The Hobbit and the Classic Hero's Journey
The Hobbit is an excellent example of the Hero's Journey. According to Tolkien, hobbits are
"a little people, about half our height, and smaller than the bearded Dwarves. Hobbits have no beards. There is little or no magic about them, except the ordinary everyday sort which helps them to disappear quietly and quickly ... They are inclined to be fat in the stomach; they dress in bright colours (chiefly green and yellow); wear no shoes, because their feet grow natural leathery soles and thick warm brown hair like the stuff on their heads (which is curly); have long clever brown fingers, good-natured faces, and laugh deep fruity laughs (especially after dinner, which they have twice a day when they can get it)."
This is what makes me begin to question: is Bilbo Baggins a traditional or non traditional hero?
Baggins in his hobbit-hole in The Hill, living a quiet life, eating doubles of meals (which I am incredibly jealous of) is his "Innocent World of Childhood". The story follows the Hero's Journey perfectly: Gandalf calls on him for an adventure, Baggins is appalled at the request, but then makes his way out of The Hill, battles giant spiders and finds new self confidence in the process, there's even an actual dragon rather than a metaphorical dragon, and so on. Bilbo Baggins does go on the traditional journey. But, Baggins is selfish, he jeopardizes the safety of everyone on his mission for The Ring, and he's unconscious for the main action of the story. Does going on the Hero's Journey really make a "hero"? Or is hero just a substitute for protagonist?
"a little people, about half our height, and smaller than the bearded Dwarves. Hobbits have no beards. There is little or no magic about them, except the ordinary everyday sort which helps them to disappear quietly and quickly ... They are inclined to be fat in the stomach; they dress in bright colours (chiefly green and yellow); wear no shoes, because their feet grow natural leathery soles and thick warm brown hair like the stuff on their heads (which is curly); have long clever brown fingers, good-natured faces, and laugh deep fruity laughs (especially after dinner, which they have twice a day when they can get it)."
This is what makes me begin to question: is Bilbo Baggins a traditional or non traditional hero?
Baggins in his hobbit-hole in The Hill, living a quiet life, eating doubles of meals (which I am incredibly jealous of) is his "Innocent World of Childhood". The story follows the Hero's Journey perfectly: Gandalf calls on him for an adventure, Baggins is appalled at the request, but then makes his way out of The Hill, battles giant spiders and finds new self confidence in the process, there's even an actual dragon rather than a metaphorical dragon, and so on. Bilbo Baggins does go on the traditional journey. But, Baggins is selfish, he jeopardizes the safety of everyone on his mission for The Ring, and he's unconscious for the main action of the story. Does going on the Hero's Journey really make a "hero"? Or is hero just a substitute for protagonist?
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