Character Analysis Of Bilbo In The Hobbit

“I like six eggs with my ham, when starting on a journey.”(Tolkien, J. R. R.) remarked Thorin, a dwarf, and one of Bilbo’s companions. Bilbo, called upon by a tall old wizard named Gandalf, is a hobbit, and the protagonist in The Hobbit. He sets out with a band of dwarves to kill the infamous Smaug, a dragon, and reclaim ownership of Erebor, the lonely mountain. Beginning hesitant and shy, he feels uncomfortable with the notion of leaving the Shire, his homeland. Though he eventually agrees to accompany the dwarves on their journey, his timid personality remains, and overcoming it becomes one of his major challenges throughout the journey. Bilbo’s journey in The Hobbit follows almost if not all of the stages in the hero's journey archetype, and he discovers his inner courage and love for adventure.

Bilbo is the paradigm of a western take on the hero archetype. He

After escaping from Smaug’s wrath, Bilbo finally has a revelation and realizes who he is and his ability to be useful, even if he can’t fight well. Bilbo returns with a ring of invisibility, and 1/14th of the gold found on the expedition. What Bilbo was most excited to bring back to the Shire though, was an epic tale. He settles in his hobbit hole as a better character, who left behind his hesitancy in favor of courage. Bilbo grows as a hero, and learns how strong one can be without being a fighter.

In conclusion, The hero’s journey in The Hobbit explores ideas of strength and courage through Bilbo's journey as he becomes a more lively and valiant through his realizations of who he really is. In the beginning, he wishes nothing more than to sit outside, eat, and smoke. This is drastically different to his personality at the end, courageous and outgoing, which develops through his abyss and numerous challenges. Bilbo’s return to the Shire finds him a better person, a