The Hobbit by J.R.R.

Tolkien

Theme

The theme of greed and its consequences is constant throughout The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien.

Several of the characters in the story experience greed, beginning with the main character Bilbo

Baggins. He is content living a quiet, uneventful life until Gandalf, Thorin, and the dwarves convince

him to help them reclaim their treasure from Smaug the evil dragon. Bilbo's decision takes him from

one problem to another all throughout the journey. He is captured by trolls, goblins, Gollum and then

attacked by Wargs, spider webs, and elves all while searching for the treasure. Once Bilbo finds the

treasure, it leads to more problems. Smaug is killed fighting to keep the treasure, and when Thorin

refuses to share his recovered treasure with the people and elves whose property has been destroyed,

Bilbo and the dwarves are captured and Thorin is killed. All of this because of greed. Once Bilbo and

the dwarves are saved by Beorn and the eagles, their luck begins to change once they all agree to share

the treasure. Bilbo even agrees to take less than he is offered and reaps the rewards of his decision by

taking his part of the treasure back home and leading a content and fulfilling life. As the Bible states in

Proverbs 28:25, “A greedy person stirs up a fight, but whosoever trusts the Lord prospers.” Tolkien

demonstrates this premise throughout his story line, and shows that every decision reaps either a good

or a bad consequence. I agree with this, and The Hobbit reinforces the concept that when greed is

chosen, problems follow and when unselfishness is chosen, rewards follow.

Plot

• The story begins with Bilbo Baggins, a hobbit, who lives a quiet life in a comfortable hole in

the fantasy land of Bag End near the hobbit village of Hobbiton.

• Bilbo lives a content life until one day a wizard named Gandalf comes to town with Thorin

Oakenshield and his twelve dwarfs and convinces Bilbo to go with them on an adventure.

• Gandalf and the dwarves are going to reclaim their treasure from Smaug, an evil dragon, and

want Bilbo to be the “burglar.”

good burglar, but Gandalf has a secret map and convinces all of them their plan will work, so

they head on their journey together.

• During their adventure, three hungry trolls kidnap everyone but Gandalf.

• Gandalf helps Bilbo and the dwarves escape by tricking the trolls into coming outside in the sun

where the trolls are turned into stone.

• Before they leave the trolls' camp, the group takes the trolls' weapons.

• The group soon arrives in Rivendell where they meet the elf lord Elrond, who gives them

advice about their journey across the Misty Mountains.

• The group is captured again, but this time by a group of goblins. Gandalf once again rescues

them, but accidentally leaves behind Bilbo.

• While wondering around some tunnels, Bilbo finds a gold ring he puts in his pocket.

• Bilbo meets Gollum, a huge creature who lives in the cavern and hunts fish and goblin to eat.

He wants to eat Bilbo, but they decide to have a contest with riddles to determine Bilbo's fate.

• Bilbo wins the contest by asking Gollum, “What have I got in my pocket?”

• Gollum decides to eat Bilbo anyway and goes to find his magical ring which makes him

invisible, but it is the same ring which Bilbo has found.

• Bilbo uses the magical ring to escape from Gollum and the goblins.

• Bilbo meets back up with Gandalf and the dwarves and they are soon chased by wolves called

Wargs but are saved by a group of eagles and Beorn, who is a creature that changes from a man

into a bear.

• As they continue to look for Smaug and the treasure, they are caught in spider webs and later on

they are captured by some elves. They are saved each time by Bilbo and the magic ring.

• Bilbo is able to sneak into the mountain where Smaug lives and begins to talk with him. He

discovers Smaug has a weak spot near his heart.

• Bilbo is able to steal a golden cup from Smaug and this angers the dragon who then flies out to
burn down the local city of Lake-town.

• A nearby archer learns of Smaug's weak spot and uses his arrow to kill him, but Smaug is still

able to burn down the city.

• Bilbo secretly finds Thorin's treasured Arkenstone jewel and hides it. The people of Lake-town

and the elves of the forest demand part of the treasure for their losses, but Thorin refuses.

• The citizens and the elves are furious and trap Bilbo and the dwarves in the mountain. Bilbo

sneaks out offers the Arkenstone jewel to stop the conflict, but when Thorin finds out he is

furious and wants to harm Bilbo. Gandalf is able to save Bilbo from Thorin's rage.

• Goblins and Wargs begin to attack the mountain and the elves, dwarves, and humans must band

together to defeat them. The goblins and Wargs are winning and Thorin is killed, but Beorn and

the eagles arrive to help the people, elves, and dwarves win the battle.

• After the victory, the treasure is shared and Bilbo takes his part back to Hobbiton to live a

content but changed life.

Characters

Bilbo Baggins – He is a quiet and content hobbit who during a wild adventure becomes brave

and clever. He faces many trials and tribulations during the trip and develops skills and talents that

lead him to be a hero by the end of the journey.

Gandalf – He is a magical wizard who is wise and resourceful and talks Bilbo Baggins into

coming on an adventure to retrieve the treasure of Thorin and the dwarves. He uses his wisdom to help

save Bilbo and the dwarves when they are in danger.

Thorin Oakenshield – He is the determined leader of the elves who seeks to recover the treasure

that has been stolen by Smaug. He wants to right a wrong but becomes greedy in the process. He

realizes this at the end, but it is too late because he is killed.

Smaug – He is an evil dragon who has the treasure of Thorin and the dwarfs. He is outwitted by

Bilbo Baggins and seeks revenge against Baggins, the dwarves, and the people of Lake-town. His

actions end up costing him his life.

eagles, he saves Bilbo Baggins and the dwarfs on two occasions.

Bard – He is an skilled archer who slays Smaug the dragon. He learns of Smaug weak spot

from a thrush and uses this information to kill the dragon and help Baggins, Thorin, and the dwarves

recover the treasure.

Gollum – A huge, evil creature who guards the entrance to the cavern. Bilbo uses a riddle to

keep Gollum from eating him and then uses Gollum's magical gold ring to escape from the creature.

Setting

The Hobbit takes place in a fantasy world which consists of Bag End in Hobbiton, Rivendell,

Misty Mountain, and Lake-town during the third age of Middle Earth.

Review

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien is a story that takes you on an adventure into a fantasy world full

of hobbits, dwarves, elves, and magical creatures. Someone who likes adventure, magic, fantasy, and

mythical creatures will enjoy reading this book. This story allows you to use your imagination to

picture this fantasy world and all of its creatures. There are many conflicts and problems in this story

which are quickly solved, but the journey takes many twists and turns and at times can be difficult to

follow. At the same time, many sections are suspenseful and thrilling and make you want to read more.

I enjoy stories about battles between good and evil, and this book has many conflicts which are battles

between good and evil, and good wins every time. I would recommend this book to anyone who

wants to escape to a fantasy world, who enjoys using his or her imagination, and who likes it when

good prevails over evil.

Favorite Quotes

1. "Please don’t cook me, kind sirs! I am a good cook myself, and cook better than I cook,

if you see what I mean (Bilbo Baggins, Chapter 2, Page 39).” I like this quote because I
think it is funny. In a stressful situation Bilbo tries to be lighten the moment by injecting

humor.

2. “Come, come!” he said. “While there’s life there’s hope! (Bilbo Baggins, Chapter 14,

Page 214).” Bilbo is using this quote to encourage the others to continue on, but it also

reminds the reader that as long as there is life there is hope.

3. “If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a

merrier world (Thorin Oakenshield, Chapter 18, Page 263).” This quote is important

because Tolkien uses the character of Thorin to express that the world would be a better

place if people were not greedy and selfish and cared more about things that are truly

important.