The Hobbit Summary
J. R. R. Tolkien

Everything you need to understand or teach The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien.

The Hobbit Summary & Study Guide
16 Student Essay
1 Encyclopedia Article
4 Literature Criticism
1 Book Note
...and more

30 The Hobbit Lessons
20 Activities
180 Multiple Choice Questions
60 Short Essay Questions
20 Essay Questions
Pre-Made Tests and Quizzes
...and more

The Hobbit Summary

The Beginning of the Quest

The Hobbit is set in the imaginary world of Middle-earth. The unidentified narrator begins the tale with a description of hobbits:

They are (or were) a little people, about half our height, and smaller than the bearded Dwarves. Hobbits have no beards__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).

The main character, Bilbo Baggins, is a fifty-year-old hobbit living a quiet, comfortable life. This situation is changed by Gandalf, a mysterious wizard, who is looking for someone to go on an adventure with him. Bilbo wants no part... View more of the The Hobbit Summary

Study Pack

The The Hobbit Study Pack contains about 377 pages of study material in 29 products, including:

The Hobbit Study Guide

Overview

FREE Quiz

Characters

Setting

Social Sensitivity

Literary Qualities

Themes

Style

Criticism

Topics for Further Study

Compare & Contrast

What Do I Read Next?

Key Questions

Topics for Discussion

Ideas for Reports and Papers

For Further Study

Sources

Encyclopedia Articles (1)

The Hobbit

3,459 words, approx. 12 pages

The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien J. R. R. Tolkien was a student of classical and Norse mythology who used his knowledge in these areas to inform his creation of the imaginary land of Middle-earth, th... Read more

J. R. R. Tolkien Biography (6)

J. R. R. Tolkien

5,343 words, approx. 18 pages

Biography EssayThe driving passion of John Ronald Reuel Tolkien's literary life was to make his "fairystories" so complete in description and detail, so varied in character and action, so expansive in... Read more

J. R. R. Tolkien

5,113 words, approx. 18 pages

J. R. R. Tolkien (1892-1973) gained a reputation during the 1960s and 1970s as a cult figure among youths disillusioned with war and the technological age; his continuing popularity evidences his abil... Read more

J. R. R. Tolkien

5,302 words, approx. 18 pages

J. R. R. Tolkien was best known to most readers as the author of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. These books are regarded, stated Augustus M. Kolich in the Dictionary of Literary Biography, as "... Read more

J(ohn) R(onald) R(euel) Tolkien

4,980 words, approx. 17 pages

The driving passion of John Ronald Reuel Tolkien 's literary life was to make his "fairy-stories" so complete in description and detail, so varied in character and action, so expansive in philosophy ... Read more

J(ohn) R(onald) R(euel) Tolkien

9,822 words, approx. 33 pages

J. R. R. Tolkien's most familiar creation, the hobbits of Middle-earth, belonged only to his private world until September 1937. Before then they were known only to his children, his great friend C. S... Read more

J(ohn) R(onald) R(euel) Tolkien

6,268 words, approx. 21 pages

The place in fantasy literature earned by J. R. R. Tolkien is indisputable. Tolkien is directly responsible for the rising popularity of fantasy literature in the late twentieth century. While authors... Read more

Essays & Analysis (20)

Critical Essay by Randel Helms

2,850 words, approx. 10 pages

Critical Essay by Randel Helms [We] have in The Hobbit and its sequel what is in fact the same story, told first very simply, and then again, very intricately. Both works have the same theme, a quest ... Read more

Critical Essay by Dorothy Matthews

1,303 words, approx. 5 pages

Critical Essay by Dorothy Matthews J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit has received very little serious critical attention other than as the precursor of The Lord of the Rings. It has usually been prai... Read more

Critical Essay by Deborah C. Rogers

1,350 words, approx. 5 pages

Critical Essay by Deborah C. Rogers [The] hobbits are the race par excellence in The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. One can tell this in part because Tolkien uses their point of view, but even more... Read more

Critical Essay by Loren Eiseley

473 words, approx. 2 pages

Critical Essay by Loren Eiseley Beginning with The Hobbit, a tale of the adventures of Bilbo Baggins, a small, intelligent representative of a people whose simple underground houses have sometimes led... Read more

The Hobbit

952 words, approx. 4 pages

The author of this book is John Ronald Reuel Tolkien (J.R.R. Tolkien). J.R.R. Tolkien was born on January 3, 1892, in Bloemfontein, South Africa. Both of his parents died while he was at an early age... Read more

Fantasy Is Reality

1,467 words, approx. 5 pages

As a story of creatures like the hobbit, dwarves, elves, goblins, wolves, and the wizard Gandalf, and their lives and adventures in a place called the Middle Earth, the fantastical nature of J. R. R.... Read more

The Hobbit

1,472 words, approx. 5 pages

"I am looking for someone to share and adventure with..." begins the story of Bilbo Baggins. However, the key part is who says it. It is Gandalf the wizard whom plays a small yet very important role ... Read more

The Hobbit Vs. The Eye of the World

1,491 words, approx. 5 pages

Parallel: exactly analogous to another; a comparison to show resemblance. Taking that definition into account when analyzing The Hobbit by J.R R.Tolkien and The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan you ... Read more

The Maturation of Bilbo Baggins

1,372 words, approx. 5 pages

In the fantasy novel The Hobbit, by J.R. Tolkien there are a lot of obstacles the character Bilbo Baggins has to confront. Throughout the book Bilbo seems to take on different challenges, which allow ... Read more

The Hobbit

437 words, approx. 2 pages

I. Title: The Hobbit II. Main Characters: Bilbo, Gandolf, and Thorin Hobbits are man like creatures that are known for their hairy feet, for example the main character Bilbo. Although they have hum... Read more

The Hobbit: Good Versus Evil

1,290 words, approx. 5 pages

In many fairy tale books the battles are usually between the good and evil. For instance in the book and in the motion picture "X-MEN" there are two definite sides the good side and the bad side. ... Read more

Coming of Age Theme in "The Hobbit"

799 words, approx. 3 pages

The Hobbit is the story of "our dear Bilbo Baggins." Bilbo Baggins is a poor little fellow who fits the stereotype of a complacent person. When we first meet Bilbo he is a shy little hobbit who car... Read more

The Hobbit: Is Bilbo a Hero

950 words, approx. 4 pages

The American Heritage dictionary defines a hero as "A man noted for feats of courage or nobility of purpose" or simply "someone who fights for a cause" by WordNet. Bilbo Baggins of J.R.R Tolkien's Th... Read more

The Hobbit: Good Vs. Evil

820 words, approx. 3 pages

In the book: THE HOBBIT all the characters are put into one of the two groups. The groups are good and evil. The novel being filled with controversy between the two powers makes it more appealing for ... Read more

Analyzing Characters from The Hobbit

1,543 words, approx. 6 pages

The Hobbit, written by J.R.R. Tolkein, is based on a make-believe world called Middle Earth, with a variety of real and fictional characters. The book centers around an unsuspecting hero who is calle... Read more

The Hobbit

535 words, approx. 2 pages

The Hobbit By Sara Stambaugh As I read through this book I discovered that this story has many tones about it. This book is filled with many adventures, places, and incidents. This story has many... Read more

Essay Questions about "The Hobbit"

808 words, approx. 3 pages

1. Fully describe two (2) characters from the book. Give complete descriptions. Include physical appearance, family background, personality traits, education, work, income, and any other things mentio... Read more

The Hobbit

1,212 words, approx. 5 pages

The Hobbit is an exciting fantasy about a hobbit that goes on the most fantastic adventure of his life. Bilbo (hobbit) goes to Middle Earth to seek the long lost treasure. Along the way, Bilbo encount... Read more

The Hobbit - Humble Homebody to Hobbit Hero

478 words, approx. 2 pages

Many characters in the novel The Hobbit evolve throughout the story. One of them, Bilbo Baggins has many characteristics that are developed throughout the story. He goes from a humble homebody to a ho... Read more

Psychological Approach to the Hobbit

681 words, approx. 3 pages

"The Hobbit" by J.R.R. Tolkien is about a hobbit, some dwarves, and a wizard. The dwarves urge the hobbit to come along, until unintentionally he does. Bilbo Baggins starts out as a shy hobbit who d... Read more

Free Book Notes (1)

The Hobbit

22,879 words, approx. 77 pages

The Hobbit Book Notes is a free study guide on The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien. Browse the summary below: Author Biography / Context of the Work One-Page Plot Summary Character... Read more

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