The Theme of Heroism in The Hobbit by J. R. Tolkien

A hero is someone who has a strong sense of justice and acts upon that sense. In The Hobbit, J. R. R. Tolkien uses different elements of the novel to define his idea of a hero. Although the protagonist has a short stature with more heart than muscles, he still changes the lives of many characters. The book is beyond a children’s fantasy; it’s a narrative about resurrection, growth, and individual development. It is easy to encourage Bilbo, who is a short hobbit since we all can feel little in this big world. In the novel, Bilbo develops into a hero despite the stereotype of hobbits being introverted and unadventurous. The author describes how Bilbo joins Thorin and the Company with Gandalf on a quest to the Lonely Mountains to recover the treasure that was taken by the dragon. In the end, Bilbo will come back with more than just treasure, but as a new hero. In The Hobbit, J. R. Tolkien uses the theme of heroism to illustrate the idea of rebirth, femininity, and weapons.

The unexpected journey symbolizes the death of Bilbo’s childish ways and his rebirth to a hero. Bilbo is considered to be an adult because of his age; however, he lives a domestic lifestyle like a child with no major accomplishments in life. He must experience progressions before he achieves independence. He must undergo extreme circumstances to “reach within himself for resources that he might not have known he had” (Ruud 2). He looks young in size, and not fully developed. Bilbo’s adolescent manners made him innocent and the reason for his responsiveness. It’s his goal to be grown and His ambition is to be mature and keep his purity as well. He deals with psychological maturity rather than actual aging. Bilbo’s home represents a mother’s womb. The womb is comfortable and it’s confined from the outside world. When he leaves for the journey, he runs through the long passageway and out through the rounded hobbit door to face the world outside his home. This scene is a metaphor for childbirth. Bag-End, the neighborhood, is a safe haven for him because the hobbits “never did any adventures or did anything unexpected” (Tolkien 2). He had no reason to experience all his emotions like fear or excitement because he doesn’t do anything.

While on his journey with the dwarves, he is regrets leaving behind his personal possessions: “No hat, no stick, no pipe, not even a pocket handkerchief. How can one survive” (Tolkien 40). He is like a child leaving behind a special blanket. Bilbo feels uncomfortable and wants to go back home at the beginning of the journey because he doesn’t have his “blankie” to protect him from the terrifying world. This is a stepping stone to his development as a hero. Additionally, a negative outcome of the rebirth is shown when Bilbo gets caught by the Stone Trolls. As he crawls away is a symbol of an infant’s first gesture of independence. Even if his developments are at an early stage and not perhaps considered as great achievements, they are nonetheless important for Bilbo in order for him to manage to continue with the next steps of development.

Gandalf, an Istari, decides to have Bilbo join Thorin and Company on an adventure to the Lonely Mountain. Bilbo would not experience the rebirthing process without Gandalf. It is his responsibility to teach Bilbo the ways of life. He delivers Bilbo from the womb of the Shire where Bilbo, as a result, separates from the mother image. Gandalf is as a “father figure who helps the group out of predicaments with trolls and goblins” (Ruud). However, he constantly leaves Bilbo and the dwarves on their journey. At the beginning of the novel, Gandalf temporarily leaves the company and eventually returns to help them out of any possible danger. Gandalf’s absence is necessary for Bilbo to rebirth into a hero. His absence forces Bilbo “to face the dangers on his own”. His main goal is to let Bilbo build the confidence and skills he needs to navigate the world on his own while knowing his protector has his back. To conclude, Bilbo needs Gandalf to be away in order to make in dependent decisions develop on his own.

It is common in adventure stories for the heroes to mature through dreaming. A stable self-image can connect to the powers of unconsciousness. William H. Green states, ”there is a powerful link between the ability to dream prophetically and the ability to stay awake” (Green 35). Bilbo is unconsciousness and wakes up to alert the group. He falls asleep and has a nightmare about the goblins finding their hideout spot. Tolkien states, “At that he woke up with a horrible start, and found that part of his dream was true” (Tolkien 108). He finds that goblins have opened a passage in the back of the cave, stolen their ponies, and are close to attacking them. Bilbo’s cry for help gives Gandalf enough warning to avoid capture. Leadership is dreaming outside the boundaries of sleep and Bilbo is capable of doing that.

It is essential to come to terms with your shadow before becoming a mature individual. Bilbo undergoes this activity to continue with his rebirthing process. The shadow theory states that “accepting the shadow is a prerequisite for achieving wholeness, the dynamic harmony of mind called individuation”. Bilbo’s shadow is evident when he confronts Gollum near the underground lake. The cave symbolizes the darkness of the repressed mind. His Tookish side is the anima that “is being repressed so that he is clinging rather immaturely to a childish way of life” (Mathews 1). An anima has the power to help an ego accept its shadow. His anima comes out when Bilbo spares Gollum’s life when he has the opportunity to kill him. His symbolic leap at the end of the chapter is a key factor to his rebirth.

The climax of the story happens during the meeting with the red-golden dragon, Smaug. Bilbo enters the dark passage of Smaug’s lair. Regardless of the possibility of dying, Bilbo continues in the tunnel, knowing that he has made an outstanding achievement. Smaug is a mythical dragon that lays on countless precious jewelry. The treasure illustrates “the archetype of self, of psychic wholeness” (Mathews 2). After the quest, Bilbo arrives home and finds out that he is presumably dead: “the old Bilbo has died and been given new life as a completely individuated individual, one who is unafraid of his adventurous side”. This is the last stage of Bilbo’s rebirthing process. The unexpected journey strengthens his Tookish side and the rebirths develop the individuation process which causes the combines of all parts of his personality into one.

The concept of femininity can be seen through the heroic characters created by Tolkien. Feminine character traits include empathy, sensitivity, caring, compassion, and tolerance. At first glance, Beorn is a mighty hero with masculine features. He is a “great strong black-haired man with huge arms and a great beard” (Tolkien 194). His body shape is similar to a bear. Beorn poses feminine qualities that make him a feminine hero in Middle Earth. Bilbo believed in the beginning that Beorn was a hostile person. He wants Gandalf to find someone more easy tempered. Nevertheless, Beorn is genuinely caring and sensitive. Boern informs the group that he is an animal lover and vegetarian. He also provides Bilbo and the dwarves with food, weapons, and a ponies for their long journey.

Male dominance and success in combat are essential for a stereotypical hero. Bilbo is described as a feminine hero because “he is timid rather than brave; he is concerned with comforts and pleasures of life, not combat and hardship”. His tolerance is evident when he decides to spare Gollum’s life. Hobbits are fond of peaceful life, they don’t like arguing, and of course, they don’t like to kill others. There was not a choice to kill Gollum in Bilbo’s mind. And although he brought his sword in his hand and tried to threaten Gollum with it, he didn’t really have an idea of killing Gollum. Bilbo tolerated him so he could escape the mountain. Despite not having the physical characteristics of a stereotypical hero, “heroism is not just associated with military prowess or the ability to fight”. Bibo made a big decision to give up the Arkenstone in attempt to prevent the Battle of Five Armies. Although the battle still happened afterward, Bilbo cared more about the community than Thorin’s greed. Throughout the novel, Tolkien portrays Bilbo as a feminine hero. He doesn’t fight with horrible intentions but fights with a good purpose.

The author displays weapons as an essential part of heroism. Bilbo and the dwarves find the Sting during a Troll-hoard. This sword is important because it gives him greater strength and heroic power during the journey. He “engages in conventional martial heroism” and manages to slay the giant spider. As a result, Bilbo establishes a new identity. Muscular strength and fighting skills are minor components of heroism towards Bilbo. He was able to capture the ring with luck: “his intelligence and wit are more important than his sword in combat” (Grace 1). In addition, he is able to rescue the dwarves and help slay Smaug with his intelligence.

A hero often is a warrior who is ready for combat. On the contrary, Bilbo contributes to nobility in different ways which make him the hero in The Hobbit. J R. R. Tolkien shows the traditional hero quest for glory, gold, and greatness. Bilbo and Thorin and Company plan to kill Smaug to take back historic treasure. Conversely, Bilbo refuses the idea of combat and treasure. This makes him, in fact, a feminine hero. Bilbo becomes a hero because of his sensitive character traits. This is when he leaves home in the beginning, spares Gollum’s life, and declines his share of the treasure for the community. Bilbo’s virtuous actions make him a hero because it does not just take strength to be one. In addition, he owns a weapon that connects to heroism: the sword Sting, which is a symbolizes strength. Rebirth is also an important element of the novel. Bilbo becomes a hero because of his Tookish side. He struggles with trying to balancing both his Baggins and Tookish side. His moral decisions make him the hero he is without being a forceful warrior.