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The Plot in J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit
The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien is a captivating tale about unusual creatures, great
struggles, a flying dragon, and much, much more. The story comes alive through colorful
depictions of characters and details that capture the imagination. The plot of this novel is the
dwarves' journey to recapture their homeland. The setting, characters, and trials throughout The
Hobbit help to fully shape this overall theme of the novel.
Throughout The Hobbit the setting is constantly changing from start to finish. There are
six different stages through which the setting evolves. The first stage takes place at the home of
Bilbo Baggins. Bilbo lives in something called a hobbit hole. These homes may look small
from the outside, but are fairly large inside. Hobbit holes are made in the side of small hills. As
Tolkien describes, "It had a perfectly round door . . . the door opened on to a tube-shaped hall
like a tunnel . . . " (1). Down the main hall in the hobbit house are all the same rooms that a
regular home would contain. Some of the rooms in Bilbo's home include, " . . . bedrooms,
bathrooms, cellars, pantries (lots of these), wardrobes (he had whole rooms devoted to clothes),
kitchens, dinning rooms . . . " (Tolkien 1). Besides just food and clothes, hobbits love gardens.
Bilbo has gardens surrounding the front and side of his house, which are tended to every day.
After traveling through Bilbo's house the setting turns toward the Misty Mountains. The Misty
Mountains are an extensive stretch of mountains that serve as a border between Bilbo's home and the forest of Mirkwood. The Misty Mountains is nothing to joke about. Gandalf says, " . . .it is very necessary to ta...
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... true, vanishes into the dragon's chest. Then the dragon " . . . shot spouting into the air, turned over and crashed down from on high in ruin." (Tolkien 249). The dragon is finally dead and the dwarves have regained their homeland. Thus, the tale is concluded.
The chronicle of The Hobbit is an adventure to regain a long lost home. Brave dwarves and a hobbit endeavor through many treacherous lands and risk their lives in this great campaign. As stated by William S. Brockington, Jr., "Tolkien's fantasy world provides a place where moral values exist and quests can still be achieved." (1467). The final victory is won through the help of many companions the adventurers meet along the way. Had it not been for the setting, characters, and trials in The Hobbit the plot could have never been made possible.
Bibliography:
Tolkien, J.R.R. The Hobbit
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