Summary:
Provides detail description of character Bilbo Baggins from Tolkien's The Hobbit. Describes how Bilbo evolves from a cautious homebody at the beginning of the novel, to a brave and confident hero at the end.
Bilbo Baggins has many character traits that are developed throughout the course of the novel. He is a typical hobbit who likes to have things run on schedule, like his meals. He shares other hobbit traits like being a homebody and not very being very adventurous. Other traits such as his bravery, inner strength, self confidence and his sharp mind and his keen wit are developed as the novel progresses.
Bilbo Baggins is a creature of habit. In the beginning of the book we meet Bilbo and we find that he likes to follow a certain schedule, from the time he gets up in the morning until bedtime. There is a time for breakfast, a morning and afternoon tea and of course the main meals are scheduled for specific times of the day.
He likes the comfort of routine and like most other hobbits is not very adventurous, nor does he wish to have one. We see this in the first chapter when the author says, "This is a story of a Baggins had an adventure, and found him self doing and saying things altogether unexpected." We see another example of this lack of adventurous sprit when Gandalf says he is looking for someone for an adventure, Bilbo says "We are plain quiet folk and have no use for adventures. Nasty disturbing uncomfortable things! Make you late for dinner!"
Bilbo the Hobbit is also very polite, mannerly and generous. Early on we see an example of Bilbo's good manners and generosity when he invites the old man, who turns out to be Gandalf, to have a pipe of his tobacco. Bilbo says " And a very fine morning for a pipe of tobacco out of doors, into the bargain. If you have a pipe about you, sit down and have a fill of mine!"
Other characteristics include an inner strength, a clever wit and a sharp mind. The sharp mind and clever wit become evident when he meets Gollum in the mountain. Bilbo makes a deal with Gollum, his freedom or his life, and it is based on answering riddles. If Bilbo fools Gollum its Bilbo's freedom and if Gollum fools Bilbo its his life. This exchange of riddles shows Bilbo's sharp mind and clever wit. One of the riddles Bilbo was able to answer was "What has roots as nobody sees, is taller than trees, up, up it goes, and yet never grows""
Perhaps one of his most important characteristics is bravery. Even though he starts out in the early part of the book as a small frightened, nervous Hobbit as is witnessed by his behaviours with the meeting of the dwarves. When the dwarves were telling a story and Bilbo lets out a scream at the point where Thorin says that they may never live to tell the story. After this incident his bravery and inner strength begin to show through as the book progresses. Some examples are, his encounters with the trolls and how he tried to pick their pockets knowing he could be eaten. Also his encounter with the spiders, he is very brave for taking all the spiders on by himself without any help and trying to save his friends the dwarves. Bilbo's inner strength is never giving up and he always rises to each new challenge. After each adventure he has even more strength and courage to allow him to continue with the adventure. With the help of the ring, he begins to develop into a confident leader. The dwarves see him grow and begin to trust Bilbo and become more dependant on him and his abilities.
Throughout the whole book the author shows us more of Bilbo's character traits. Bilbo changes from a cautious homebody at the beginning of the novel to a brave and confident hero at the end. Even though he discovers traits he didn't know he had, he's still the Bilbo that what's to go back to the Shire and live.
This is the complete article, containing 660 words
(approx. 2 pages at 300 words per page).
