The hobbit Essay

Johnathan Ronald Reuel Tolkien is one of the greatest British writers that the world has seen. Better known by his writing name, J. R. R. Tolkien, he has written many novels in his lifetime. One of his most famous series of novels you have probably heard of, Lord of the Rings. However, not many people know that Tolkien set the scene for Lord of the Rings with a novel called The Hobbit or There and Back Again. Tolkiens novel The Hobbit was published in 1937 for the first time while he waited some time to write the Lord of the Rings Series, the first book was published in the mid 1950s. The Hobbit introduces many characters in Lord of the Rings such as Bilbo Baggins, Gollum, Gandalf the Great, as well as the famous ring. Tolkien had many influences to write his novel, The Hobbit. This can be proved by looking by the context of his works and his life before he wrote his novel.

On January 3, 1892 Tolkien was born in Bloemfontein, South Africa. When Tolkien was only three years old he, his mother Mable, and his younger brother moved from South Africa to England to get away from the disease. His Father Arthur stayed in South Africa to work for the South African Bank Company. At a very young age Tolkien became interested in other languages. At the age of seven he was being taught Latin and Greek by his mother. His mother loved nature and was very involved with the Catholic Church, this rubbed off on Tolkien. In 1903 Tolkien was awarded a scholarship to King Edward VI School in Birmingham. Tolkien family life was generally on the genteel side of poverty(Doughan, David, Tolkien Society) Tolkien continued to study Latin and Greek as well as Welsh and Middle English. When Tolkien was only twelve years old his Mother Mabel dies from diabetes. After his mothers death Tolkien and his brother were taken care of by a Catholic priest who went by the name of Father Francis Morgan.

When Tolkien was only 16 he met a girl named Mary Bratt who he would later marry. Tolkien Graduated with honors from Oxford University in 1915 with a degree in comparative philology. One year after Tolkien graduated he and Bratt decided to get married. Soon after they married Tolkien was promoted to a second lieutenant in the English army. However, this caused him to leave his wife and fight in World War I. Soon after he was in battle he developed a bad case of trench fever and got to return home in 1916. When Tolkien returned home he also returned to his alma mater Oxford and over the years became one of the greatest professors the University has seen. It was while he was at Oxford that he wrote the majority of his novels. On September 2, 1973 Tolkien died from a bleeding gastric ulcer and a chest infection.

Tolkien was an amazing author mainly because of the influences he had to write his novels. An eminent Oxford Philologist, Tolkiens translation of ancient myths inspired him to create a world of his own, knows as Middle-earth. He spent a great deal of his life developing his own language and mythology for this imaginary realm. (Novels for Students, 94). Because of Tolkiens education and great knowledge of history is one of the influences that he had to write The Hobbit. There is actually a funny story behind how Tolkien decided to write his novel the Hobbit. One day in the early 1930s while at Oxford Tolkien was grading his students papers; he came across a blank page. For an unknown reason Tolkien wrote down In a whole in the ground their lived a hobbit. After that Tolkien told the story to his family and friends and they encouraged him to finish the tale. In 1937 Tolkien had finally finished the tale and the novel, The Hobbit was published. Tolkien fought in World War I but only for a short period of time. This may have inspired him to include the battle scenes in his novel. However The Lord of the Rings took Tolkien much longer. The Lord of the Rings, which Tolkien typed with two fingers, took 14 years to complete. (Contemporary Authors 396).

Tolkiens novel The Hobbit, the story begins and ends in The Shire, in the village of Hobbition(Beachams 2336). The story begins with introducing a hobbit named Bilbo Baggins, the main character of the story. Bilbo is like most hobbits, short, hairy, and enjoys his peace and quiet. Bilbos life turns around one day when Gandalf, a wizard, comes to his house and wants Bilbo to go on an adventure but he is very questionable about it and really doesnt want to. The next day Gandalf along with a group of dwarves showed up at Bilbos house or hobbit hole as they were called. The dwarves would always seem to sing what they were feeling or what they were about to do. What has roots but nobody sees, is taller than trees, up, up it goes and yet never grows.( Tolkien, J.R.R. The Hobbit 73). They wanted Bilbo to come on an adventure with them to get treasure from the mighty dragon Smaug.

So Bilbo, Gandalf, and the dwarves set out on their adventure. Along the way they have encounters with things such as giant spiders, elves and a creature knows as Gollum where they find the famous ring that they learn makes whoever it wearing it turn invisible. They eventually get to Smaugs layer to get the treasure, luckily they have the ring that Bilbo used to get some of the treasure but the dragon awakes. A man that they met along the way by the name of Bard slays the dragon by stabbing it in its left breast.

Word spreads that the dragon has been slain and everyone wants a piece of the treasure. A short time later there is a huge battle known in the book as the battle of five armies. During the battle Bilbo is knocked unconscious and when he comes too he is all alone. He finds Gandalf and they return back to Bilbos home. However, when they get back to the town in which Bilbo lived he was angered to find out that he was legally dead because he had been gone for so long. Bilbos cousins had taken over his property and eventually Bilbo had to pay his cousins to get his furniture back. In the end Bilbo was told that he was an ever long friend of the elves, dwarves, and wizards.

Many critics though that Tolkiens novel The Hobbit was seen more as a childrens book rather than a novel for adults. According to Don Akers J.R.R. Tolkiens The Hobbit is sometimes dismissed as a mere childrens story by critics and readers, especially when compared to his Lord of the Rings. Obviously, Lord of the Rings is a much more sophisticated and elaborate work than its predecessor. (Novels for Students 105) Don Akers is a freelance writer whose main interests are fantasy, like Tolkiens novel The Hobbit.

C. W. Sullivan III agreed with Don Akers on the fact that many people thought of Tolkiens novel The Hobbit to be somewhat of a childrens tale. According to Sullivan While those who have discussed The Hobbit in its own right have noted some of the aspects which suggest that it was aimed at young readers, very few have discussed it, first and foremost, as a childrens book. (Novels for Students 108).

Another Critic named Dorothy Matthews also agrees that Tolkiens, The Hobbit, is viewed mostly as a childrens story. According to Matthews J.R.R. Tolkiens The Hobbit has received very little serious critical attention other than as the precursor of The Lord of the Rings. It has usually been praised as a good introduction to the trilogy, and as a childrens book, but anyone familiar with psychoanalysis cannot avoid being tantalized by recurrent themes and motifs in the three stories. (Novels for Students 112).

Matthews also thinks that even though The Hobbit may have the reputation of being a childrens story it deserves to be recognized as more than that. Matthews said But even if The Hobbit is only a childrens story, it should be analyzed more closely for deeper levels of meaning, for it is the kind of story that has provided the most profound insights into the human psyche. (Novels for Students 112).

J.R.R Tolkiens novel The Hobbit, though seen as a childrens book is one of his greatest novels he ever wrote. Tolkien lost both his parents at a very young age but still had an amazing and successful life. The Hobbit also set the scene for Tolkiens most famous series of novels, The Lord of the Rings. Tolkiens early life and successful career greatly influenced him to write his novel The Hobbit. Long after Tolkiens death in 1973 his works are still the favorites of people of all ages and will continue to increase in popularity.