The Hobbit A Hero s Journey - 1481 Words

In many stories, there is a hero ‒ a character who rescues, saves, survives, and sacrifices in order to help the greater good. He usually is of mysterious origin and often starts off seeming ordinary and insignificant. However, as the hero eventually grows and develops, he follows the hero’s journey, or the general structure of a hero’s adventures. Such is the case in J.R.R. Tolkien’s renowned The Hobbit, a high fantasy novel detailing the adventures of Mr. Bilbo Baggins, a small furry creature known as a hobbit. Bilbo lives comfortably in his hobbit-hole until he is compelled to join a dangerous quest with Gandalf the wizard and thirteen dwarves. As Bilbo Baggins progresses along his hero’s journey, he transforms, develops, and changes into an extraordinary hero. Firstly, Bilbo grows bolder and more curious as he begins his adventures. The first stage of a hero’s journey is the Separation, in which the hero leaves his known world, or home, and crosses into the Unknown (Thompson and Harris 7). Bilbo resides in Bag-End, his hobbit-hole, where he lives as a â€Å"very respectable [hobbit who]...never had any adventures or did anything unexpected† (Tolkien 2). Bag-End represents Bilbo’s known world, where he lives comfortably and complacently. Next, Bilbo undergoes the first step of the hero’s journey, the Call, which occurs when the protagonist is called to adventure (Thompson and Harris 8). Bilbo is not particularly brave or gifted, but when Gandalf chooses him to be the burglarShow MoreRelatedThe Unexpected Epic Of Bilbo Baggins s The Odyssey 1297 Words   |  6 PagesEpic Hero Praised for his or her brave deeds and noble qualities, a hero has distinguished courage and ability. An epic hero is a unique type of hero who is often depicted in an epic poem. 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