the hobbit study guide

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The Hobbit

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Introducing J. R. R. Tolkien

John Ronald Reuel Tolkien (1892-1973) was a major scholar of the English language, specialising 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 the world which he called by the Middle English name of Middle-earth.

His Life

John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, as he was christened, was born in Bloemfontein, South Africa in 1892. His early and barely memorable years were spent divided between the city and a country farm. His father, an English banker, was making efforts to establish a branch in that country. Many of Tolkien's early memories of South Africa and are reported to have influenced his later works. He left South Africa to return to England with his mother and his brother, Hilary. His father, Arthur, was supposed also to return to England within the next few months. However, Arthur Tolkien died of rheumatic fever while still in South Africa. This left the grieving family in relatively dire straights and on a very limited income. They soon moved to Birmingham, England, so that young Tolkien could attend King Edward VI school.

His mother, Mabel, converted to Catholicism and the religion would have a long lasting effect on young Tolkien. The family was befriended by the Parish Priest, Father Francis Morgan, who would see the Tolkiens through some troubled times. An avid reader, Tolkien was influenced by some of the great writers of his day including G.K. Chesterton and H.G. Wells. It was during this period of financial hardship, but intellectual stimulation that Tolkien suffered the loss of his devoted mother. She succumbed to diabetes in 1904 when Tolkien was only 12 years of age. Father Morgan took over as his guardian, placing him first with an aunt and then at a boarding house for orphans. It was at this boarding house, at the age of 16 that he would meet and fall in love with Edith Bratt. Naturally, their relationship was frowned upon. Tolkien and Edith were caught in affectionate circumstances - they bicycled together out to the countryside surrounding the city and had a picnic. Throughout his life, Tolkien had cultivated a love of language, especially ancient languages. At Oxford he would major in philology, which is the study of words and language. He would be much influenced by Icelandic, Norse and Gothic mythology. Even some of the characters and place names he would later develop would be drawn from the names from ancient sagas. The forest of Mirkwood, which played a prominent roll in both The Hobbit and in "The Lord of the Rings" was borrowed from Icelandic mythology. The names of many of the dwarves in The Hobbit were actual placenames in the myths. While still attending college, he looked up his lost love, Edith Bratt, and proposed marriage. She had accepted a proposal from another, but in the end was persuaded to return to Tolkien. They would marry in 1916. World War I, the war to end all wars, came in 1914. It would forever mark the end of many of the Empires of Europe and would unleash death across the European Continent. Tolkien lost many of his friends in the war, and he himself would serve as an officer on the front lines at the Battle of the Somme. He caught trench fever in 1917 and was sent


back to England to recuperate. He would not see front line service again. Throughout his schooldays he had been a determined poet and scholar. His interest in language was such that he had even developed his own languages based loosely on Finnish and Welsh. It was while recuperating in Birmingham, with his wife at his side, that he began to create a mythology behind his languages. This work would one day result in his famous novels. It was about this time that Tolkien was blessed with the first of his four children. After the war he was offered a professorship at the University of Leeds. Besides lecturing, he continued work on his mythology. He felt that he, in a sense, was creating England's mythology. In 1925 Tolkien with a colleague published a translation and analysis of "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight." It was a turning point in his career. It brought him notice at Oxford where he was offered the professorship of Anglo-Saxon. The Hobbit, the work that would make him famous, came out in 1936. He began it one evening while grading exam papers. Seated at his desk, he opened up an exam novellet to find the first page blank. He was surprised and pleased that the student had somehow entirely skipped the page. It seemed an invitation to write, and in that space he began his work on The Hobbit. The finished manuscript of The Hobbit fell into the hands of George Allen and Unwin, Publishers. Unwin paid his own ten year old son a shilling to read the story and report on its publishability. The young man lavished praise on the novel, and Unwin decided to take a risk on it. The Hobbit soon became a best seller and made Professor Tolkien famous. He was already well-known as a scholar for his work in Philology, and he was also part of a group of friends who called themselves the Inklings. The centre of this group was C.S. Lewis who would long be one of Tolkien's best friends and admirers.

In the late 1930's Tolkien began writing the "Lord of the Rings". Work on the story would go on for ten and a half years. He gave first chance at publication to Allen & Unwin, the publishers of The Hobbit. But it was rejected by a staff editor when Unwin was away on business in France. The younger "Unwin" was now in the family publishing business. He found out about the rejected manuscript, wrote to his father in France, requesting permission to take on the project. Recalling the success of The Hobbit, but sceptical about a "hobbit novel" written for adults, he acquiesced to his son's request reluctantly. "The Lord of the Rings" was published in three parts and would become a huge publishing success. Fame and fortune were both a blessing and a bane for Tolkien. He enjoyed the popularity of his work. Yet, he was burdened with work responding to his adoring public. After his retirement at Oxford, he and his wife Edith moved to Bournemouth in 1966. Edith died in 1971. The loss of his life's companion did not sit well with Tolkien; yet he struggled on for some two years till his death of Pneumonia on 2 September 1973.


Introducing the novel The Hobbit, or There and Back Again

The Hobbit, or There and Back Again, the prelude to The Lord of the Rings, was originally published by Allen & Unwin on September 21, 1937. According to Tolkien scholar Douglas A. Anderson, its first printing was small—only 1,500 copies. Published in hardback with 10 black-and-white illustrations and two maps furnished by the author himself, The Hobbit garnered positive reviews and, as its publisher, Stanley Unwin, predicted, led to a public demand for more stories about hobbits. And so began the novel that brought an Oxford professor from the relative obscurity of academe to a larger world. Early reviews were positive, heralding great expectations from a new storyteller who showed great promise. From The New Statesman & Nation: “His wholly original story of adventure among goblins, elves and dragons...gives...the impression of a well-informed glimpse into the life of a wide other-world; a world wholly real, and with a quite matter-of-fact, supernatural natural history of its own.” Echoing The New Statesman, The Observer commented: “Professor Tolkien’s finely written saga of dwarves and elves, fearsome goblins and trolls, in a spacious country of far-off and long ago...a full-length tale of traditional magic being...an exciting epic of travel, magical adventure... working up to a devastating climax.” The Times (of London) called it “a solidly delightful novel” and “a fascinating excursion into the early English scene.” The best, and most accurate, assessment of The Hobbit came from Tolkien’s friend C.S. Lewis, who rightly concluded, in the Times Literary Supplement (Oct. 2, 1937), that “Its place is with Alice, Flatland, Phantastes, The Wind in the Willows.... [The] prediction is dangerous: but The Hobbit may well prove a classic.” C.S. Lewis was right. The Hobbit not only proved to be a classic, a novel beloved by generations of readers, but a bestseller as well—a novel that continues to sell at a brisk pace, in more than 40 languages worldwide. As Douglas A. Anderson affirmed in his introduction to The Annotated Hobbit, “There is no doubt that The Hobbit is a worldwide classic, for all ages, and all times.” As a novel, The Hobbit holds its own as an engaging story well worth reading, but when read before tackling The Lord of the Rings,

The Hobbit establishes a framework for the larger work to follow and whets the appetite for more information about hobbits, Middle-earth, and those who dwell therein: wizards, elves, dwarves, trolls, and the minions of evil. Though The Hobbit is an entertaining story - a well-told tale, albeit with a juvenile flavour because of Tolkien’s habit of addressing the reader directly - its story elements lay the groundwork for what would follow: The Lord of the Rings. In The Hobbit we learn how the One Ring came to Bilbo Baggins, who in turn would give it to his nephew, Frodo. We also learn about Gollum, who plays a pivotal role in the long tale that follows, and we meet the wizard Gandalf, who assumes an even more significant role as the war for Middle-earth clouds the horizon.

J. R. R. Tolkien on The Hobbit

“If you care for journeys there and back, out of the comfortable Western world, over the edge of the Wild, and home again, and can take an interest in a humble hero (blessed with a little wisdom and a little courage and considerable good luck), here is the record of such a journey and such a traveler. The period is the ancient time between the age of Faerie and the dominion of men, when the famous forest of Mirkwood was still standing, and the mountains were full of danger. In following the path of this humble adventurer, you will learn by the way (as he did)—if you do not already know all about these things—much about trolls, goblins, dwarves, and elves, and get some glimpses into the history and politics of a neglected but important period. “For Mr. Bilbo Baggins visited notable persons; conversed with the dragon, Smaug the Magnificent; and was present, rather unwillingly, at the Battle of Five Armies. This is all the more remarkable, since he was a hobbit. Hobbits have hitherto been passed over in history and legend, perhaps because they as a rule preferred comfort to excitement. But this account, based on his personal memoirs, of the one exciting year in the otherwise quiet life of Mr. Baggins will give you a fair idea of this estimable people, now (it is said) becoming rather rare. They do not like noise.”


Chapter Questions and context information

Complete these in your workbooks. CHAPTER 1 1. What is Gandalf’s reputation? 2. How did the dwarves lose their treasure and kingdom? 3. What does the word hobbit make you think of? The possibilities include rabbit, hobby, Babbit,

habit and hob. The word is probably best seen as a blend of rabbit and hob, an obsolete British word meaning “a rustic, peasant” or “sprite, elf.” How does Bilbo resemble a rabbit in this chapter? When you finish the novel, ask yourself if he still reminds you of one.

4. What is an adventure? Is it something that happens, or is it the way we react to what happens? Can we live without adventures? Is there any “magic” in this novel? Return to these questions as the novel progresses.

5. Explain all the meanings of “good morning”. 6. What about adventures awakens Bilbo’s “Tookish” side? What causes his “Baggins” side to re-

emerge? Is the Baggins side timid or practical? Is the Tookish side heroic, curious or proud? 7. Even this early in the novel, we can see some of the characteristics of dwarves. What are they? 8. What are dragons like? As you read on, think about the differences and similarities between

dwarves and dragons. CHAPTER 2

1. Why is it important that Gandalf is not present when the expedition meets the trolls? 2. The trolls are evil, bestial, and disgusting. But do they seem mostly human or nonhuman? 3. Is strength or intelligence more valuable so far in this novel? Why?

CHAPTER 3

1. What is the difference between the way Bilbo and the dwarves react to Rivendell? How does Elrond feel about the expedition, and what does he say about the dwarves’ love of gold and the wickedness of dragons? What values are important to the elves?

2. Who is Elrond? What is the effect of giving a detailed history of a minor character? CHAPTER 4

1. What does Tolkien tell us about goblins? Discuss what you think goblins look like, and what in the novel gives you that idea.

2. “It is not unlikely that they goblins invented some of the machines that have since troubled the world, especially the ingenious devices for killing large numbers of people at once.” Can you take this statement seriously? Why do you think fantasy is often anti-technological? What does it emphasize instead? CHAPTER 5

1. Why is it good that Bilbo lost his matches? 2. How does Gollum guess that Bilbo has his ring? 3. How are Bilbo and Gollum alike? HINT: Their motives for the riddle-game, their ability to guess

each other’s riddles; their abilities underground; their living in holes. Can you call Gollum evil? HINT: Discuss the concept that Gollum is the negative side of Bilbo, with which he must come to terms before he can achieve his identity.

4. What skills does Bilbo show in dealing with Gollum? 5. “No great leap for a man, but a leap in the dark.” Discuss this quotation with respect to Bilbo’s

decision not to kill Gollum, and his newfound courage. CHAPTER 6

1. Why does the Lord of the Eagles notice the expedition? 2. Would Bilbo try to rescue the dwarves if they were still inside the Mountains? Would they try to

rescue him? Why? 3. Why doesn’t Bilbo tell the dwarves about his ring? Do you consider this lying? Why? 4. What does it mean for our opinion of Bilbo’s courage and prowess that Gandalf, his mentor, must

be rescued by the Eagles?


CHAPTER 7 1. What is a skin-changer? 2. What is the most important advice that Beorn and Gandalf give about Mirkwood? Why? 3. Compare the expedition’s arrival at Beorn’s house with the Unexpected Party of Chapter 1. Note

that now Bilbo is in on the plot. While both hosts have to be cajoled, it is for very different reasons. What are they?

4. Discuss Beorn’s character. What are his virtues? Why is he suspicious of strangers? What about him seems vicious? In what ways is he gentle? How does Bilbo come to understand him? Is there a problem with being a grim man in a grim land?

5. Why is it necessary to the story that Gandalf leave the expedition? CHAPTER 8

1. When Bilbo climbs the tree, why doesn’t he see an end to the forest? 2. What are the unattractive features of Mirkwood? Do you think the forest is evil? What about the

enchanted stream? 3. After Gandalf leaves who become the leaders of the expedition? 4. What makes the expedition lose hope? Why is their despair unjustified? 5. What heroic acts does Bilbo perform? Don’t forget his naming of his sword. 6. Why does Bilbo tell the dwarves about his magic ring? What does his reluctance to do so tell us?

What do you think he learns from this? 7. Discuss the ancient feud between dwarves and elves. Whose fault is it? If neither side is in the

right, how can you tell the difference between good and evil? CHAPTER 9

1. Why does the Elvenking imprison the dwarves? Why won’t Thorin tell the Elvenking what his mission is? Define pride and greed.

2. Is Bilbo a burglar now? How does he feel about stealing? 3. The escape plan is completely Bilbo’s. How good is it? How much does it depend on luck? Does

he deserve this luck? CHAPTER 10

1. Why does the master welcome the expedition? 2. “Some sang too that Thror and Thrain would come back one day and gold would flow in rivers

through mountain gates, and all that land would be filled with new song and new laughter. But this pleasant legend did not much affect their daily business” Discuss the history of Lake-town and the beliefs of its inhabitants. What does it mean that they do not take their legends seriously?

3. Compare the attitudes of the men of Lake-town, the Master, and the Elvenking to Thorin’s mission. Who is reasonable? Who is silly? Then consider Bilbo’s attitude. Keeping in mind that elves are renowned for wisdom, how wise is Bilbo? CHAPTER 11

1. In what way does Bilbo show that he has more spirit left than the dwarves? Why does he? CHAPTER 12

1. Who is the real leader of the expedition? 2. What is the most important thing Bilbo learns from Smaug? 3. “Some [dwarves] are decent enough people like Thorin and Company, if you don’t expect too

much”. What can Bilbo expect from the dwarves? 4. “Going on from there was the bravest thing he ever did...he fought the real battle in the tunnel

alone, before he ever saw the vast danger that lay in wait”. According to this passage, what is true courage? What abilities and character traits does Bilbo have? How do his earlier adventures prepare him for his confrontation with Smaug?

5. Describe the characteristics of dragons. Begin with greedy, wily, hostile, and riddle loving, and go on to vengeful, treacherous, fond of flattery, and breeders of distrust and dissension. What is the dragon-spell? Why are dwarves so susceptible to it? In this novel the traditional motif of the cursed dragon-hoard is changed to the idea that so much treasure brings out the evil and foolish side of dwarves--and even elves and men. In this and the following chapters, trace the changing effects of the treasure on the dwarves and on Bilbo.

6. Explain the names that Bilbo gives himself when speaking with Smaug: “I come from under the hill…I am the clue finder, the web-cutter, the stinging fly. I was chosen for the lucky number”.


CHAPTER 13 1. “Anyway the only way out is down”. What earlier statement by Bilbo does this echo? When does

Bilbo’s courage assert itself most? 2. Why does Bilbo keep the Arkenstone? Does he have a right to it?

CHAPTER 14

1. Describe Bard and the Master. Who speaks more convincingly? What does their appearance suggest about them? Explain Bard’s pessimism. Who has more courage? Who has more leadership? Do you believe that some people are natural leaders? Can this ability be inherited?

2. Why does the Elvenking set out from his halls? Why does he go to Esgaroth? What does this tell you about the value he places on treasure? CHAPTER 15

1. From the very beginning, Bilbo has assumed that the climax of the adventure would be the recovery of the treasure. Then he realizes that Smaug must also be dealt with. Now he finds that even Smaug’s death does not end the adventure. Re-examine your earlier definitions of what an adventure is.

2. Is gold worth fighting for? Why won’t Thorin deal with Bard and Elvenking? Evaluate Bard’s three topics for discussion and Thorin’s answer; note Thorin’s complete lack of pity for the Lake-men’s distress.

3. Discuss the difference between the content, rhythms, and music of dwarf-songs and elf-songs. CHAPTER 16

1. Just as the moment in the tunnel is Bilbo’s bravest, giving up the Arkenstone is his noblest. Why does he do it? Would any other character in the story be capable of this? Why does he return to the Mountain? CHAPTER 17

1. Name the armies in the Battle of Five Armies. Why is each group participating in this battle? 2. Where does Bilbo take his final stand? Why? 3. Trace Thorin’s moral degeneration through the last several chapters. Contrast his current attitude

with the Elvenking’s statement “Long will I tarry, ere I begin this war for gold.” 4. Which would be a greater evil--the killing of the armies of men, elves, and dwarves by the

goblins, or a war between men, elves, and dwarves? Why? CHAPTER 18

1. Who turned the tide of the battle? 2. “There is more in you of good than you know, child of the kindly West. Some courage ...and

some wisdom, blended in measure. If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world”. Discuss Bilbo’s character now that his adventure is completed. Why does he refuse the treasure? Why is he weary of his adventure?

3. Examine the final views we get of Thorin on his deathbed and in his tomb. Is his quest fulfilled? Why is his death necessary? What lesson does he learn? Does he deserve our respect or admiration?

4. Examine in detail the various demands and offers made by Bard and the dwarves and the elves. How does the final solution match what each party wants and deserves? What is the difference between Dain’s gift and Thorin’s promises? CHAPTER 19

1. Why do they walk at the end of their journey? 2. What changes does Balin notice in Bilbo? 3. What happened to the old Master of Lake-town? 4. Look at the elves’ song. Describe the character and values of elves. 5. “He gained-well, you will see whether he gained anything in the end” “‘My dear Bilbo!’ [Gandalf]

said ‘Something is the matter with you! You are not the hobbit that you were’”. What does Bilbo gain from his adventure? Don’t forget to include the ability and desire to make poetry. What is the difference in the way his home is dear to him now?

6. “‘You don’t really suppose, do you, that all your adventures and escapes were managed by mere luck, just for your sole benefit’?” Then what does manage them?

7. Why is Bilbo pleased that he is “only quite a little fellow in a wide world after all!”?


Word definitions

Find definitions for these words in the dictionary and put them in the back of your novel. Try to use them in your work for this unit. You may work in pairs or groups to search for these words. You cannot type these.

If you’re not sure of the meaning for any other words in the novel add them to your list.

Antiquity

Audacious

Blundering

Circuitous

Clamour

Desolate

Despair

Droning

Dubious

Eddying

Expedition

Feint

Felled

Foreboding

Fugitive

Furtive

Galled

Grave

Grievously

Haughty

Heedless

Hewn

Hideous

Incantations

Ingenious

Jolly

Jutting

Kindled

Kine

Knotted

Lamenting

Lurking

Luxurious

Mirth

Muddled

Necromancer

Nimble

Obliged

Obscurest

Obstinately

Ominous

Pinnacle

Plight

Portent

Portcullis

Precipice

Presumption

Promontory

Prudent

Pursue

Quench

Reconciliation

Remuneration

Recant

Reverence

Scanty

Sentinels

Shrill

Snivel

Stealthily

Stowed

Subterranean

Summoned

Surly

Swelled

Throve

Trifle

Vagabond

Venerable

Vexed

Waylaid

Wearisome

Wily


Assignment Activities

Present your completed assignment in a display folder with a title page. It may be typed (12 size font, 1.5 spaced) or written neatly with appropriate illustrations. The activities should be handed in periodically to the teacher for marking throughout the unit. All tasks will be marked out of 20.

Make sure to include a bibliography of any texts or images you used for research.

1. Produce a timeline of WWI’s events. Include images, detail and key people. Present on a poster. You may work in pairs for this activity.

This activity will help you get a better understanding of the causes and major events of World War I, and how those events correspond with the characters and the plot of The Hobbit.

The Task After reviewing dates and information about key events of WWI, you will create a timeline of some significant events. In class we will consider the relationship of major events of the war to the life Tolkein and his work and its themes.

The Process 1. Explore each web site listed below, and take notes on major events of WWI Be sure to include some events that lead up to the war. The Great War Interactive Timeline - http://www.pbs.org/greatwar/timeline/ Major Battles of WWI - http://www.worldwar1.com/tlindex.htm Eyewitness - Assassination of an Archduke - http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/ 2. Plan and draft in your work novels what you are going to include. What you present on card must be a final version. 3. Divide a piece of poster board in half by drawing a line horizontally. Write the years of WWI on the line. 4. Organise 7-10 WWI events chronologically above the line. Since there were many battles and important incidents, you must determine which events may have impacted Tolkein in his writings. 5. It is not enough to simply give the date and name of a major battle or event. Describe each incident in at least two sentences. You may need to add pull out tabs, fold out pages and so on to accommodate this information. 6. Incorporate at least five pictures into your timeline. You may print images from web sites, draw original pictures, copy from novels, or cut from magazines. Place these below the timeline to illustrate your work. How You Will Be Marked Your timeline must: * include at least 7-10 significant events from WWI * display events in proper chronological order. * describe each WWI in at least two sentences. * include at least 5 pictures * be graphically and visually appealing (neat, colourful, creative, and easy to read).


2. Imagine you are working for Tolkien’s publishers and have been asked to design a poster to relaunch the children’s novel The Hobbit.

In this activity, you will explore the use of promotional posters and visual design to convey themes, genre and characters of a novel to a particular market. The Task After viewing promotional posters for novels, students are to design a poster to promote the novel The Hobbit. In class we will review themes and key design ideas. How You Will Be Marked Your poster must: * include a title. * include at least one picture. * relate to The Hobbit and appeal to your classmates * employ propaganda techniques evident from examples from web sites. * be graphically and visually appealing (neat, colourful, creative, and easy to read).

3. Write a letter in the first-person point of view. The Task Assume the voice of a character on the adventure. Write a letter home using first person point of view describing your experiences, feelings and thoughts. The Process 1. Choose your character and consider their personality and the trials and events that have occurred in the novel up to the point you are writing from. 2. List 10-15 adjectives that the character (or you may borrow from other characters) used to describe their emotions. Write these in your workbooks. 4. Decide which scene in the novel you will write about. Review that part of the novel. 5. List or summarise the scene. Include characters, their injuries, setting, plot, etc. 6. Assume the voice of a character. 7. Write a letter to your family in which you discuss your experiences, emotions, thoughts, etc. 8. In the letter, structure ideas logically, support assertions (e.g., appeal to logic through reasoning; appeal to emotion), defend positions with evidence, and address readers' concerns. How You Will Be Marked Your persuasive letter must include the following and will be evaluated on other elements of persuasive writing: * be in the first-person point of view. * follow friendly letter format: - include date - include greeting - include salutation * discuss the experiences, emotions, thoughts of the character. * structure ideas logically, support assertions (e.g., appeal to logic through reasoning; appeal to emotion), defend positions with evidence, and address readers' concerns. * accurately portray events in the novel (You are not telling a new story. You are just telling it from a different perspective). * be approximately 1 page. * be neat, in ink or typed, and easy to read. Optional: You may want to include a picture or drawing in your letter. You may print images from web sites, draw original pictures, copy from novels, or cut from magazines.

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