Bilbo's Character Transformation in 'The Hobbit'

In The Hobbit written by J. R. R. Tolkien, Bilbo Baggins was a timid, kind-hearted hobbit that lived in a luxurious hole in the ground. He was always ready for company, but never expected to get a guest that asked for his presence. After Gandalf, the wizard, showed up to Bilbo’s hobbit hole, everything changed for him. Everyone experiences change, but Bilbo’s transformation happened rather quickly and made Bilbo into an entirely different character, with him starting the story as a follower, him taking some initiative by himself, and him finally becoming a leader.

After Bilbo and the dwarves left for their adventure, Bilbo was assigned the job of the “burglar” which was a very dangerous job, especially because he had never done anything of this sort before. Bilbo was told at the very beginning of the novel to scout out some Trolls that were at a fire. At this point in the story, Bilbo was following as he was told and not doing what he thought was right. Bilbo was very much a follower at the beginning of the story and just tried to prove his role as a burglar, which led him to make bad decisions.

Bilbo started to show even more transformation toward the middle of the book and he was taking initiative rather than being told what to do. For example, when Bilbo got stuck in the cave and was faced with the Gollum, he managed to stay calm even as his life was on the line. He used intellect rather than strength to get out of the mess he was in, which he starts to use more often. When Bilbo was alone and didn't know what to do, he proved how smart he is and how self-sufficient he is. This showed how much he changed from the beginning of the book, where he only did as he was told.

As the novel progressed Bilbo's transformation became even greater. After all of their travels, the dwarves were thrown into prison by the Elvinking and Bilbo was left to fend for himself once again. At this point in the story, Bilbo showed a huge level of devotion and care to his group. Bilbo truly showed change as he waited in the Elvin palace, invisible, for many many days and tried to scout out a plan to help them escape. This shows a huge level of change in Bilbo, as he was the one in control of the entire situation. He stuck with the leaders who shaped him into who he became and showed them that he could take control of a bad situation.

While you read The Hobbit you may not think of things such as character development. However, the whole story is based on the changes that Bilbo undergoes. As Bilbo goes on his journey, the reader can see that Bilbo becomes more self-sufficient and takes on more things independently. Bilbo makes very drastic changes and becomes a leader rather than just a follower. The hobbit lived a simplistic life and liked routine, however, Gandalf tested all of his abilities by sending him on a dangerous trip which pushed him to his limits.