The Hobbit

Title: The Hobbit

Author: J.R.R. Tolkien

ISBN: 978-0547928227

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Copyright: 2012 (1937)

Genre: Adventure/Action/Fantasy

Age Range: 14+

Reader’s Annotation: Bilbo Baggins goes on an epic journey with a band of dwarves to reclaim their home and treasure from a dragon.

Plot Summary: Bilbo Baggins is an honorable hobbit that is tricked by Gandalf to host a party for Thorin and his band of dwarves. The dwarves plan on reclaiming the Lonely Mountain and its vast treasure from the dragon Smaug. Gandalf shows them a map with a secret door. Gandalf introduces Bilbo as the company’s burglar. With hesitation and indignation, Bilbo joins them showing his streak of the Old Took. On their way to Rivendell, they encounter three Trolls. The dwarves are caught and sacked ready for cooking. Bilbo is able to stall them long enough for Gandalf to save them as the sun comes up to freeze them to stone. They follow a stench that takes the troop into the troll horde and discover three elfin swords, one for Gandalf, one for Thorin, and a small one for Bilbo. Each of their blades glows blue when encountering goblins or orcs. In Rivendell, Elrond reveals the moon runes and tells them that they must be at the door on the last light of Durin’s day.

            While heading through the Misty Mountains, the company seeks refuge in a cave. The floor of the cave cracks open and the group is caught by goblins. They are ran forward where Bilbo slips behind and gets lost. In the caves, he finds a gold ring and encounters Gollum. They play a game of riddles. If Bilbo wins, Gollum will show him out of the caves. If Gollum wins, he will eat Bilbo. Gollum loses and figures out that Bilbo has his ring. The ring gives the wearer the power of invisibility. Bilbo sneaks past Gollum to rejoin his friends who fought their way out the other side of the mountain. As they exit, a pack of Wargs attack them, and they are rescued by eagles landing near the home of Beorn who gives them protection and rest. Soon after, the company journeys into Mirkwood as Gandalf goes to discover who the Necromancer is in the Black Tower.

            The Mirkwood forest is dark and deep. It messes with their sanity. Giant spiders attack and Bilbo saves them. They are caught by wood elves and imprisoned. With Bilbo’s burgling help, they escape down the river in wine barrels. They make it to Lake-Town. The inhabitants hope the dwarves will fulfill the prophecies of Smaug's end. The expedition travels to the Lonely Mountain and finds the secret door. Bilbo scouts the thrown room and steals a cup. The dragon is enraged by the theft and flies to Lake-Town to burn it to the water. Bard, the defender of Lake-Town, slays the dragon with a black arrow in Smaug’s chink in his scales.

The dwarves take over the mountain and its treasure. Bilbo finds the Arkenstone, a family gem that drove Thorin’s grandfather mad, and hides it. The wood elves and men of Lake-Town lay siege to the mountain for their share of the treasure. Thorin refuses. Bilbo tries to use the Arkenstone as payment to stop any fighting. Thorin banishes Bilbo. Gandalf returns with the news that a goblin and orc army are fast approaching. Can these dwarves, elves, and men unit to defeat the oncoming army?

Critical Evaluation: The Hobbit is seen as a classic children’s story. The title of children for the story is not quite what it seems. When the book was published, any work that was not intended for adults was given the title of children. The book has complex themes that are addressed. Greed is a main theme. There is the greed that Gollum feels for the ring. It is so strong that he has bloodlust for anyone who might take it away from him. In the same manner, Thorin is greedy about the Arkenstone. It is a family heirloom that he believes proves his right to run and be king under the mountain. Bilbo has to move past his previous notions of recovering a share of the treasure and makes sacrifices so that the greater good is preserved. As teens grow morally, they need to be reminded that they can start off at one place and grow into another. Books like The Hobbit show that great evil can be overcome by greater good. It is a classic and positive book to keep in a collection. 

Author Information: John Ronald Reuel Tolkien (1892-1973) was a major scholar of the English language, specializing in Old and Middle English. Twice Professor of Anglo-Saxon (Old English) at the University of Oxford, he also wrote a number of stories, including most famously The Hobbit (1937) and The Lord of the Rings (1954-1955), which are set in a pre-historic era in an invented version of our world which he called by the Middle English name of Middle-earth. This was peopled by Men (and women), Elves, Dwarves, Trolls, Orcs (or Goblins) and of course Hobbits. He has regularly been condemned by the Eng. Lit. establishment, with honorable exceptions, but loved by literally millions of readers worldwide. Source - http://www.tolkiensociety.org/author/biography/

Curriculum Ties: Mythology

Challenge Issues: Violence; Magic

Booktalk Ideas: One could talk about journeys and lead into the story of Bilbo heading out for an unexpected adventure.