Yasmine Alessandra Gill
The Hobbit Chapter 14 Q’s
30/01/2011
Chapter 14 Questions and Answers
1. In the hero's journey, the thing the hero finds in the inner-most cave is
supposed to be a doppelganger, or evil twin, of the hero. Smaug is
exactly the opposite of Bilbo. He is so opposite that he is very much
like Bilbo. In this way, the beast of the innermost cave is symbolic of
the beast within the self: we all have an inner animal. The Hobbit
meets his inner-beast/self when he meets Smaug. What does Bilbo
learn about himself in the conversation with Smaug? Who "wins" at
the end of the conversation, the beast within or the man? How is this
significant? Grades for details.
I believe that Bilbo wins the verbal battle at the end. First of all, the dragon
was pretty confident of himself as shown in the example where the dragon is
showing Bilbo his impenetrable armor. “Look! What do you say to that.” said
Smaug. This shows how Smaug is so confident and self centered that he is
admiring his armor. Then, Bilbo tries to reil Smaug into his false humor,
irony and flattering which challenges Smaug. For example, when Bilbo says,
Truly songs and tales fall utterly short of the reality, O Smaug the Chiefest
and Greatest and Calamities.” This type of flattering challenges the dragon
because he already knew somehow what the dragons personality was going
to be like; hence half of Smaugs personality is his inner animal. In the ending
Smaug is defeated by the mixture of persuasion, flattering and flase humor,
which Bilbo, to conclude, flattered him and insulted him in one sentence.
“Well, I really must not detain Your Magnificence any longer,” he said
(flattery) “or keep you from much needed rest. Ponies take some catching, I
believe, after a long start. And so do burglars.” At the ending (as shown in
the sentence) Bilbo figuratively slapped him across the face with an insult
and a comparison between him and Smaug which means that he has
defeated his inner animal and is ready to storm off with confidence.
2. What is special about the arrow that Bard uses to shoot the dragon.
Grades for details.
The black arrow that Bard uses to shoot the dragon was very special because
the dialogue mentions that that arrow has never failed him before and that it
was from his past fathers. “Arrow!” said the bowman. “Black Arrow! Have
saved you to last! You have never failed me and always I have recovered
you. I have you from my father and he from of old. If ever you came from
the forges of the true king under the Mountain, go now and speed well!” This
quote mentions why he chose this arrow and how it will help him kill Smaug.
3. What tactics does the Master use to prevent people from hating him
after the death of the dragon? Give more than one tactic. Give lots of
details.
The Master tried many ways to make the people change their mind about the
way they think about him after the death of the dragon. One of the tactics is
persuasion. “Who played on our soft hearts and our pleasant fancies? What
sort of gold have they sent down the river to reward us?” says The Master.
He is convincing the people that they are wrong and all that he has done for
them. He also uses flattery for “winning” them back. “He has tonight earned
an eminent place in the roll of the benefactor of our town; and he is worthy
of many imperishable songs. But, why O People?” The part where the Master
says “ O People shows he’s trying flatter them by compliments that are a bit
over board. Lastly, The Master used many apologies and questions of
disbelief. “Why do I get all your blame? For what fault am I to be deposed?”
These quotes show The Master trying to persuade the people to change their
mind by questioning their opinion of him.