The Hobbit Themes

Hobbits are short, hairy creatures who love to stay home and get even more plump than they already are. In The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien, a classic fantasy tale, a hobbit named Bilbo is approached by Gandalf the Wizard to go on a quest with a group of fourteen dwarves who call themselves “Thorin & Co.”. Bilbo goes out of his comfort zone to join them and take the dwarves’ treasure back from a dragon named Smaug who stole it long ago, becoming a hero when no one ever imagined a creature like a hobbit could.

In The Hobbit, the author uses conflict to teach that anyone can be a hero. For example, at the beginning of the book, Bilbo doesn’t want to leave his familiar and comfortable home. This is shown when Bilbo says, “Sorry! I don't want any

If you like a story with characters that are a lot like you in the normal world, believe it or not, this is a story for you. Even in a world full of magic, an enjoyable book has to have characters that a reader can relate to. With Bilbo as a protagonist, this is easy. When Gandalf first invites him to go on the dwarves’ quest, he doesn’t want to leave the comforts of his home. He recognizes Gandalf is a great wizard, but still doesn’t want to leave and tries to dismiss him, saying, ”We don't want any adventures here, thank you! You might try over The Hill or across The Water." He was trying to get out of going by suggesting Gandalf seek out someone else to go on this adventure. Even on the quest, Bilbo constantly wishes he had stayed home, in his chair, smoking his pipe and eating sweets. Anyone can relate to this. We’ve all been at school, work, or even a party, wishing we had stayed in and had a relaxed time to ourselves. Additionally, it’s an inspirational story. While lazy in the beginning, Bilbo slowly realizes there is more to him than what he first thought. As Gandalf said, “There is a lot more in him than you guess, and a deal more than he has any idea of himself.” Gandalf knew Bilbo would become something more from the beginning. He told the dwarves and Bilbo that they should expect great things from the hobbit, so they didn’t give up on him. Without a doubt, people will love this fantastical, yet relatable and inspirational, story about finding more in oneself than previously believed to have been