The Hero's Cycle In The Hobbit By JRR Tolkien

Life is the very epitome of change. Every day, people learn, grow, and develop. They have new experiences that influence their thoughts, ideas and actions. They meet new people who, in turn, share their own unique beliefs and philosophies. In literature, the process that characters go through in order to grow and change is referred to as the hero's cycle. This cycle is marked by three major events: departure, fulfillment, and return. In his novel The Hobbit, author JRR Tolkien uses a small hobbit named Bilbo Baggins in order to illustrate this series of events.

Bilbo Baggins' actions at the beginning of the Hobbit mark "departure" in the hero's cycle. Bilbo is at first portrayed as a weak and insecure character. He is not aware of himself

From the beginning of the story, Gandalf sees great potential in Bilbo. Although he does not believe him, Bilbo proves that he is capable of doing extraordinary things. Bilbo's first display of fulfillment occurs when he escapes the depths of the misty mountains without the help of Gandalf or the dwarves. Bilbo says “And here’s the burglar!”...slipping off the ring. Bless me, how they jumped! Then they[the dwarves] shouted with surprise and delight...It is a fact that Bilbo’s reputation went up a very great deal with the dwarves after this(214)." Following this event, Bilbo becomes more confident. He now knows that nothing is impossible if he believes in himself and is beginning to understand that the unknown is not an enemy, but a force that can be conquered. Bilbo once again displays fulfillment when he kills a giant spider in the heart of Mirkwood. Tolkien writes"“The spider lay dead beside him, and his sword-blade was stained black. Somehow the killing of the giant spider, all alone by himself in the dark without the help of the wizard or the dwarves or of anyone else, made a great difference to Mr. Baggins. He felt a different person, and much fiercer and bolder...as he wiped his sword on the grass and put it back into its sheath(179)”. Bilbo's display of strength and fearlessness shows a dramatic change from his personality at the beginning of the book. He is now starting to fulfill