1. Draw a map of the journey Bilbo, Gandalf, and the dwarves take, using the descriptions in The Hobbit to depict geographical features of the landscape of Middle-earth. 2. Watch the movie The Lord of the Rings in any or all of its three parts. Write about the depiction of […]

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1. Discuss the development of Bilbo Baggins’ character. What qualities are used to describe him at the beginning of the story? What qualities emerge during the course of the story? What causes the changes in his character? 2. Discuss Tolkien’s use of song in The Hobbit. What purpose do they […]

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baying barking. braces suspenders; straps hung over the shoulders to hold up pants. bracken a large, coarse fern. cask a barrel, usually holding wine. cleave to split or pass through by cutting. confusticate flabbergast. conies rabbit furs. eddying moving in a circular current like a whirlpool. eyrie a bird’s nest […]

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The Quest The major theme of The Hobbit is the quest, one of the oldest themes in literature. As a scholar of ancient languages and literatures, Tolkien would have known the theme well through Greek and Norse myth and Old- and Middle-English poetry. The quest theme is central to the […]

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Personal Background John Ronald Reuel Tolkien was born on January 3, 1892 in South Africa, where his English father worked as a bank manager. His father died unexpectedly of complications from rheumatic fever when four-year-old Ronald (as he was called) was visiting family in England with his mother and younger […]

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Gollum is a fascinating character. Like Smaug, his solitary life is a clue to his wicked nature; all other characters in the book, even the evil Goblins and Wargs, are members of communities. Gollum is so alone that he speaks only to himself, even on the rare occasions when he […]

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Smaug is a dragon whose evil, like Gollum’s, is indicated by his isolation. He lives alone in the Lonely Mountain, his only purpose to guard the treasure he stole from the dwarves during the reign of Thorin’s grandfather. Smaug rarely leaves his lair, and he sleeps on top of the […]

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Thorin is the leader of the dwarves, and he takes himself very seriously. He is conscious of his position as son of Thrain and grandson of Thror, King under the Mountain, and mindful of his birthright to the treasure trove guarded by Smaug. He retains this sense of self throughout […]

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Gandalf is a good wizard who has powers beyond those of other characters: He sometimes uses a magic wand and he seems able to appear and disappear at will. He guides the travelers and rescues them from trolls, Goblins, and Wargs. He is old (he was a friend of Bilbo’s […]

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Bilbo Baggins, the protagonist of The Hobbit, is one of a race of creatures about half the size of humans, beardless and with hairy feet. He lives in an unspecified time that is at once ancient and also very like the Victorian age, with its cozy domestic routines. Like most […]

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