Bilbo Baggins' Transformation Depicted in Tolkien's The Hobbit

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Bilbo Baggins changes a lot in the novel The Hobbit. In the beginning he is a small peaceful Hobbit who lives in Hobbiton. He loves to keep things in order, and hates things that are disorganized. “Please be careful,” and “Please don’t trouble. I can manage” (Tolkein, 12). Then one day a wizard by the name of Gandalf comes and gives Bilbo the opportunity to go on an adventure. Bilbo turns his offer down, but the next day thirteen dwarves come to his house. They have meals together and they sleep at Bilbo’s house. Gandalf then convinces him to go on an adventure with them. Bilbo is many things, in the very begging he is flat, static, main, and he is the protagonist. By the end of the story he is round, dynamic, main, and he is still the protagonist. By the end of the story, Bilbo is a changed Hobbit.

The first scene when Bilbo starts to change is in chapter two, Roast Mutton. He is sent to check out a light probably caused by a fire and report back if it is safe. He then goes to the site and sees three figures. He figures out that they are Trolls! They are roasting mutton over an open fire. Bilbo then sees a wallet. The wallet is humongous. Bilbo thinks the dwarves would be so proud if he pick pocketed it. So, he went over to it and took it. The Trolls then notice him and then get angry. Then Gandalf and the dwarves come to the rescue. He successfully got the wallet, but almost got killed for it.

Another chapter in which Bilbo changes is chapter five, Riddles In the Dark. Bilbo and the dwarves are in a cave being chased by goblins. Dori is carrying Bilbo since his legs are too short to run. Then Dori gets tripped and starts to run again, leaving Bilbo behind. Bilbo rolls off and hits his head against a rock, now he is unconsci...

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..., but doesn’t give his name away. He gets in a very detailed conversation with Smaug. “Old fool! Why there is a large patch in the hollow of his left breast as bare as a snail out of its shell!” (Tolkein, 227) This shows that Bilbo’s character really changes because he is insulting Smaug, but underneath his breath. After the conversation, Bilbo heads back to the dwarves and tells them everything. This is a very brave thing that Bilbo has done.

All in all, Bilbo has changed a great deal in The Hobbit. He went from flat, static, main, and protagonist to round, dynamic, main, and protagonist. He changed all throughout the books, but the five biggest chapters were chapter two, five, eight, nine, and twelve. Bilbo once was a very peaceful Hobbit. Now he is a bold adventurous Hobbit who takes risks. Therefore, Bilbo Baggins is a changed Hobbit at the end of the story.

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