FREE ESSAY ON THE HOBBIT

THE HOBBIT

This hobbit was a very well-to-do hobbit, and his name was
Baggins. The Bagginses had lived in the neighborhood of
The Hill for time out of mind, and people considered them
very respectable, not only because most or them were rich,
but also because they never had any adventures of did
anything unexpected; you could tell what a Baggins would
say on any question without the bother of asking him. This is
a story of how a Baggins had an adventure, and found
himself doing and saying things altogether unexpected. He
may have lost the neighbors' respect, but he gained- well,
you will see what he gained in the end. (p. 1-2) Bilbo
Baggins lived a very simple life, a life he enjoyed very much,
until the day when the wizard Gandalf arrived at his door one
spring morning. Gandalf was searching for someone to share
an adventure with, but Bilbo quickly declined, saying, "We
don't want any adventures here, thank you! You might try
over The Hill or across The Water," (p. 3) and with that the
hobbit dismissed the wandering wizard, but not before he
had given the wizard an invitation for tea the next day. This
of coarse, was the polite thing to do. But Gandalf saw
something more in Bilbo and would not be discouraged. He
left the hobbit, but not before he had scratched a sign on
Bilbo's door. The following day, Gandalf showed for tea,
along with thirteen dwarves. This was the beginning of the
adventures between the hobbit and the dwarves. The next
day, Bilbo somehow found himself leaving his comfortable
hobbit-hole, and on what seemed to be an adventure. This
was the beginning of not just one, but many adventures for
Bilbo. The dwarves were on a quest to find and reclaim their
famous treasure from the great dragon Smaug. It would be a
long and difficult journey, and they felt it would be made
simpler with the help of a burglar. This was what Bilbo was
for, even if he didn't know it. Bilbo didn't want to be on the
adventure, let alone play a vital role in it. But by the time the
story concluded, Bilbo had changed from a well-to-do
homebody into an adventuresome burglar. The first time
Bilbo exposed his hidden sense of adventure was early in the
trip when he encountered a group of trolls. Bilbo was sent
by the dwarves to investigate a strange fire in a forest, and
he went reluctantly. When he reached the blaze, he saw it
was being attended to by trolls. Bilbo had the option to turn
around at that point, but he felt the need to do something.
His feelings could be shown by the following quote: "he
wished himself a hundred miles away-yet somehow he could
not go straight back to Thorin and Company
emptyhanded."(p. 36) Bilbo's thievish side was already
beginning to show itself because Bilbo felt the need to
impress the dwarves. But Mr. Baggins' first adventure was
not a successful one, and it took Gandalf to save Bilbo and
the dwarves from the trolls. Bilbo's first successful adventure
came by accident. After Bilbo had been accidentally left
behind in the Goblin caves, he ventured into the realm of the
Gollum. Gollum engaged the hobbit into a game of riddles,
with Bilbo's life as the prize. Bilbo won the game, but
Gollum would not give up easily. After Bilbo had defeated
him, Gollum paddled to his island in search of his ring that
will make him invisible. With this ring he planned to sneak up
to Bilbo and devour him. But Gollum didn't know that Bilbo
had had it in his possession until he couldn't find it on his
island. It is here were a character views Bilbo as a burglar.
Gollum shrieks, "Thief, thief, thief! Baggins! We hates it, we
hates it, we hates it for ever!" Gollum chased after Bilbo, but
luck was with Bilbo because he had slipped on the ring, and
Gollum could not find him. Bilbo's sense for adventure grew
more with this experience. He enjoyed the challenge Gollum
had presented him. Of course, Bilbo probably never would
have participated in it if his life had not been on the line.
Bilbo's sense of adventure reached new heights when he and
the dwarves were on the doorstep to the secret entrance of
Smaug's mountain. After the hobbit and the dwarves had
finally opened the secret passageway, the dwarves thought
Bilbo should be the first to go into the cave and investigate.
Although Bilbo did not like being volunteered, he was not
unwilling to go, saying, "Perhaps I have begun to trust my
luck more than I used to... but anyway, I think I will go and
have a peep at once and get it over."(pp. 210-211) This
was a new Bilbo, a Bilbo that was not present at the
beginning of the story. Bilbo even had the nerve to steal a
golden cup from the dragon. He was a completely new
hobbit. Bilbo Baggins changed a great deal from the
beginning of the story to the end of it. He was a simple and
reluctant hobbit when he set off with the wizard Gandalf on a
spring morning. He was reluctant to leave the comfort of his
own home and more reluctant to take part in adventures. But
by the end of the story, a new Bilbo Baggins has emerged.
He had changed into a courageous and adventuresome
burglar. He became well respected by everyone, everyone
that had a sense of adventure, that is. 
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