The Hobbit
CONCEPT/VOCABULARY ANALYSIS
Literary Text: The Hobbit: or There and Back Again by J.R.R. Tolkien
Organizational Patterns
The Hobbit is divided into nineteen chapters varying in length
from 6 – 25 pages. The chapters for the most part represent
stages in the “adventure” of Bilbo Baggins, a hobbit, and his 14
companions (13 dwarves and a wizard named Gandalf). In each
chapter, the characters either get into some sort of trouble and
then get themselves out again, or are resting with a newly-met
friend while they recuperate from their last near-escape. Their
adventure lasts about one year. The story is told by a thirdperson omniscient narrator with a penchant for humor and an
eccentrically amusing need to give hints about the future and
then say “I told you so” when his all-knowing-ness becomes
evident.
Issues Related to the Study of Literature
image is original artwork © David Wenzel
THEME
Journey – One of the major themes of the book is that of the journey. Bilbo and his
companions go on a journey to find a treasure that was stolen by a dragon long ago. The conflicts they
face and the people they meet either help them or hinder them in continuing their journey. The
journey theme gives the book both its plot structure and its character development. Bilbo must
physically travel to different parts of Middle Earth (Tolkien’s made up world where the story is set)
and therefore encounters people, places, and dangers that further the plot of the novel. As Bilbo travels
this path, the physical encounters allow him to grow and mature as a character.
Identity – There are three ways identity is confronted in The Hobbit: race, lineage, and
character.
Race: Throughout the story we meet characters of many different races. There are
hobbits, of course, dwarves, men, elves, trolls, and orcs. Each of these races has a
set of traits that are fairly unchangeable. For example, orcs and trolls are bad;
elves and hobbits are good. Dwarves are short and always have beards. They
prefer being underground, mining for treasure. Hobbits would rather sit
peacefully at home than have the excitement of an adventure. These racial
traits limit personal choice, but keep the lines between good and evil distinct.
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Lineage: Tolkien often refers to the character’s lineage in the
story. Bilbo is descended from Tooks, one of the more adventurous
families of hobbits, and this lineage is what gets him into his
adventure. His inner struggle between fear and courage is often noted
as a struggle between the Baggins in him and the Took in him.
Thorin is descended from the ancient kings of the dwarves and
therefore the treasure that the party is seeking is his birthright. He is
described as proud and slightly condescending because he deserves the
respect his heritage dictates. Also, Bard is described as being courageous because he is a
descendant of the ancient lords of the Dale.
Character: Bilbo’s character at the beginning of the story is afraid of adventure (for the
most part), does not have confidence in his ability to do anything but cook and blow smoke
rings, and is rather shy and timid. Throughout the story, he makes decisions and acts in ways
that show he is not greedy, that he is kind and loyal, and that he is brave in the face of danger.
Not only does his character develop through these decisions and acts, but because he has proved
that he is good, he ends up at home again, alive and happy.
POWER – The theme of power is an important one in The Hobbit. How and when to use
power, and its effect on those who have it, is addressed in many settings. Gandalf has magical powers
that make him stronger than all of the other companions. He uses his power only when absolutely
necessary, though, and then it is usually only used to aid others. Gandalf is never corrupted by his
power like some of the other characters in the story. When Thorin becomes king of the Dwarves, the
power is something he uses to greedily defend his treasure.
SETTING
The Hobbit is set in a fictional fantasy world called Middle Earth. Bilbo, at the beginning of the story,
lives at Bag-end, which is a typical hobbit hole in the Shire. He and his companions then travel
through the Misty Mountains to Mirkwood and then on to the Lonely Mountain where Smaug, the
dragon, lives and guards the treasure that the party is looking for. The maps above are detailed images
of different areas of Middle Earth found in Tolkien’s books. If you click on an image it should link you
to a larger version online.
TONE
The tone of the novel is serious but whimsical. We are told of characters (mostly evil ones) being
injured or killed; the characters are often in dangerous situations where it appears there is no way out;
many serious subjects are addressed. However, the voice of the narrator speaks to the reader directly –
as if the narrator and the readers are sitting around a campfire where he is telling a tall tale. He often
interjects into the serious situations with comments like, “Poor Mr. Baggins…” and “A very good thing,
too!” These interjections and the short sentences and simple words give the story a whimsical feel.
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FORSHADOWING
“…I am sending Mr. Baggins with you. I have told you before that he
has more about him than you guess, and you will find that out before
long.”
The foreshadowing in the novel comes mostly from Gandalf and the
narrator. Gandalf is the oldest and wisest character that is
consistently in the storyline. He often can see ahead and gives the
image is original artwork © 2001 Donato Giancola
other characters hints about what is to come – although he does it
quite cryptically, as in the quote above. The narrator gives hints as well, but to the reader. For
example, after the journey has started, the narrator says of Bilbo, “He was thinking one again of his
comfortable chair before the fire in his favourite sitting-room in his hobbit-hole, and of the kettle
singing. Not for the last time!” The narrator is clueing us into the fact that there are many more
adventures in Bilbo’s future that are going to be difficult and uncomfortable for him.
Affective Issues Related to the Work
Students should be able to relate to the character of Bilbo because of the internal struggles he has.
Peer pressure – Before Bilbo sets out on his adventure, he is afraid of being seen as not
respectable by his community, but part of him longs for the excitement he knows would be involved in
such a journey. Also, prior to the turning point in the story, when Bilbo finds his confidence in himself
(after fighting the spiders in Mirkwood--note: this is not the climax of the story), Bilbo often goes along
with things because he feels he does not have a choice. Teenagers are often caught in these dilemmas:
do they do the exciting thing their friends are doing, or do they do the responsible thing and risk
looking bad? Do they let others pressure them into doing something they do not want to do?
Self-discovery – Bilbo is also struggling to find himself. Although this would not be
considered a coming-of-age story, Bilbo, through his adventures, discovers a confidence in his own
abilities and realizes what he truly values. He goes on the adventure for the promise of enormous
wealth, but by the time he returns home, he has given most of his wealth away because he now values a
quiet, peaceful afternoon and a warm home-cooked meal more than any amount of gold. Teenagers are
also at a point in their lives where they are deciding what they value and how they wish to be defined,
so they should be able to relate to Bilbo’s process of self-discovery.
Vocabulary Issues
The vocabulary in The Hobbit is fairly easily contextualized, but some
students may find some words difficult to understand. See the
vocabulary activity for a list of difficult words. There are creatures in
the book of which the students may not have knowledge, but they are
described by the narrator in the text.
Background Knowledge
Since The Hobbit is set in a fictional fantasy world, students would benefit from instruction that helps
them understand the differences between our world and Bilbo’s. The maps to which I have linked in
the SETTING section could be printed out or put on overheads so the students could see the layout of
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the world and the path that the characters take on their journey. Also important are the different races
that are presented and the fact that magic is used. Students who have read fantasy before will be
familiar with most of the ideas involved in these two differences, but
some students may need some quick definitions to make the reading
easier.
Background knowledge may also be needed to help the students
understand the game of riddles played by Bilbo and Gollum.
Explaining that riddles are word games and giving the students some
modern examples of them (What is black and white and red (read) all
over? – a newspaper!) could help them appreciate this part of the
story.
Also, an understanding of an epic tale and the elements involved may
help them understand the organization of the story and how the plot
advances. Tolkien was very familiar with Icelandic sagas and OldEnglish epics such as Beowulf as a scholar of English, which no doubt
influenced his writing.
Implications for Students of Diversity
Students of diversity may be particularly interested in the issues relating to identity in this novel.
Characters in the novel are often defined by their race or lineage. Often students with distinguishing
features of a certain race are defined by their race as well. Also, Bilbo struggles within himself because
part of him wants to be a good “Baggins” and part of him wants to be a good “Took.” He cannot
separate out the two pieces and eventually learns to live happily with both. Students of diversity often
are torn between two cultures and must find their place in one or the other or both before they find
happiness as Bilbo did.
The issue of power is also a controversial one in multicultural studies right now. Many people think
that those of European descent have more power than minorities and that they use it to their advantage
in society and the school system. Characters in then novel use power in many different ways. It may
be relevant to discuss how the use of power by the novel’s characters relates to the educational power
struggle that is happening right now.
Gender Issues
There are no female characters in the novel, so gender roles are only implicitly
expressed. This book was published originally in 1937, so the lack of female
characters in an adventure novel may be an expression of the time in which it
was written. It would be important for the students to discuss the changing
roles of men and women in our world and how those standards are reflected in
literature.
It is also possible to look at the differences between Bilbo’s traits and the traits
of the dwarves as Tolkien’s way of lauding female goodness. Although Bilbo
is not feminine, he exhibits feminine traits of which the dwarves are
completely void, such as a selflessness to benefit the greater community, and
an immunity to the lure of money. These traits, however, could also be seen as stereotypical.
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The Central Question/Enduring Issues
What is heroism? The Hobbit is the story of a quiet, unsuspecting, normal hobbit who becomes a
hero without really even realizing it. Other characters such as Thorin and the Elf King are the types of
people that are usually hailed as heroes in traditional epic tales. They have
strength, courage, royal blood and a knowledge of war and weapon fighting. Yet
these characters are not the heroes at the end of the novel. This prompts us to ask,
what makes a true hero? The themes of identity and power both play into this idea
and help us decide both what the author thought made a true hero and what we
think defines heroism today.
Project Ideas
Timeline: In groups, have students create a timeline of events in the novel. They may want
to make separate but parallel timelines for Bilbo and his companions, Gandalf, and minor characters
such as the Goblin army and the eagles. You could also assign different groups to do each timeline and
then bring them all together at the end of the project. This will help the students pay attention to the
subtle mention of time in the novel and have a concrete picture of how the plot plays out.
Creative writing ¦ songs and riddles: Tolkien often uses the songs characters sing
to clue the reader into the characters’ personalities and traits. Riddles and word play also play an
important part in the story. Have students study some of the songs and riddles and then have them
write their own song to describe themselves or a riddle that they can share with the class.
Visual aids: After reading about some of the different races, discuss with the students the
different physical traits that each race is supposed to have. It would be good to write their responses on
the board or an overhead that has already been divided into headings for each race. Once the physical
traits have been described, have the students point out the personality traits and characteristics that
Tolkien has given each race. Now have the students brainstorm ways that the personality traits and
characteristics could be shown visually. Armed with these ideas, have the students choose one of the
races or characters from the book and represent that character both physically and otherwise in a visual
format. Since not all students will be good at drawing, you may want to give them the option of
making a collage (out of magazines or on the computer), sculpting with clay, making shadow-boxes, or
even an ABC picture book. To help the students be motivated to do a good job, you can invite them to
submit their art to a Tolkien fan-art gallery such as the one at www.theonering.net.
Functional/Informational Texts
Biographies: Students may be better able to understand the novel by
knowing more about the author, his motivations to write, and his
inspirations. A good concise biography can be found at
http://www.tolkiensociety.org/tolkien/biography.html. You may also find
good books on the subject like these:
Carpenter, Humphrey. J. R. R. Tolkien: A Biography. New York: Houghton
Mifflin, 2000.
Tolkien, J. R. R. The Letters of J. R. R. Tolkien. New York: Houghton
Mifflin, 2000.
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Alphabets: Tolkien wrote two languages and made his own alphabet for Middle Earth. Students
could study other alphabets as groups and present to the class their findings. An interesting book to go
along with this study would be the "Guide to Names in The Lord of the Rings" which is now only
published as part of the book The Lord of the Rings: A Reader's Companion by Wayne G. Hammond and
Christina Scull. Students would probably also like finding out their hobbit names at
http://www.chriswetherell.com/hobbit/.
Middle earth histories:
Tolkien created a whole history for Middle Earth, which at Bilbo’s time is in its Third Age. Students
may benefit from knowing more about the world of Middle Earth. Two primary books were written by
Tolkien on the histories of Middle Earth:
Tolkien, J. R. R. The Book of Lost Tales: The History of Middle-Earth. New York: Del Rey, 1992.
Tolkien, J. R. R. The Silmarillion. New York: Ballantine, 1990.
Myths:
The Hobbit shares many aspects with myths and legends. Students could research myths and learn the
basic elements that make a myth. They could then find the similarities and differences in The Hobbit or
write a myth themselves.
“Smaug over Laketown” © John Howe
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