Gossman 1
This is an excellent paper! The errors are primarily formal. I corrected errors the first time I
encountered them and put a note for you to correct throughout. Consider revising the thesis
statement and the conclusion a little to draw together your observations, but this is otherwise
very complete – revisions are very minor! Enjoyed reading it!
Danny Gossman
Dr. Abigail Heiniger
English 2120 - Intro to Fiction
20 March 2013
The Hobbit: Setting the Stage for the English Hero
It is almost impossible to tell a story without using an idea that has already been used
for other stories. The phrase, “once upon a time” is so often used that the mere mention of it
can let an audience know that a fairy tale is about to be told. It is not to say that an author that
does this has a lack for originality--if this were the case, all modern stories would simply be
retellings of older stories. Rather, using ideas or elements of other cultures or from stories of
different cultures can be an effective method to create an original story of one’s own.
Sometimes, using elements from other types of fiction may go unnoticed because they have
been embedded very well into a story. It’s like throwing together a bunch of ingredients and
cooking them perfectly to make a surprisingly delicious meal--it just works. When this is the
case and a story makes sense, the potential for the author to convey a certain message can be
truly something special because, often, the blending together of many elements of different
types of fiction is entertaining as well, keeping the reader glued to the story. J.R.R. Tolkien,
author of The Hobbit (1937), exemplifies this type of procedure. Tolkien uses elements of Norse
Gossman 2
and Anglo-Saxon mythology to construct a new world that invites readers to explore the means
of Bilbo Baggins’ maturation into a hero, ultimately constructing the ideal hero to his primary
audience of pre-World War II-era English children.
J.R.R. Tolkien studied many different types of folklore and mythology. According to
"Middle Earth in the Classroom: Studying J. R. R. Tolkien" (1969) by Richard Roos, “Tolkien knew
the myths of the far east and the near east. He was eminently familiar with the Graeco-Roman
myths of Troy and Olympus, as well as the drama of the Golden Age. And he was versed in the
Anglo-Saxon near myths of Arthur and Beowulf” (8). Tolkien’s extensive use of mythology in The
Hobbit can be easily understood when thinking of it like this: Tolkien lived in a world that was
different from the worlds he studied. Consequently, The Hobbit reflects this. This merging of
worlds, both in terms of the worlds between his studies and his real life, and the merging of
worlds to create middle earth, allows Tolkien to immerse his readers into his story so that he
can develop his main character, Bilbo Baggins, into a hero. This does not mean that Tolkien had
a lack for originality though “As Tolkien noted in his famous essay ‘On Fairy Tales’ (1965),
creators of individual tales get their materials and techniques from what he called ‘the
Cauldron of Story.’ That is, an author’s originality consists mainly of what s/he does with
materials and techniques s/he did not invent” (5; 138). THIS WOULD BE A GREAT PLACE TO
EXPAND A LITTLE. Perhaps follow up with a sentence analyzing (in your words) what “the
Cauldron of Story” means.
Throughout The Hobbit, the reader is introduced to a plethora of different races. From
the start, Tolkien introduces hobbits, “little people, about half our height and smaller than the
bearded dwarves” (Tolkien 4) and gives a brief description of Bilbo Baggins. Soon after, dwarves
Gossman 3
come into the story. Whereas hobbits are created by Tolkien, dwarves constitute a race of
characters that Tolkien borrowed from Norse mythology. As noted by Martin Wettstein, “Norse
Dwarves live in caves and mines in the mountains where they dig for gold and gems.”
Consequently, Wettstein notes that Tolkien used an old Norse poem to name the dwarves as
well, that poem being called “The Völuspá and is the first poem of the poetic Edda.” The main
purpose of dwarves in The Hobbit is to force Bilbo Baggins into an uncomfortable situation,
something that he is not used to. Once he is put in dangerous situations, he is able to overcome
his anxieties and eventually lead the dwarves to the mountain in which they are seeking to
regain their rightful treasure from. Moreover, the dwarves’ increased trust and overall attitude
towards Bilbo reflects his ongoing ascension into a hero. At the beginning of their journey, the
dwarves are skeptical of the reserved Bilbo. As the story progresses and Bilbo proves himself in
difficult situations, the dwarves’ attitudes toward Bilbo becomes increasingly honorable. For
example, Tolkien narrates that if the dwarves “had still doubted that he was really a first-class
burglar” after Bilbo makes it out of the caverns in the Misty Mountains alive, “in spite of
Gandalf’s words, they doubted no longer” (Tolkien 103). Furthermore, the fact that Bilbo has to
lead a large amount of dwarves, 14 of them--which is also taken directly from Beowulf, in which
the hero goes on a journey with fourteen companions (2; 179)--to their destination heightens
the expectations put on him, setting the stage for an accentuated rise to heroism. Dwarves
serve a major function in terms of Bilbo’s development, but other races such as trolls provide
challenges to Bilbo on his quest.
The Trolls that Bilbo and the dwarves encounter in the woods are the first adversaries
that test Bilbo on the quest. When they realize that Gandalf is not present in their then-current
Gossman 4
debacle, the dwarves turn to Bilbo: “‘Now it is the burglar’s turn,’ they said, meaning Bilbo. ‘You
must go on and find out all about that light, and what it is for, and if all is perfectly safe and
canny,’ said Thorin to the hobbit” (Tolkien 38). As a reserved hobbit not used to adventure, this
is a huge task for Bilbo. Still, Bilbo proceeds and symbolically begins his quest for courage when
he reaches his hand into one of the trolls’ pockets: “‘Ha!’ thought he, warming to his new work
as he lifted it carefully out, ‘this is a beginning!’” (Tolkien 40). This symbolically represents the
beginning of two things: Bilbo taking the first courageous step into moving past his
apprehensiveness and the beginning of the adversaries that he is going to encounter. The trolls
are not that difficult to get past in the whole context of Bilbo’s quest in The Hobbit; as John C.
Stotts notes, “Bilbo’s adversaries become progressively more clever and dangerous. Only
because his wisdom and experience increase does he become a fit match for them. Had he met
Smaug at first, the adventure would have been quickly terminated” (5; 140). The trolls provide
another example of how Tolkien uses Norse folklore elements to help aid Bilbo’s development,
albeit their purpose is to allow Bilbo to first dip his toes into the water of courage and heroism.
Dwarves and trolls are merely examples of Norse races that Tolkien brings into The Hobbit; but
one of the biggest aspects that Tolkien borrows from Norse folklore is the idea of a powerful
dragon.
Wettstein contends that “the Dragons also appear in the Norse Mythology. Norse
Dragons lived in caves and protected their treasures. Their only weak spot was their belly.” This
is clearly reflected in Smaug, the all-powerful dragon of The Hobbit that guards the dwarves’
treasure under the mountain. Smaug also has a weak spot, which is exploited by Bard when An
old thrush came to Bard and told him, “The moon is rising. Look for the hollow of the left breast
Gossman 5
as he flies and turns above you!” (Tolkien 270). At that moment Bard, a human, destroys Smaug
by striking him in his weak spot on his belly. While Smaug fits the description that Wettstein
says is sufficient to take on the identity of a Norse element, it is perhaps important to note that
Tolkien was more likely to have been influenced by works of Anglo-Saxon folklore instead when
getting the idea of the dragon. As previously noted, Tolkien is a thorough scholar of Beowulf, an
Anglo-Saxon epic that includes a dragon strikingly similar to Smaug.
As a scholar of Beowulf, Tolkien meticulously studied Anglo-Saxon folklore (8; 1179),
allowing him to incorporate the idea of a talking dragon into his work. For example, a hero
named Sigurd slayed a dragon similar to Smaug: “His greatest deed of courage was the slaying
of Fafnir, the dragon, who dwelt in the cold dank caves of which he was a part, guarding his
stolen treasure hoard” (2; 179). This shows how Tolkien got the idea of Smaug guarding
treasure: “Smaug lay, with wings folded like an immeasurable bat, turned partly on one side, so
that the hobbit could see his underparts and his long pale belly crusted with gems and
fragments of old from his long lying on his costly bed” (Tolkien 233). Even more relevant is the
comparison of Smaug to the Fire-eater dragon in Beowulf. In this epic, the dragon “went on his
rampage only when a slave pilfered a golden cup from the hoard which the serpent had been
guarding for 300 years” (2; 179). One can tell that Tolkien took this straight from Beowulf when
looking at the moment when Smaug “stirred and stretched forth his neck to sniff. Then he
missed the cup!” (Tolkien 236) and immediately went “to hunt the whole mountain till he had
caught the thief and had torn and trampled him was his one thought” (Tolkien 236). Overall,
the purpose of a talking, powerful dragon in The Hobbit is to put Bilbo’s development into
perspective. To elaborate, Bilbo starts out as a personality that is attached to his little hobbit
Gossman 6
hole, devoid of any adventures into the outside world of middle-earth. Compare that Bilbo with
the Bilbo who says ‘Confound you, Smaug, you worm!’ he squeaked aloud. ‘Stop playing hideand-seek! Give me a light, and then eat me, if you can catch me!’” (Tolkien 255) towards the
conclusion of the novel. Clearly, the comparison between Bilbo at the beginning of the novel
and Bilbo at the end is a huge change in terms of courage. A dragon is a very intimidating figure,
especially a talking one with almost impenetrable armor. Therefore, it is easy to see how Bilbo
has come a long way when looking at his willingness to tempt the dragon to come out and eat
him, something that never would have been in the confines of his mind at the beginning. The
dragon is just one example of Tolkien’s incorporation of Anglo-Saxon folklore elements into the
novel though. Others, such as swords, are key Anglo-Saxon features that help the reader
understand Bilbo’s development as well.
In Anglo-Saxon folklore, swords have a big impact. Firstly, it is commonplace in Old
English to assign names to swords. For example, in Beowulf, Beowulf inherits a sword named
Hrunting. Paralleling this is the naming of swords in The Hobbit. For example, Thorin’s sword is
named “Orcrist, Goblin-cleaver, but the goblins called it simply Biter” (Tolkien 73). Similarly,
Gandalf possesses a sword named “Glamdring the Foe-hammer” (Tolkien 73) that “had no
trouble whatever of cutting through the goblin-chains and setting all the prisoners free as
quickly as possible” (tolkien 73). The fact that Gandalf’s sword was so easily able to defeat the
goblins is something to be noted; Gandalf is already a proven figure of courage. If swords
represent heroism in the novel, then it makes sense that Bilbo’s sword isn’t as powerful at this
point in the early stages of the story. Later in the novel, when Bilbo is more developed on his
progress towards heroism, he goes to combat with his sword against the spiders. When “the
Gossman 7
spider lay dead beside him, and his sword-blade was stained black... He felt a different person,
and much fiercer and bolder in spite of an empty stomach, as he wiped his sword on the grass
and put it back into its sheath” (Tolkien 170). In this case, Bilbo’s sword mirrors his
development and symbolizes the next step that he takes towards becoming a truly courageous
hobbit. At that point, Bilbo names his sword “Sting” (Tolkien 170). Bilbo’s naming of his sword
marks his newfound capacity to take on bigger challenges, as he does throughout the rest of
the novel. Beyond the actual naming of swords in The Hobbit, Tolkien borrows a significant
element of swords from Beowulf to contribute to his construction of the ideal hero to his
readers.
Tolkien not only borrows the Anglo-Saxon tradition of sword-naming but the also AngloSaxon sword-fight etiquette: both Bilbo and Beowulf refuse to strike an adversary if he is
unarmed. For example, According to Taylor Culburt of The Journal of English and Germanic
Philology, “There is no reason to doubt Beowulf’s good faith: he refuses to fight with a sword,
not because he knows that it would not bite through Grendel’s tough hide and not because he
himself is naturally disposed to hug his adversary to death but because he hopes to place both
combatants on an equal footing” (9; 14). With this in mind, it is clear where Tolkien got his idea
to give Bilbo an apprehensiveness to strike the unarmed Gollum in the caverns: “He must fight.
He must stab the foul thing, put its eyes out, kill it. It meant to kill him. No, not a fair fight. He
was invisible now. Gollum had no sword. Gollum had not actually threatened to kill him, or
tried to yet” (Tolkien 96). Here, Tolkien borrowed this idea of apprehensiveness to fighting
unfairly in order to do the cultural work of constructing the idea of a morally righteous hero to
his readers; in other words, fighting unfairly is wrong. He also uses the Anglo-Saxon folklore
Gossman 8
element of riddles to offer an alternative to physical violence. Because Bilbo is able to escape
Gollum through the use of riddles rather than using the violence of the sword, Tolkien is
suggesting to readers that a hero’s wit and charisma is just as useful as his ability to wield
weapons in overcoming adversaries. Though Tolkien uses elements of other types of folklore,
particularly Norse and Old English, he does so in a way that presents his story as matter-of-fact;
in other words, it is difficult to notice that his story is fictional because he makes it easy to
understand. One way in which he does this is through the use of narrative asides to help guide
the reader through the novel.
Throughout The Hobbit, Tolkien pauses his narration to give his readers some
information about what is going on. This is particularly helpful to children readers who may not
be as inclined to dig deep into each particular scene to figure out the context of what’s
happening. For example, at the very beginning of the novel, the reader can see that Tolkien
uses an aside to aid in character development: “Gandalf! If you had heard only a quarter of
what I have heard about him, and I have only heard very little of all there is to hear, you would
be prepared for any sort of remarkable tale” (Tolkien 6). This subtle-yet-personal message to
the reader gives him or her the idea that Gandalf is a mysterious figure, something that is
important to keep in mind as the novel progresses because Gandalf constantly wades in and
out of the action that goes on with Bilbo and the dwarves. Another example of Tolkien’s use of
asides can be seen in chapter five, when Tolkien says to the reader, “I imagine you know the
answer, since you are sitting comfortably at home and have not the danger of being eaten to
disturb your thinking” (Tolkien 85), referring to the context between Bilbo’s struggle to figure
out one of Gollum’s riddles and the reader’s situation at home or wherever he or she is reading.
Gossman 9
In this case, the aside is used to magnify the tension that Bilbo feels when confronted with such
a riddle; by putting it in perspective and comparing Bilbo’s situation to the reader’s, Tolkien
makes the reader conscious of the pressure that Bilbo feels. This, ultimately, emphasizes what
Bilbo has to overcome to come out successful in a particular situation. When the reader
understands this, he or she can understand more clearly how Bilbo develops as a character into
a courageous hero. Finally, Tolkien uses asides in the novel to contribute to the matter-offactness of middle earth. For example, he describes the race of the eagles as “not kindly birds.
Some are cowardly and cruel. But the ancient race of the northern mountains were the greatest
of all birds” (Tolkien 114). By pausing the story to identify the readers with this particular race
of characters and presenting it to them in a matter-of-fact way, the reader is inclined to feel
that these eagles are real in the context of the novel. Narrative asides can be an effective tool in
bringing together the different elements of other types of folklore simply because they allow
Tolkien to identify with the readers and make it easier for them to understand. All of this
contributes to a smooth, easily-understandable story that tracks the development of Bilbo’s
ascension into heroism. Why does it even matter though?
Tolkien’s seemingly perfect blend of several elements of other types of folklore to
create his own world yields a significant result: the ideal setting for Bilbo Baggins to transform
into an unlikely hero. It’s easy to see Bilbo’s ascension into a hero when taking a look at the
Bilbo character compared from the beginning to the end, “comparing the comfort-loving, wellto-do, respectable, and somewhat lazy Bilbo of the opening with the hobbit who, at the
conclusion, has lost his reputation and doesn’t care” (5; 138). Key changes in Bilbo’s character
include a loss of conscious about his reputation among other hobbits, a lessened dependence
Gossman 10
on luck to get him through sticky situations, and a willingness to assume leadership among the
dwarves. What makes these changes even more significant though is the fact that Bilbo does
not lose his identity as a comfort-loving hobbit who enjoys his home in the hobbit hole. By
having Bilbo survive all of these adventures and returning home with a heightened sense of
adventure, Tolkien is suggesting to his children readers that it is okay to step out of their
comfort zone; in order to discover oneself, he or she has to take risks. Those risks will not
inherently change the makeup of him or her, but rather they will expand the knowledge of
oneself to the point where courage is a primary characteristic. This is what Bilbo Baggins
represents: the ideal, yet unlikely hero in English society in the 1930s before World War II.
Although Bilbo is merely a fictional character in a fantastic world, Tolkien’s way of
making his created world seem so real tugs at his readers a little bit. Perhaps readers who are
completely engrossed in The Hobbit can make a connection to Bilbo Baggins--seeing that he is a
likeable character--and therefore subconsciously get the idea that they can be just like him. It’s
not to say that readers really believe they can become courageous hobbits who take on trolls
and dragons, but rather they can understand that courage lies within themselves. By making
Bilbo a likeable character, Tolkien is able to convey to his readers what an ideal Englishman
should be like. First off, Tolkien may be suggesting that the ideal hero is not inclined to violence.
According to Ruth Stein, Tolkien “first told The Hobbit to his own children when World War II
was looming” (2; 183). Therefore, it is not outrageous to conclude that Tolkien wanted his
readers to understand that violence wasn’t necessary to be a war hero. For example, during the
Battle of Five Armies, Bilbo “put on his ring early in the business and vanished from sight, if not
from all danger” (Tolkien 305). Because Bilbo is the character that Tolkien constructed into a
Gossman 11
hero, the common thought would be to think that he’d be all about war. However, because he
sits to the side and wants nothing to do with it, Tolkien offers a different type of hero; an
unlikely hero at that who stays away from the war. Besides nonviolence, Tolkien’s constructed
idea of the English hero also assumes a specific type of value system.
At the end of the Battle of Five Armies after Bilbo wakes up, he finds that Thorin is
dying. Upon laying down to his death, he gives one of The Hobbit’s most famous quotes to
Bilbo: “There is more good 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” (Tolkien 312). It is at this moment that the
reader comes to realize that a strong desire for material items with no intrinsic good in them is
a recipe for disaster. Thorin, who represents materialism and an earlier mythic tradition, ends
up dying off. On the other hand, Bilbo, who represents the reserved Englishman who is content
with goods of intrinsic value and a new mythic tradition, survives and returns to his original
home with an added value of courage. This is Tolkien’s way of steering away from the common
idea of a hero that is a warlike figure with dreams of capturing treasure. Again, because Tolkien
blends all of the elements of other types of folklore together in a seemingly flawless pattern,
readers get the feel that the novel is real; therefore, Tolkien’s constructed idea of a hero also
feels real. Seeing that this all makes sense, what would the reader think if Tolkien simply said
that he has no taste for allegory and that his story was simply for the sake of storytelling?
On a number of occasions, J.R.R. Tolkien has denied that The Hobbit takes on any sort of
allegorical meaning. For example, when critiquing an author named George MacDonald, Tolkien
states that he was “displeased that MacDonald wrote allegories—a form he inherently disliked.
Gossman 12
Tolkien explains,’But [C. S. Lewis] was evidently born loving (moral) allegory, and I was born
with an instinctive distaste for it’” (11). Likewise, Ruth Stein notes that The Hobbit (as well as
the rest of The Lord of the Rings trilogy) “have been interpreted in many ways, [nevertheless]
they were not written as allegories, but as tales to entertain” (2; 183). In other words, Tolkien
claims that his sole purpose for writing is for the sake of storytelling. Despite this, readers
cannot disregard the mass amount of evidence that points to Tolkien’s creation of his own
mythology as a type of cultural work for the English society that he lived in. His values towards
heroism and materialism, for example, are clearly embedded into his characters in The Hobbit,
as previously noted. Whatever the case may be, Tolkien’s incorporation of a multitude of
different folklore elements allows him to get his themes across to his readers.
Bilbo Baggins’ development into a hero while retaining his identity is a central theme to
The Hobbit. Tolkien is able to convey this theme onto his readers so effectively because he is
able to create his own world that puts Bilbo in the perfect situation to become a hero. Among
the most prevalent influences to Tolkien are Norse folklore elements--such as dwarves and
trolls--and Anglo-Saxon elements, particularly elements found in Beowulf. By incorporating
these elements into one smooth story, Tolkien takes on the challenge of immersing his readers
into the story and making them accept his created world as matter-of-fact. Because he
succeeds in this aspect, his readers are able to understand that Bilbo’s development into a hero
is a journey--a journey that takes him from the comfort of his hobbit hole to the confounds of a
powerful dragon named Smaug. Because Bilbo is a likeable character, coupled by the fact that
Tolkien’s story succeeds at making the reader feel that his created world is real, the reader can
make a connection to Bilbo in regards to what it means to be an ideal man or hero.
Gossman 13
Furthermore, Tolkien’s intended audience was children. Therefore, Tolkien is writing for the
then-future of English society. One can assert that he is molding, in a way, the future
generations to step out of their comfort zone and discover what they can do, just as Bilbo did.
Bilbo’s retainment of his Baggins heritage and reservedness may alleviate any of the fears that
his children may have of changing who they are if they step out of their comfort zone as well.
Whatever the case may be, “It is because of both the traditional materials and his synthesis of
them that Tolkien’s novels are the standard by which all of the others are judged” (6; 287). In
another sense, Tolkien put all of the right ingredients into his work and mixed them together
perfectly. The result? A seamless story with the power to influence children on what it means
to become a hero.
Bilbo is an INDIVIDUAL and the hobbits are a distinctive race just as the English
mythology that Tolkien writes is distinctive. Think about this as you conclude (drawing your
paper back to your original observations). Excellent paper! Enjoyed reading it!
Gossman 14
Works Cited
Culburt, Taylor. "The Narrative Functions of Beowulf's Swords." The Journal of English and
Germanic Philology 59.1 (1960): 13-20. Print.
Long, Josh. "Clinamen, Tessera, and the Anxiety of Influence: Swerving from and Completing
George MacDonald." Tolkien Studies 6 (2009): n. pag. JSTOR. Web. 22 Mar. 2013.
Roos, Richard. "Middle Earth in the Classroom: Studying J. R. R. Tolkien." The English Journal
8.58 (1969): 1175-180. JSTOR. Web. 19 Mar. 2013.
Stein, Ruth M. "The Changing Styles in Dragons—from Fáfnir to Smaug." Elementary English
45.2 (1968): 179-83. JSTOR. Web. 1 Mar. 2013.
Stott, John C. "A Structuralist Approach to Teaching Novels in the Elementary Grades." The
Reading Teacher 36.2 (1982): 136-43. JSTOR. Web. 2 Mar. 2013.
Sullivan, C.W., III. "Folklore and Fantastic Literature." Western Folklore 60.4 (2001): 279-96.
JSTOR. Web. 19 Mar. 2013.
Tolkien, J. R. R. The Hobbit, Or, There and Back Again. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2012.
Print.
Gossman 15
Wettstein, Martin. "Norse Elements in the Work of J.R.R. Tolkien." Acadamia.edu (2002): n. pag.
Oct. 2002. Web. 17 Mar. 2013.