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Essay / The theme of heroism in JR Tolkien's The Hobbit
A hero is someone who has a strong sense of justice and who acts according to that sense. In The Hobbit, JRR Tolkien uses different elements from the novel to define his idea of the hero. Although the protagonist is small in stature with more heart than brawn, he nevertheless changes the lives of many characters. The book is beyond a child's imagination; it is a story about resurrection, growth and individual development. It's easy to cheer for Bilbo, who is a little hobbit since we can all feel small in this big world. In the novel, Bilbo transforms into a hero despite the stereotype of introverted and unadventurous hobbits. The author describes how Bilbo joins Thorin and Company with Gandalf on a quest to the Lonely Mountains to recover the treasure taken by the dragon. In the end, Bilbo will return with more than just treasure, but as a new hero. In The Hobbit, JR Tolkien uses the theme of heroism to illustrate the idea of rebirth, femininity and weapons. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why violent video games should not be banned"? Get the original essay The unexpected journey symbolizes the death of Bilbo's childish ways and his rebirth as a hero. Bilbo is considered an adult due to his age; however, he leads a domestic life like a child without major achievements in life. He must experience progression before achieving independence. He must go through extreme circumstances to “draw within himself resources that he perhaps did not know existed” (Ruud 2). He looks young and not fully developed. Bilbo's adolescent ways made him seem innocent and that was the reason for his reactivity. It is his goal to grow and his ambition is to be mature and maintain his purity. It deals with psychological maturity rather than actual aging. Bilbo's house represents a mother's womb. The uterus is comfortable and isolated from the outside world. When he goes on a journey, he walks through the long passage and exits 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 hobbits “never had adventures or anything unexpected” (Tolkien 2). He had no reason to feel all his emotions like fear or excitement because he doesn't do anything. During his journey with the dwarves, he regrets having left behind his personal belongings: “No hat, no stick, no pipe, not even a pocket handkerchief. How can one survive” (Tolkien 40). He is like a child who leaves behind a special blanket. Bilbo feels uneasy and wants to return home at the start of the journey because he does not have his “soft toy” to protect him from the terrifying world. It's a stepping stone to his development as a hero. Additionally, a negative outcome of rebirth is shown when Bilbo is caught by the Stone Trolls. The fact that he crawls is the symbol of the infant's first gesture of independence. Even though his developments are in their early stages and may not be considered great achievements, they are nonetheless important to Bilbo so that he can pursue the next stages of development. Gandalf, an Istari, decides that Bilbo join Thorin and Company on an adventure to the Lonely Mountain. Bilbo would not experience the rebirth 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 thus separates himself from the maternal image. Gandalf is a “father figure who helps the group out of difficult situations with trolls and goblins” (Ruud). However, he constantly leavesBilbo 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 be reborn as a hero. His absence forces Bilbo "to face dangers on his own." Its main goal is to allow Bilbo to develop the confidence and skills he needs to navigate the world on his own while knowing that his protector has his back. In conclusion, Bilbo needs Gandalf to be away so he can make independent decisions and develop on his own. It is common in adventure stories that heroes mature through dreams. A stable self-image can connect to the powers of the unconscious. William H. Green states, “There is a powerful connection between the ability to dream prophetically and the ability to stay awake” (Green 35). Bilbo is unconscious and wakes up to alert the group. He falls asleep and has a nightmare in which the goblins find their hiding place. Tolkien states, “At that moment he awoke with a horrible start and found that part of his dream was true” (Tolkien 108). He discovers that the goblins have opened a passage at the bottom of the cave, stolen their ponies and are about to attack them. Bilbo's cry for help gives Gandalf enough warning to avoid capture. Leadership is dreaming outside the confines of sleep and Bilbo is capable of it. It is essential to accept your shadow before becoming a mature individual. Bilbo undergoes this activity to continue his rebirth process. Shadow theory states that “acceptance of the shadow is a prerequisite for the realization of 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 repressed so that he clings rather immaturely to a childish way of life" (Mathews 1). An anima has the power to help an ego accept its shadow. His anima appears when Bilbo spares Gollum's life when he has the opportunity to kill him. His symbolic jump at the end of the chapter is a key factor in his rebirth. The climax of the story occurs during the encounter with the red-gold dragon, Smaug. Bilbo enters the dark passage of Smaug's lair. Regardless of the possibility of dying, Bilbo continues down the tunnel, knowing that he has accomplished an exceptional feat. Smaug is a mythical dragon that relies on countless precious jewels. The treasure illustrates “the archetype of the self, of psychic wholeness” (Mathews 2). After the quest, Bilbo arrives home to find that he is presumably dead: "old Bilbo is dead and given new life as a completely individuated individual, unafraid of his adventurous side." This is the final step in Bilbo's rebirth process. The unexpected journey strengthens his Tookish side and the rebirths develop the individuation process that combines all the 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, kindness, compassion and tolerance. At first glance, Beorn is a powerful hero with masculine features. He is a “very strong man, black-haired, with enormous arms and a large beard” (Tolkien 194). Its body shape resembles that of a bear. Beorn exhibits feminine qualities that make him a female hero in Middle-earth. Bilbo initially believed that Beorn was a hostile person. He wants Gandalf to find someone easier to get along with. Nevertheless, Beorn is truly caring and sensitive. Boern.