Bilbo s quest for identity and maturity in J.R.R. Tolkien s "The Hobbit"

Katja Grasberger

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Bachelor Thesis from the year 2015 in the subject English Language and Literature Studies - Literature, grade: 1,7, University of ...

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Bachelor Thesis from the year 2015 in the subject English Language and Literature Studies - Literature, grade: 1,7, University of Bonn (Anglistik), language: English, abstract: The following thesis aims at analysing Bilbo's quest for identity and maturation in J.R.R. Tolkiens "The Hobbit". It has been said that "The Hobbit" not only offers a fantasy world but also deals with the human psyche. First of all, the theoretical and more general part will be explaining the hero's journey, the Monomyth of Campbell, its quest-plot, establishing the basis for the later analysis of Bilbo's character. In the third chapter Bilbo's quest will be examined, investigating his character as it is intermingled between the Baggins and Tookish part of his family. It will be displayed how his two natures are at first rather opposing each other and how Bilbo develops so that they complement each other. Furthermore, the most important stages of his development are presented: the trolls, Gollum, the spiders in Mirkwood and finally Smaug. It will be shown how the first three stages are crucial turning points and prepare Bilbo for his final ordeal Smaug and how they shaped his character for the rest of the journey and the rest of his life. Furthermore, the causes of Bilbo's development will be investigated focusing on what made him do the things he did and what makes him let go of his immature way of life. In addition, the thesis will focus on the "back" of the story, Bilbo's homecoming, examining how Bilbo changed throughout his journey, what he learnt, what he achieved, and how he is coming to peace as a better and mature hobbit. In the end, all thoughts and ideas will be summed up and it will be critically looked back at what the thesis dealt with. The hero's journey is not an unfamiliar theme of investigation in literature and always enjoyed a vast popularity. Campbell's Monomyth is the major concept of this paper to explain how the hero's character is shaped throughout his journey. Tolkien, as well as many before him, was influenced by Campbell's idea. Campbell's theory did not only influence literature but also film and comic, such as Star Wars and The Ultimate Spider-Man. Genuinely, the idea of myths is to convey moral values and provide moral instruction. The idea of the Monomyth cannot only be applied to a literary hero but also to any other human being. The quest of Bilbo Baggins will serve as an example of the hero's journey in which many features of the Monomyth can be found. Moreover, the idea of the journey is made clear through Bilbo's quest as he not only has to take physical hurdles but also psychological ones.