Hobbit Case

As humans, we all make changes throughout our lives. Along with making these changes, we also learn to face our fears, which could have a lasting effect. During this process, we begin to discover who we really are. This is better demonstrated by Joseph Campbell's diagram, the hero's journey. The hero starts out in home, then moves on to wilderness, and finally selfhood. In J.R.R. Tolkien's, The Hobbit, the protagonist or hero, Bilbo Baggins, makes this journey to selfhood. Bilbo's opinion of not having adventures changes, when he is appointed as a burglar by Gandalf the wizard. The hobbit now journeys on with Gandalf and thirteen other dwarves to kill Smaug, and find the ancestral Arkenstone of Thrain. Although this is the main quest, for Bilbo it is not the hero's journey. Bilbo will become wiser, alert, helpful, and most importantly braver through overcoming his fears, which is the true hero's journey. He will cross the threshold between home into the wilderness, and face many temptations. From there, he will face the nadir, and eventually attain realization of who he really is.

Our hero begins his journey when Gandalf and thirteen dwarves come up to his door and claim that he is the burglar. At first, the hobbit makes it clear that he wants no part in the adventure. Once Bilbo hears about the quest, he has a conflict in choosing whether to accept it. His Baggins side, tells him to stay at home. On the other hand, his Took side persuades him to go on the quest. "Then Mr. Baggins turned the handle and went in. The Took side had won" (18). Bilbo finally chooses the latter. He fully accepts the dissonance, his call to adventure, after he crosses the threshold at Greendragon Inn. Bilbo now goes on to face many challenges.

Bilbo has crossed the threshold from home into the wilderness. As they continue on the journey, the dwarves talk about Bilbo behind his back. ‘He looks more like a grocer than a burglar!'(18). Hearing this, Bilbo's ego is hurt, which drives him to prove himself to the dwarves. His opportunity to do so arrives when he is chosen to explore around the forest. At this point, the dwarves are alone without Gandalf, and decide that it is time for Bilbo to play his part as burglar. So, Bilbo goes closer, and comes in contact with three trolls. His ego and pride take over, and not wanting to return empty-handed, Bilbo attempts at pickpocketing Tom, one of the trolls. This is a very selfish and rash decision, as it lands the others in trouble. Bilbo fails, and blows his cover, allowing the trolls to capture the dwarves. Luckily, Gandalf arrives just in time to save Bilbo and the dwarves. Gandalf now plays the role of the mentor, or the wise advisor. "It was the wizard's voice that had kept the trolls bickering" (41). Gandalf throws his voice around, so that the trolls keep talking until sunrise, after which they die. Although Gandalf comes in and saves Bilbo