What season is depicted in chapter 1 of The Hobbit?
Though it’s not explicitly stated, we can make some assumptions, with the information at hand, about the season in chapter 1 of The Hobbit . Clearly, it is warm enough to be sitting outside, as Bilbo greets Gandalf from his garden while sitting down to smoke a pipe briefly. The...
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two men chat for a while and discuss adventures and other various ideas, while Bilbo silently muses that he enjoys flowers more than adventures.
Given the setting of their conversation, along with the fact that a long journey is about to commence, we could reasonably assume it is mid- to late spring. This would be an optimal time to embark on a long quest, because it would give you the most time before winter. Couple this with the flowers and the weather outside, and it seems reasonable that the season is spring in the first chapter.
What is the season in The Hobbit?
Seasons play an important role throughout the novel. They act as symbols and further connect the different parts of the story, making it very intricate.
In the first chapter of TheHobbit, when Bilbo Baggins takes off on an adventure, the action takes place sometime in April ("the firelight flickered—it was April—and still they played on," chapter 1). This starts the novel off in spring. Here, the season symbolizes new beginnings; Bilbo’s departure marks the beginning of a new adventure.
Later in the novel, while Bilbo—now accompanied by thirteen dwarves who requested his help with reclaiming their home, the Lonely Mountain—slowly makes his way to the destination, spring has already turned to autumn.
By the time they arrive at the entrance to the Lonely Mountain, Thorin Oakenshield remarks that autumn is nearly over. Here, the season symbolizes something sinister coming—as autumn is drawing to a close and winter is approaching, it foreshadowstheinevitableBattleofFiveArmies.