Introduction
It is hard to disagree that literature written for teenagers and adults often offers many important lessons and allows readers to understand the values they want to nurture and follow. The Hobbit, or There and Back Again, is a 1937 novel by J. R. R. Tolkien, and this marvelous book is a classic of children’s fantasy literature. In this writing, the author shows how adventures, danger, success, and trusted friends allow the protagonist to reveal the best qualities that he never knew he had. Although Bilbo Baggins in The Hobbit may appear like an improbable hero, he actually develops from a softened hobbit not interested in adventures to a brave person ready to save his friends, challenging the conventional idea of heroism.
The Initial Personality of Bilbo
To begin with, it is essential to refer to how Tolkien portrays Bilbo at the beginning of the novel. This review will highlight the initial character of The Hobbit and demonstrate that the reader meets him as the kind of person who does not fit the typical requirements of a hero but can become such (Fahmi and Wibowo 926). In the first chapter of the novel, the author provides a description of the Bagginses, which helps to give a better idea of Bilbo himself.
Thus, “people considered them very respectable, not only because most of them were rich, but also because they never had any adventures or did anything unexpected: you could tell what a Baggins would say on any question without the bother of asking him” (Tolkien 31). This quote highlights the very nature of all the Bagginses, and Tolkien does not exclude the novel’s protagonist from typical hobbits, who are funny, joyful, comfortable, “and laugh deep fruity laughs” (32). Hobbits value coziness, love tasty food and drinks, and value predictability and calmness, and Bilbo is mainly described as such at the beginning of the book.
Nevertheless, it is also crucial to determine why, of all other hobbits, precisely Bilbo is chosen by Gandalf and then agrees to travel with the dwarves. According to Tolkien, Bilbo’s mother was the daughter of the Old Took, and the Tooks were not as respected as the Baggins (32). Noticeably, “there was still something not entirely hobbitlike about them, and once in a while, members of the Took-clan would go and have adventures” (32). Therefore, the Took’s part in Bilbo made him slightly different from other hobbits and allowed him to develop from a coward valuing his comfort to a brave, resourceful, and risky protector of his new friends.
At the same time, when Bilbo is offered to join the dwarves, he is not eager to leave his cozy house and meet the dangers of trying to find the treasure. Although he gets excited when hearing the stories about the gold and the dragon and viewing the maps (Tolkien 45), he is simultaneously confused and shaking inside (46) and eventually rejects the idea of the trip (50). Gandalf is the only one who believes in Bilbo’s potential, stating that he will surprise the dwarves and himself: “There is a lot more in him than you guess, and a deal more than he has any idea of himself” (43). To sum up, the novel’s beginning indicates that two different parts of Bilbo, including the Tooks’ and the Bagginses’ natures, oppose each other (Gokulapriya and Selvalakshmi 113). The hobbit is not a hero, but has the potential to develop the qualities that one should have, and Gandalf is the one who alludes to it.
Bilbo Develops His Courage
Further, it is essential to explore several key events that allow the hobbit to uncover his best qualities, which no one except Gandalf knew he had, and develop into a braver person. As stated by Fahmi and Wibowo, “the existence of courage does not mean the absence of fear, but rather more overcoming or facing the fear” (926). In relation to Bilbo, one may notice that there are many scenes in the novel when he is terrified of enemies, loneliness, darkness, and other things (Tolkien 83, 195, 224).
However, he can always find the inner strength to overcome his fear, think of the best ways to solve the problem, and admit that he is afraid but will continue the journey (Gokulapriya and Selvalakshmi 114). For instance, after finding himself alone in the dark tunnel, Bilbo is first extremely lost and confused: “He did not go much further, but sat down on the cold floor and gave himself up to complete miserableness, for a long while. … The truth was he had been lying quiet, out of sight and out of mind, in a very dark corner for a long while” (Tolkien 81). Nevertheless, after experiencing these moments of fear and hopelessness, Bilbo finds strength in his sword and moves further through the tunnels, believing he can find the way out (Fahmi and Wibowo 929; Tolkien 81). This ability to admit and then face his fear is what proves the hobbit has the courage and learns to uncover it better with each challenging situation.
Another aspect to analyze is Bilbo’s dependency on others, especially on Gandalf. For instance, when Bilbo is about to stop their adventures and give up the idea of finding the treasure, the eagle tells him not to be afraid, encouraging Bilbo to continue his trip (Gokulapriya and Selvalakshmi, 113; Tolkien 111). Next, it is the wizard who encourages the hobbit, prevents the dwarves from teasing him, and insists that Bilbo is the best for the role of the burglar (Tolkien 50, 52, 58, 116, 224). Therefore, the hobbit finds great support in Gandalf, knowing he can always rely on the wizard.
In the incident with the trolls, the group again depends greatly on the wizard. Gandalf rescues the dwarves, while Bilbo can only stay “up in a bush, … not daring to move for fear they should hear him” (Tolkien 58-59). However, in further situations, precisely the hobbit takes responsibility for their company and rescues his friends (224). For example, he is the one to fight the spiders (142-146) and then free the dwarves from the elves (155-161), and Bilbo is successful with these tasks because he develops courage and learns to control his fears. At the novel’s end, the hobbit is brave, developed, and courageous enough to control the confusing and unpleasant situation and give the Arkenstone to the Elvenking (Loughlin 28; Tolkien 224). It takes inner strength to admit that one’s friends are wrong, and Bilbo manages to learn from Gandalf to be the group leader and make challenging decisions.
Valuing Intelligence Over Physical Prowess
An additional factor that makes Bilbo an exceptional and unconventional hero is that he prefers to use his intelligence instead of his physical abilities. As noticed by da Rocha, Bilbo’s courage and strength are mostly different from those of the dwarves because, in The Hobbit, these qualities are connected to “the classical virtue of temperance” (216). Bilbo is intelligent rather than cowardly, as he avoids getting engaged in a dangerous situation without a proper backup plan (da Rocha 216). He has his sword and then the ring, but skillfully counters Gollum with a sharp mind (Loughlin 35; Tolkien 84-89).
The hobbit knows that the greatest burglar would kill the trolls to then rob them, but he decides to make a different decision and avoid using physical power (Tolkien 55). During his fight with the spiders, Bilbo is a master of weapons, but it is due to his excellent plan and prudence that he wins (142-146). The same applies to other situations in which the dwarves rely primarily on courage, forgetting about caution and intelligence.
Overall, the readers can understand that Baggins is a great thinker and analyzer, and his sharp mind is his best tool and power. In cases when his friends lack Gandalf’s support and magic and fail to create a good plan or solve the riddle of the door in the mountain, Bilbo is the one whose intelligence and wisdom allow him to succeed (da Rocha 216; Tolkien 180). Indeed, these are not the key features of a conventional hero but are the best qualities of Bilbo, making him live up to Gandalf’s expectations and proving that the Tooks’ nature and spirit are strong in him.
Conclusion
To conclude, Bilbo Baggins changes throughout the novel, uncovering the courage and bravery within himself. He develops from a cowardly hobbit into a hero who rescues his friends and faces his fears. At the beginning of the book, Bilbo is portrayed as an ordinary hobbit who prefers to avoid any adventures and values his comfortable life. However, the spirit of the Tooks is strong in him, and his personal interest and Gandalf’s support allow the hobbit to join the group. With every challenging situation, Bilbo acts bravely, learns to take responsibility for the whole group, and uses his intelligence and sharp mind to solve issues and help the dwarves.
Works Cited
Gokulapriya, T., and S. Selvalakshmi. “The Growth of Personality and Belief in J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings.” Bayan College International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research, vol. 1, no. 02, 2021, pp. 111-116.
da Rocha, Fabian Quevedo. “From the Fairy Tale to the Epic: The Change in the Narrative Tone in JRR Tolkien’s The Hobbit.” Literartes, vol. 1, no. 12, 2020, pp. 206-222.
Fahmi, Bambang Widi Pratolo, and Anang Yuniyanto Wibowo. “Exploring Bilbo Baggins’ Courage in Facing His Enemies as Reflected in J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit: A Psychological Analysis.” Journal of Critical Reviews, vol. 7, no. 9, 2020, pp. 926-932.
Loughlin, Marie H. “Tolkien’s Treasures: Marvellous Objects in The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings.” Tolkien Studies, vol. 16, no. 1, 2019, pp. 21-58.
Tolkien, John R.R. The Hobbit, or There and Back Again. Houghton Mifflin Harcour, 1995.