Written by: Alejandro
The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien is set in a fantasy world that has differences, as well as similarities, to our own world. The story takes place in the imaginary world of Middle-earth in the Third Age of it's history. It's a land and time of Elves, Dwarves and Dragons
They found themselves in a large cavern in the mountain. The Goblin scowled at them. Then Thorin stepped forward and explained to him that they did not mean to trespass. Gandolf appeared at the door and freed the group from the goblins. The group ran ahead and Bilbo was lost behind them. Bilbo found an underwater lake and a ring on an island in the lake. He found out that the ring made him invisible. In the lake also lived a creature named Gollum. Gollum was a creature that ate other people. Gollum approached Bilbo and Bilbo told him he desired to find a way out. They then played a riddle game and if Bilbo won, he lived and if he lost, he would die. Bilbo won the riddle game but Gollum still wanted to eat him, But then Bilbo accidentally slipped the ring on his finger and became invisible, so he escaped.
He met with the group again and walked with them for a few days. Gandolf left the group a few days later. The ring Bilbo had helped the group through two more circumstances along the journey. The group made it to the base of Lonely Mountain. They then climbed the mountain and found a secret entrance to the inside, where Smaug was. Thorin and the Dwarfs stayed outside. Bilbo went down a hallway and came upon Smaug. He then slipped on the ring he had found earlier and became invisible. Smaug awoke when Bilbo tried to steal a gold cup. Smaug knew that the Hobbit was there because he heard him. Smaug told Bilbo that nothing could pierce his scales. But when Bilbo searched Smaug's body he found a scale was missing in one spot. So Bilbo grabbed the cup and ran out of the mountain. Smaug followed Bilbo and started burning the city. Meanwhile, Bilbo had told a bird to find a hunter named Bard the Hunter and to tell him that. Smaug had a weak spot below the neck. Bard the Hunter came and saw the spot and plunged an arrow into Smaug, he fell down and died. Bilbo's return to Bag-End on the very day his home and all its contents were to be sold at public auction (since no one had seen him for over a year)
With so many excellent attributes in The Hobbit, I found it difficult to find many things that were not good. Tolkien's choice of a conflict was not very creative. The plot of this novel is based upon the traditional "going out and taking back what is yours" story. The many kinks and side adventures made The Hobbit interesting, but the main plot of the story is still the dwarves attempting to reclaim their lost treasure from the dragon Smaug.
The theme of the novel was very hard to find and is not clearly shown. It is basically this: if you over come your fears, you can achieve almost anything. Bilbo is unsure of what he is doing when in crisis, but later on in the story he becomes more in control of himself. After Bilbo overcomes his main fears of adventure, danger and failure, he is able to complete the mission successfully. The moral is to not let your fears get in the way of what you want to do or be in life. Bilbo Baggins is an excellent example of how this works
This book is full of adventure in a fantasy world. However, I do believe that fantasy can effectively teach us about reality. There are morals, lessons, and themes to be found within the text that can help us gain knowledge and live our lives more productively. Bilbo Baggins took a stand and raised enough courage to do something he had never thought of doing before, going on a great adventure. This choice caused Bilbo to gain endurance, bravery, an appreciation of his life, and many valuable experiences that made him a wiser person. Thorin’s selfish act of not wanting to share the dragon’s riches with the other towns’ citizens caused only bad events to occur. This teaches us that kindness and giving to others will not only benefit them, but will also cause you to feel more content inside When the group of fourteen was staying with Beorn to rest, he gave them suggestions and information about the journey that lie ahead of them. He informed them about a black stream out of which they should never drink, no matter how thirsty they may be, for it would put them to sleep for days. If they had not listened to his words, their adventure would have ended, as they all would have consumed the water and probably been captured by enemies. Their experiences teach us that it is wise to listen to those with more knowledge than us, as it is likely that they have been in our position before and have experience. If we shun them and take their words as mere bragging, then we are missing an opportunity to learn and will probably make a mistake that we could have prevented. Although The Hobbit is fictional, one can learn much about reality in the morals it contains.
I would highly recommend this book for children of all ages as well as adults. It has a certain appeal that makes the reader want to continue reading the book all day In conclusion, I think this book should stay on the summer reading list.