arrive at Bilbo’s house to explain the...

Bilbo’s increase in confidence and courage is the defining aspect of his character arc. At the beginning of the novel, he is shut away content in his Hobbit hole, happy to remain separate and...

Bilbo's house is described in lavish detail in the opening pages of the book. It is said to have a round door, painted bright green, which led into a hole. Importantly, the hole is neither too wet...

Dain is Thorin’s cousin, and the battle begins because Thorin assumes that Bard is going to steal his treasure. Smaug the dragon is hoarding treasure that once belonged to Thorin the drawf’s...

In Chapter 17 of The Hobbit, Thorin is acting quite stubborn about giving up any of the dragon's horde. As he says, "My mind does not change with the rising and setting of a few suns." Things get...

In the beginning of the classic fantasy The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien, Bilbo Baggins has the appearance of a typical hobbit. He does not vary drastically from his normal looks until The Fellowship...

Much of the delight of The Hobbit comes from the fantasy elements that abound in the Middle Earth, a place full of creatures that don't exist in the real world. Thus, things like the creatures and...

Beorn provides lodging to the company of dwarves, Bilbo, and Gandalf on their way to the Lonely Mountain. Beorn knows that their next route will take them through the dark forest of Mirkwood, so...

Bilbo feels extremely unsettled at the thought of going on an adventure, for he had no time whatsoever to prepare for his journey. He wakes up late the morning he was supposed to meet the dwarves...

In The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien, Bilbo is a Hobbit on an adventure. At one point during the story, he must enter the lair of the dragon Smaug, underneath a mountain. When he enters, Smaug is...

Bilbo did not have much time to explain his plan to the dwarves. He formed the plan on the spur of the moment, taking advantage of the opportunity that presented itself when the Elvish chief guard...

Initially, Bilbo seems to be an extraordinarily self-centered hobbit, though this is not at all uncommon for members of his race. Hobbits largely keep to themselves and amuse themselves by...

Beorn the "bear man" in J. R. R. Tolkien's The Hobbit does not like a lot of company, and he would certainly not willingly accept 13 dwarves, a hobbit and a wizard into his home in one...

The main difference is the lack of confidence on the part of the dwarves. They have witnessed Smaug's power and are terrified of him, despite the assumption that he is sleeping as he hasn't...

The dragon, Smaug, proves to be a formidable threat to Bilbo and not just on a physical level. Although his stature is certainly frightening, he also possesses the power of "dragon-spell," which...

This is a great question and one that often gets missed when reading The Hobbit. The quest for material wealth is a driving force in this story. (Indeed, it is a major theme in Tolkien's other...

In Chapter Twelve, entitled "Inside Information," of The Hobbit, Bilbo shows great cleverness when he plays to Smaug's pride by flattering the dragon to trick him into revealing his weakness. The...

First, wizards in The Hobbit are spirits. They come to Middle-earth in human form to help protect humans, dwarves, elves, and other free peoples from the evil of Sauron. Second, they have magical...

Bilbo has mixed feelings, including excitement, worry, and pride, after killing the spiders and rescuing the dwarves. After Bilbo drives the spiders away, his secret concerning the magic ring must...

The dwarves and Bilbo learn from Elrond's reading of the moon letters—letters than can only be discerned when moonlight falls on them—that they can open the door when the following occurs: Stand...

One scene where Bilbo gains self-confidence is in chapter 9, when he helps Thorin and the other dwarves escape from the Elvenking's palace. Bilbo avoids being locked up by using his magic ring. The...

A good thesis is going to make an argument. That's the point of a thesis. It can't be a statement of fact, because then there is nothing for the paper to argue for and support. The thesis statement...

Hobbits live in luxurious underground houses called hobbit-holes. Hobbits live in The Shire. Bilbo lives in Hobbiton, although there are other nearby towns. The Shire is rural and composed mostly...

If that were all to be seen on the map, then nothing would have happened. The fact of the matter is that the door was a magical, enchanted door, only to be opened with the special key carried by...

In J. R. R. Tolkien's The Hobbit, Elrond Peredhil is the Lord of the elf city of Rivendell. He shows hospitality to the traveling company, giving them much-needed food, rest, and companionship....

Bard does offer Bilbo a significant amount of treasure at the end of the adventure, saying to him, "I would reward you most richly of all." However, while Bilbo does not actually refuse all the...

The fantasy novel The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien takes place in an imaginary land called Middle-Earth. It concerns the adventures of a hobbit named Bilbo Baggins as he joins 13 dwarves and a wizard...

Very good question and one which centers on the internal conflict within Bilbo Baggins himself - as a Baggins, he is respectable and "normal", but the Tookish part of him makes him yearn for...

I will help you with your question by providing a few examples that illustrate the purpose of the songs. In Chapter 1, “An Unexpected Party,” we come across two songs sung by Bilbo’s surprise...

The Hobbit brings us the beloved character of Bilbo Baggins, a hobbit with more to him than at first appears. Here are some quotes from the book which give us a glimpse into Bilbo's character...

As described in the other answer, The Hobbit (published in 1937) begins in April and ends in November. This answer will cover the significance of these seasons in terms of J. R. R. Tolkien's...

In a major turning point of The Hobbit, Bilbo Baggins manages to kill the enormous spider of Mirkwood, thus saving himself and his comrades from being eaten by the creature who had bound them in...

In the book, The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien, one of the settings is a section north of Hobbiton, called Hobbiton Hill or simply The Hill, which is considered the most prestigious area in which to...

The wood-elves, not to be confused with the evil high-elves, are actually good people. It's just that they're more than a little wary of strangers. So when they find Thorin wandering through a...