The Hobbit Lecture Notes

Transcription

1 Goblin=Orcs Elf=fairy The Hobbit Lecture Notes Frame Narrative A story within a story The Hobbit tale was supposedly written by Bilbo Baggins himself in the Red Book of Westmarch this book was then used by the narrator of our story to write our current text, The Hobbit The narrator himself enters the text occasionally The mother of our particular hobbit- What is a hobbit? I suppose... (4) for trolls, as you probably know, must be underground before dawn (40) too small for trolls, I am afraid they belonged to victims (41) I should not have liked to have been in Mr. Baggins place, all the same (67) A Children s Tale Word choice simple words: o the Hill, the Water, the Mountain silly words: o bewildered and bewuthered (11) modern words comical, lighthearted tone gravity of a serious plot mixed with the lighthearted tone o implausible musical instruments o what Dale is known for is their toys: toy market of Dale (23) o Gandalf s magic associated with fireworks and buttons that fasten themselves o Ex: the Trolls trolls may be scary but they are also funny speak funny fight like school children o Ex: the Goblins apparently, the goblins knew their way, as well as you do to the nearest post-office (57) Gandalf shouts at the Goblins while up in the tree, Go away! Little boys! naughty little boys that play with fire get punished (98) sensitive to children s fears but does not shield them from serious situations Bilbo used to introduce the child into the fantastic world Dwarves polite, distant their talk consists of mines and gold and trouble with goblins, and the depredations of the dragons, and lots of other things (10) beards (29) live to an old age- Fili and Kili fifty years old and they are young Dwarvish History Thror Thrain Thorin Thror went to Moria to reclaim it Azog cut off his head This sparked the great Goblin-Dwarf war called the Battle of Azanulbizar

2 This is where Thorin gets the name Oakenshield Thrain went missing after this battle was captured by the Necromancer lost his mind Hobbit Culture it was a hobbit hole, and that means comfort (3) pantries- likes to eat food little people- disappear quietly and quickly when large stupid folk like you or me come blundering along (4) Green and yellow, fat, no shoes, curly hair no adventures! (6) Took Versus Baggins Baggins Culture respectable because they were rich, but also because they never had any adventures or did anything unexpected (3) they are plain, quiet folk who prefer the quiet, comfortable, hobbit life with neat, undisturbed, comfortable things o being late for dinner is a minor catastrophe Compared to prose writing o Bilbo s settled Baggins life is like prose writing- plain and simple Took Culture they are famous, rich, and powerful if not quite hobbit-like or respectable(4) they go on adventures and live in a world full of the marvelous and slightly disturbing o Old Took a friend of Gandalf- self fastening buttons o Bullroarer Took is a mighty warrior o believed a Took married a fairy (elf) Compared to poetry writing: o adventurous and magical life is like poetry, powerful, moving, and strange Bilbo something of the two Bilbo s Took Side and his Baggins Side Bilbo starts off wholly Bagginsish o this is demonstrated in how he is so afraid they ll run out of cakes (9) o Despite his dominate Baggins tendencies he got something a bit queer in his make-up from the Took side and he was not quite so prosy as he liked to believe (5-7) Bilbo almost slips up when he says, life used to be quite inter- i mean and then he catches himself (7) Song of the dwarves wakes up his Tookish side; however, his Baggins side still remains the most powerful o When Gloin makes the comment that Bilbo looks more like a grocer than a burglar, Bilbo gets very upset, which causes his Took side to win (18) o the next morning he hoped the dwarves visit had all been a dream but he is a bit disappointed that he d been left behind o He overcomes the events of the previous night by sitting down to a nice little second breakfast in the dining-room (27) Recurring desire to return to his hobbit hole o I wish I was at home in my nice hole by the fire, with the kettle just beginning to sing (30) o often wishes for food such as eggs and bacon

3 Rivendell is the place where both halves are satisfied o comfort and rest o song and adventures While in the midst of his adventures o begins to accept his title of burglar and his role as an adventurer takes comfort in his sting found his wits, courage, luck, sword, ring o but he still yearns for home But all night he dreamed of his own house and wandered in his sleep into all his different rooms looking for something that he could not find nor remember what it looked like (104) baggins perspective being influenced o prefers his old life no that he is a better adventurer By the end, his Took and Baggins sides are balanced o if ever you are passing my way don t wait to knock! Tea is at four; but any of your are welcome at any time! (266) o You are not the hobbit that you were (274) Importance of Language Tolkien was a philologist, which means he studied words, their meaning, and their history Language was extremely important to Tolkien this is revealed by an entire page of information on the language used in his book (1) Bilbo must watch his language he accidentally gives away the dwarves: Yes, lots No none at all, no one (35) Riddle game with Gollum Name game with the dragon Business Venture Dwarves see this as a treasure hunt not really a quest to defeat a dragon they hire Bilbo as a burglar and not a warrior There is a contract between the dwarves and Bilbo Bilbo wants to know what he will receive: I should like to know about risks, out-of-pocket expenses, time required and remuneration, and so forth What am I going to get out of it (22) Dwarves are making fun of Bilbo in the contract left on his mantle When they reach the Lonely Mountain, the dwarves hired Bilbo for a job and they expect him to do it: they intended to pay Bilbo really handsomely for his services; they had brought him to do a nasty job for them, and they did not mind the poor little fellow doing it if he would (196) The Great Goblin views the Dwarves intrusion in business terms: Spying on the private business of my people (60) In the end, Bilbo has managed to hold onto his contract: But I have an interest in this matter- one fourteenth share, to be precise, according to a letter, which fortunately I believe I have kept (247) The Wild uncontrolled, uncivilized, and dangerous not evil but morally ambiguous Goblins- outright evil Wargs not overtly evil but more wild beasts that can speak demonstrate intelligence

4 Eagles not just good ambivalent good but wild have customs of their own Beorn a great, dangerous person against wicked creatures fierce and bloodthirsty half man/half bear beorn = man in old english Beorn s Animals Beorn s animals seem to be anthropomorphized the horses and dogs communicate with Beorn in a queer language like animal noises turned into talk (117) dogs and sheep serve the meal in Beorn s house Spiders still wild animals but they also speak intelligible languages Other Birds Thrush o is able to speak Ravens o the ravens can speak: I am Roac son of Carc (235) o have some sort of a culture Overall, wilderness is not always evil, and civilization is not always good beauty in the wild Mirkwood pervasive eeriness, and darkness not evil but perilous and dangerous being corrupted by evil o everything is black, spiders, necromancer Fairie Tale Elements: dangerous forest with strange animals and an enchanted stream (118) o the black heart and the white hind: on the path ahead appeared some white deer, a hind and fawns as snowy white as the hart had been dark (135) almost a separate world with a distinct border at the entrance (130) singing and laughing somewhere in the distance that is eerie and strange (136) Bombor s dream o Falls into an enchanted sleep when he falls in the black water stream o dreams of fairies at a feast Elves are not evil but they are strange and dangerous Elves almost seem ridiculous and undignified sing and laugh a lot take delight in everything laughter turned into song delighted by everything including the ponies

5 Dreams Dreams seem to foretell the future Bilbo had a dream of the entrance opening before the Goblin s attacked: he had very nasty dreams. He dreamed that a crack in the wall at the back of the cage got bigger and bigger, and opened wider and wider, and he was very afraid but could not call out or do anything but lie and look. Then he dreamed that the floor of the cave was giving way, and he was slipping- beginning to fall down, down, goodness knows where to (57) Bombor has a dream of the elves before they come upon them in the forest: I dreamed I was walking in a forest rather like this one there was a great feast going on, going on for ever. A woodland king was there with a crown of leaves, and there was a merry singing, and I could not count or describe the things there were to eat and drink (139) When Bilbo approached the elves, they put him into a sleep where he dreamed of a most gorgeous dinner (142) Even Smaug has a dream of Bilbo s coming: He had passed from an uneasy dream (in which a warrior, altogether insignificant in size but provided with a bitter sword and great courage, figured most unpleasantly) to doze, and from a doze to wide waking (199) Chance and Luck Versus Prophecy and Fate Bilbo s adventure is begun by some curious chance (5) Dwarves fear of the number thirteen is known as triskaidekaphobia they want a fourteenth member so they accept Bilbo it was by luck that Bilbo found the key to the trolls cave even more unlikely is that they find swords from the old elf kingdom of Gondolin Epic Weapons- Glamdring, Orcrist, Sting viewing the moon letters highly unlikely can be read only once every few decades on a midsummer s eve in a crescent moon (50) there had not been a chance before, and there would not have been another until goodness knows when (50) o Stand by the grey stone when the thrush knocks and the setting sun with the last light of Durin s day will shine upon the key-hole (50) Lucky that Bilbo and the dwarves came too far north while crossing the Misty Mountains this is good fortune; south roads are often used by the goblins, while the forest-road itself, [Beorn] had heard, was overgrown and disused at the eastern end and led to impassable marshes where the paths had long been lost (125) Lucky they stumbled upon the meeting place of the Goblins and Wargs stops them from attacking the men nearby: If their plan had been carried out, there would have been none left there next day; all would have been killed except the few the goblins kept from the wolves and carried back as prisoners to their caves (95) also, the primary forces of good, Beorn and the eagles, have been mobilized Lucky that they were captured by the elves and escaped by the river Bilbo and the dwarves had been more lucky than he had guessed because Bilbo had come in the end by the only road that was any good (174-5) they may cross Mirkwood with a tremendous slice of luck you may come out one day and see the lands beyond (129) Bilbo has been born with a good share of luck Gandalf comments that they may meet again but it depends on [Bilbo s] luck (127) and by luck ([Bilbo] was born with a good share of it) he guessed more or less right (144) the dwarves saw that he had some wits, as well as luck and a magic ring- and all three are very useful possessions (153) luck was with him when he steals the keys from the captain of the guard (164)

6 so possessed of good luck far exceeding the usual allowance (195) its lucky that Bilbo saw the missing dragon scale, that the thrush overheard him and took the news to Bard It appears that Thorin s return to the mountain has been foretold: Some sang too that Thror and Thrain would come back one day and gold would flow in rivers (177-8) the song of the Return of the King under the Mountain (182) Conclusions bad luck is actually good luck Chance if chance you call it. o is it truly luck or chance or is there some higher power assisting Bilbo and the dwarves journey: You don t really suppose, do you, that all your adventures and escapes were managed by mere luck, just for your sole benefit? (276) Bilbo s Career (Heroic Arc) Bilbo is a burglar not a warrior Gandalf mentions that they cannot confront the dragon without a mighty Warrior, even a Hero. I tried to find one; but warriors are busy fighting one another in distant lands, and in this neighbourhood heroes are scarce that is why I settled on burglary (21) The dwarves have no idea how to get rid of Smaug- which had always been a weak point in their plans (202) When the dwarves turn to Bilbo for assistance in defeating the dragon, he says, What else do you suppose a burglar is to do? I was not engaged to kill dragons, that is warrior s work, but to steal treasure (202) Trolls- first demonstration of abilities tries to pick the pocket of the trolls doesn t really accomplish anything Alone in the Goblin caves when he wakes up on his own he must become an adventurer or die takes comfort in his sword; with his sword he could be fierce o often considered the turning point in his career; from here he continues on to become an adventurer able to make decisions and move forward Most importantly, he makes the decision to go back into the Goblin caves to rescue the dwarves and Gandalf: He had just made up his mind that it was his duty, that he must turn back- and very miserable he felt about it (85) Attack on the Spiders actually uses his sword to attack spiders this is a critical moment in his career: Somehow the killing of the giant spider, all alone by himself in the dark without the help of the wizard or the dwarves or of anyone else, made a great difference to Mr. Baggins. he felt a different person (144) though invisible, he taunts the spiders and makes them chase after him he doesn't even consider that there is an alternative to saving his friends In the Elven King s Halls makes his living as a burglar by stealing food and drink steals the captain of the guard s keys to release the dwarves At the Lonely Mountain no longer passive in the adventure o before things were being done or happening to him; now he is actively participating or making things happen

7 o he does become the real leader in their adventure, even more so than Thorin (203) fully embraces his adventurous Took side when confronting the dragon in his name game o almost becomes cocky and he slips up o doesn t seem to remember his Baggins thoughtfulness Baggins and Took have become balanced in his life o his adventurous Took side has been released but is tempered by his Baggins reasonability Finest Moment of his Career as a Burglar o stealing the Arkenstone and giving it up self sacrifice to try and save his friends, and everyone else Bilbo s Hero: Warrior as Hero versus Virtuous Hero o Bilbo s pity for Gollum is virtuous versus his fear and disgust o self-sacrifice for his friends Dragon Sickness Bilbo is not as overcome by the dragon sickness He does take the Arkenstone because he desires it; however, he eventually gives it up as his fourteenth share to help his friends Mr. Baggins kept his head more clear of the bewitchment of the hoard than the dwarves did (219) Thorin is overcome by the dragon sickness until he is about to die When Roac mentions to Thorin he can have peace but it may cost [him] dear in gold, Thorin replies, none of our gold shall thieves take or the violent carry off while we are alive (236) Thorin did not reckon with the power that gold has upon which a dragon has long brooded, nor with dwarvish hearts and the lust of it was heavy on him as he hunted chiefly for the Arkenstone (241) Thorin is even described like a dragon that was quite ready to sit on a heap of gold and starve (247) When Thorin is near death, the gold has less hold over him: Since I leave now all gold and silver, and go where it is of little worth (262) Even the Master of Laketown falls under the dragon sickness he fell under the dragon-sickness (276) Effect of Evil Creatures dragon sickness on gold destruction on the land sows pride and discord you can see this with the Necromancer on Mirkwood and Smaug on the surrounding land Evil is its own Undoing Trolls undone by their own evil tendencies inability to work together causes them to fight and stray till sunrise Germanic Ties Beorn s Hall Viking mead hall King versus Dragon A king is supposed to be generous and give out wealth; a dragon is the opposite of this, someone who hoards wealth and refuses to give it out Thorin s Kingship o Bard encourages Thorin to be a good King under the Mountain: If Thorin would have

8 the friendship and honour of the lands about, as his sires had of old, then he will give also somewhat of his own for the comfort of the men of the Lake (242) o Gandalf remarks that Thorin is not making a very splendid figure as King under the Mountain when he is hoarding all his gold (252) o Finally, when Thorin emerges to fight in the Battle of Five Armies he begins to look like a king because he is leading his troops: Out leapt the King under the Mountain, and his companions followed him (258-9) first time that the narrator calls Thorin this title Dain makes a much better King under the Mountain o Dain has crowned their chief with gold, and sworn friendship with them forever (264) o for Dain dealt his treasure well (265) Direct Beowulf Ties The dragon sitting on a pile of gold Bilbo steals a cup Myth Explanation the invention of the game of golf (18) dragons often a possible explanation for volcanoes or earthquakes (199) Discussion Questions What did Bilbo gain in the end (4) Gandalf gives him what he asked for (7)