Independent Reading

A Guide to
The Hobbit
There and Back Again
J. R. R. Tolkien

Going on was the bravest thing he ever did.

Iliad and Odyssey, the Icelandic Edda, and such English
The Novel at a Glance medieval romances and legends as those of King Arthur
The Hobbit is a fantasy with strong elements of the and the quest for the Holy Grail. The quest usually
fairy tale, the folk epic, and the medieval romance. involves an untested character who embarks on a jour-
It addresses the themes of growing up, facing dan- ney fraught with perils to attain a very specific goal.
ger, and learning what is truly valuable in life. The way in which the character confronts obstacles is as
Setting: The tale begins in the cozy underground important as attaining the object of the quest.
home of the title character and then continues
through an imaginary landscape of valleys, forests,
Main Characters
marshes, lakes, and mountains—each with unique Bilbo Baggins, the hobbit, a resident of the decent,
and fascinating features that test the adventurer’s orderly, and decidedly unadventurous region of
wit and endurance. Hobbiton, Under the Hill. Bilbo is a bit of a split per-
sonality—he loves the comforts of home but is not
Protagonist: The hobbit, Bilbo Baggins, a nimble immune to the lure of the unknown and unexpected.
little furry-footed creature who, though he loves his
meals and his home, cannot resist a call to adventure. Gandalf, in outward appearance an old man with a
long, white beard and a staff—but with a wizard’s (or a
Conflicts: The main external conflict is between magician’s) knowledge and power, including a skill with
the adventurers—Bilbo, Gandalf, and their dwarf fireworks and an ability to fire the imagination with a
friends—and the dragon Smaug, who has stolen spellbinding tale.
the dwarves’ ancestral treasure. Before confronting
the dragon, however, the hobbit and his friends Dwalin, Balin, Kili, Fili, Bifur, Bofar, and Bombur,
have many other enemies and obstacles, natural some of the thirteen dwarves that are sent to Bilbo’s
Copyright © Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

and supernatural, to overcome. Bilbo must also house by Gandalf and with whom Bilbo sets out on his
come to terms with the conflict between his desire long journey. The sturdy dwarves have long beards and
for safety and his yearning for adventure. wear colorful hoods and belts; although they are small,
they are strong and used to the hard work.
Resolution: From the first, the hobbit chooses
adventure over security. Despite his discomfort and Thorin Oakenshield, the proud and brave leader of
homesickness, he faces up to each new danger on the other dwarves. A descendant of an illustrious line,
the journey and remains with his friends until the he is committed to recapturing the ancient treasure that
dragon is slain. He returns with a new knowledge the dragon Smaug stole from his people in the time of
of himself and the world and with perhaps a greater his father, Thror, and his grandfather Thrain.
appreciation for the pleasures of home. Old Smaug, a giant, winged dragon covered with leath-
Themes: In order to grow up and learn about the ery scales. He breathes fire and emits an awful stench.
world and ourselves, we must be willing to leave An ugly, greedy, murderous creature, he represents all
the safety of the familiar and discover the joys and that is evil, unjust, and terrifying.
perils of a wider world. Evil and danger exist, and
those who confront them are changed forever.
Plot
Chapter 1. An Unexpected Party. On a Wednesday in
April, Bilbo Baggins is surprised in his cozy, little hobbit
hole by the arrival of Gandalf, the wizard, who invites
Background him to take part in an adventure. The following day thir-
Quest Literature. The narrative structure of the quest teen dwarves arrive and make a merry party, singing of
is an ancient one evident in the oral tradition of most far-off lands and wrongs that need righting. Despite some
cultures and in the earliest heroic epics, such as Homer’s serious misgivings, Bilbo decides to join the dwarves in

The Hobbit 1
their quest to reclaim the mountain and the treasure Chapter 6. Out of the Frying-Pan and into the Fire.
that the dragon Smaug stole from Thorin’s ancestors. In the open air, Bilbo realizes he has come out clear on
Gandalf has assured the dwarves that Bilbo is the per- the other side of the mountain. He discovers that his
fect treasure hunter or “burglar” they need. Gandalf friends too are outside the mountain. Bilbo tells about
gives them a map and a silver key to a secret entrance in his encounter with Gollum but leaves out the part about
the Lonely Mountain where the dragon resides. the ring. The party moves on, the goblins still in pursuit.
Chapter 2. Roast Mutton. The next morning the As the moon rises they come to a clearing and are forced
party of fourteen sets out. The first of many complica- to climb trees to escape howling, ravenous wolves
tions arises, however, when the weather takes a nasty (Wargs). Gandalf rains burning pine cones down on the
turn and Gandalf disappears. The little party is cold, wolves, but the goblins arrive and stoke the fires under
wet, and hungry. The dwarves spot a campfire and send the trees where the dwarves are pinned. Just as the smoke
Bilbo to investigate. Approaching stealthily, Bilbo sees begins to choke them, the Great Eagles of the North
three voracious trolls, roasting meat. Bilbo decides to swoop down and carry Bilbo and his friends to safety.
pick one of the troll’s pockets to prove himself an auda- Chapter 7. Queer Lodgings. Bilbo and his party are set
cious burglar, but the troll, Bill, catches him and rouses down on a rock ledge. To their dismay, Gandalf
his companions. When the dwarves try to rescue Bilbo, announces he will soon leave them. He then takes them
they all end up in sacks. Luckily Gandalf returns and, to the wooden house of the “skin-changer” Beorn, who
confusing the trolls by imitating their voices, saves the can take the form of a huge hairy man or a great bear.
day. When dawn breaks, the trolls turn to stone (a Careful not to upset the unsociable Beorn, Gandalf
fairy-tale motif), and the adventurers raid their cave. introduces the travelers gradually until all fourteen are
They find food, two swords and a dagger, and a hoard sitting on Beorn’s porch and he has heard the complete
of gold. They bury the gold nearby, planning to retrieve story of their adventures. Captivated by the tale, Beorn
it on the return journey. offers the hungry band a sumptuous meal. The skin-
Chapter 3. A Short Rest. The party proceeds in the changer describes the perils of the path through the great,
direction of the Misty Mountains. Before the adventur- dark forest of Mirkwood, which Bilbo and the dwarves
ers reach the forbidding mountains, however, they are must travel to reach the dragon’s stronghold in Lonely
welcomed in the Last Homely House in the fair valley Mountain. Generously outfitting the party for their jour-
of Rivendell, a setting in stark contrast to the forbid- ney, Beorn warns them to stay on the path at all costs. At
ding mountains ahead. Their host, Elrond the elf- the edge of the dark and ominous forest, Gandalf leaves
friend, offers food, rest, and security for fourteen days. the group.
One midsummer morning they set out for the Misty Chapter 8. Flies and Spiders. Picking their way
Mountains. through the dense forest, Bilbo and the dwarves are sur-
Chapter 4. Over Hill and Under Hill. The party fol- rounded by the glowing eyes of insects and are brushed
lows the mapped path up the steep mountainside and by spiders, moths, and bats. Desperate and hungry,
gets caught in a fierce thunderstorm. They take shelter they ignore Beorn’s warning and stray from the path to

Copyright © Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

in a large cave. While they are sleeping, a crack in the investigate glowing fires and the sound of elfish singing.
back of the cave opens and goblins stream out. They Three times they approach the campfires and each time
snatch up everyone except Gandalf, who manages to let the lights go out. Becoming separated from the others,
off a bolt of lightning and escape. The dwarves and Bilbo uses his sword to kill a giant spider who has
Bilbo are taken prisoner and interrogated by the Great begun to wind a web around him. Lost and alone in the
Goblin. Again Gandalf comes to their rescue, slaying darkness, he discovers that other huge, talking spiders
the Great Goblin with the magic goblin-killer sword. have bound and hung the dwarves from a branch. Bilbo
The dwarves run through the caverns with goblins pur- uses his ring to make himself invisible and then starts
suing. Bilbo falls on a rock and loses consciousness. throwing stones and singing to draw the spiders off.
The creatures run in different directions trying to catch
Chapter 5. Riddles in the Dark. Bilbo wakes up in a
Bilbo, but he quickly cuts down his dangling comrades.
dark tunnel and, crawling along, finds a metal ring
Visible again, Bilbo and the weary dwarves engage in a
which he slips into his pocket. Alone now, Bilbo, in a
fierce battle with the spiders. When they are finally safe
pivotal scene, bravely decides to go forward. He meets
from the spiders, Bilbo tells the story of Gollum and
a small, slimy, dark creature named Gollum. Mumbling
the ring. Then suddenly they realize that Thorin is
the words “my precious,” Gollum speaks a strange sort
gone. Before the troubles with the spiders began, the
of lisping baby-talk patter. At first Bilbo is able to keep
wood elves had taken him prisoner.
himself from being eaten by Gollum by trading riddles
with him. Eventually Bilbo runs away and discovers Chapter 9. Barrels out of Bond. The next day all the
that the ring he found was lost by Gollum and has the dwarves are captured and, like Thorin, imprisoned by
power to make its wearer invisible. Bilbo uses the ring the elves. Bilbo, who has escaped capture by becoming
to elude Gollum and at last manages to squeeze invisible, follows them into the elf cave unseen and
through the back door of the cave. devises a plan for the dwarves’ escape. Bilbo’s plan is to

2 The Hobbit
 hide the dwarves in empty wine barrels that are to be greed as they gaze on the wealth. Bilbo himself quietly
shipped downriver to a lake town where men live. pockets a great white gem called the Arkenstone, which
Outsmarting some elves, Bilbo frees the dwarves and is described in images of light. Finally Thorin, remem-
gets them stowed into the barrels. He is forced to jump bering the cave from long ago, leads them to the front
onto a barrel himself. After a rough ride the barrels run gate. Cold, hungry, and afraid of the dragon’s return,
aground in shallow water. the party follows Balin, an old dwarf, to a rocky cham-
Chapter 10. A Warm Welcome. As the barrel rafts ber that used to serve as a guardroom. In the distance,
approach Lake-town, the peak of the Lonely Mountain they see a gathering of birds.
becomes visible in the distance. The town is inhabited Chapter 14. Fire and Water. The dragon has flown
by men who dimly remember the old legends of the toward Lake-town. Seeing Smaug’s approach, the Lake-
dragon who stole their people’s treasure and laid waste men arm themselves. Unharmed by the barrage of
the valley town of Dale. When Thorin explains their arrows, the scaly dragon rains fire down on the wooden
mission, the party is welcomed by the Master of Lake- town. The fearless Bard, captain of the archers and a
town. With a new supply of provisions the friends set former resident of Dale, has only one arrow left when
out on the last leg of their quest. the old thrush perches on his shoulder and tells him
Chapter 11. On the Doorstep. It is autumn as they about Bilbo’s discovery of Smaug’s vulnerable spot.
approach the dread mountain, and the setting becomes Bard takes aim at the spot and brings the dragon crash-
more barren and desolate. As they ascend the slope the ing down on the wooden town. The people of Lake-
party can see below to the ruins of the village of Dale town clamor for Bard as their leader. While all rejoice at
and ahead to a yawning mouth in the rocks, from the death of the dragon, the capture and distribution of
which clouds of steam and the Running River emerge. the treasure remain major complications.
This is the main entrance to the dragon Smaug’s hold Chapter 15. The Gathering of the Clouds. Back on
in the bowels of the mountain, but the travelers must the mountain, Bilbo and the dwarves hear the news of
find the secret entrance. Eventually they find a door Smaug’s death from an old raven named Roac. Roac
hidden by an overhanging cliff. They cannot open it also tells them of the widespread claims to a share in the
until a sun ray hits the rock face and reveals a small hole dragon’s hoard, which the dwarves consider their right-
into which Bilbo slips the silver key. They pass through ful property. Thorin declares his intention to defend the
the door into utter darkness. treasure of his people and sends for reinforcements from
Chapter 12. Inside Information. The dwarves urge a nearby dwarf clan. The dwarves fortify the entrance to
Bilbo to go down into the tunnel and investigate fur- the mountain, while the Lake-men and elves camp
ther. The hobbit conquers his fear and goes bravely on nearby. After a peace talk with Thorin, Bard proposes
alone toward the dragon’s lair. He steals a cup from the that the wealth be shared. Thorin, however, declines to
sleeping dragon and returns to the surface to show it to compromise and shoots an arrow into Bard’s shield.
his friends. The dragon wakes up and discovers his loss. Bilbo disapproves of Thorin’s action.
Wildly angry, he flies out of his cave and circles the Chapter 16. A Thief in the Night. Winter and the
Copyright © Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

mountain, breathing fire and destroying everything in siege proceed, but Thorin remains stubborn in his
his path. Bilbo and the dwarves escape by going in the refusal to compromise. On watch one night Bilbo uses
secret door. Bilbo returns to the dragon’s lair, but this his invisibility ring to slip away from the mountain. In
time the creature senses his presence—and they speak. the hope of averting war, he goes to Bard’s camp and
Bilbo uses flattery to trick Smaug into revealing a vul- gives Bard and the Elven King the Arkenstone to use as
nerable spot on his underside. Angered by the hobbit’s a bargaining chip with Thorin. Bilbo knows the feisty
wit, Smaug pursues the fleeing Bilbo but is unable to dwarf values the gem above all else. Just then an old
follow him up the narrow passage. Back on the ledge by man comes out of a tent to praise Bilbo; it is Gandalf,
the secret door, Bilbo describes the dragon’s soft spot. A who holds out hope for a happy ending. Buoyed, Bilbo
nearby thrush makes odd movements and then flies off. returns undetected to the mountain.
Smaug is now flying about outside looking for intrud- Chapter 17. The Clouds Burst. Bard, the Elven
ers, which forces Bilbo and the dwarves to go back into King, and Gandalf, in disguise, convince Thorin to
the tunnel. This time Smaug rams the side of the share the treasure in return for the Arkenstone, but all
mountain and the door is shut forever. Suspecting that efforts at peace are overthrown when goblin hordes
the men of the Lake assisted the trespassers, the dragon descend and the Battle of the Five Armies begins—
flies off in the direction of Lake-town. goblins and wolves on one side and dwarves, elves, and
Chapter 13. Not at Home. Trapped for what seems men on the other. Just when it looks as if the goblins
like days in the stifling passage, the dwarves and Bilbo and wolves might win, a squadron of Eagles from the
finally decide to head for the dragon’s den. They move Misty Mountain arrives, and the bloody conflict is
quietly in the dark. Finally, they light torches and resolved. Watching the birds approach from his perch
examine the treasure trove of gold, gems, and armor in above the battle, Bilbo is suddenly hit with a stone and
Smaug’s chamber. The dwarves are mesmerized with falls unconscious.

The Hobbit 3
Chapter 18. The Return Journey. When Bilbo comes traditional elements of myths, fairy tales, fables, and
to, he is carried down to a tent in the valley of Dale, folk tales. Have students compare Tolkien’s use of
where Gandalf is camped with the victorious armies. these motifs with the way they are used in myths or
Thorin, who is dying, begs Bilbo’s forgiveness for his fairy tales students are familiar with:
warmongering at the dragon’s gate. Gandalf explains • wise advisers • dwarves, elves, trolls
how the Eagles and Beorn, who had come in the shape • talking animals • riddles and runes
of a bear, routed the goblins. After Thorin dies he is • magic objects • underworld settings
buried with the Arkenstone on his breast and his magic • evil dragons • metamorphoses
sword on his tomb. The mountain is returned to the • the treasure trove • the perilous journey
dwarves, with the treasure divided fairly among all the
victims of the dragon. Bilbo sets off with Gandalf, the
elves, and Beorn. It is a year since he set out, and all he
Meet the Writer
wants is to go home. J. R. R. Tolkien (1892–1973) was born in South Africa
and moved to Britain as a child. At an early age he
Chapter 19. The Last Stage. On the first of May, developed a fascination with history, legend, and lan-
Bilbo and Gandalf arrive at the Last Homely House guage. He even invented his own languages and then
and are greeted by the sweet music of elf-song. After a created stories in which he could use them. He gradu-
week, Bilbo again becomes anxious to get home. As ated from Oxford and later joined the faculty there as a
they cross the border of the Wild, Bilbo remembers the professor of English and Anglo-Saxon Literature.
trouble with the trolls, and they recover the cache of Tolkien created The Hobbit originally as a bedtime
gold buried the year before. But no amount of gold story for his children and was talked into publishing it
could please him as much as the sight of his own home- by his friend C. S. Lewis. It became the prelude to his
land. “You are not the hobbit that you were,” says trilogy The Lord of the Rings, in which he extends the
Gandalf as the quest story ends. world of The Hobbit to the level of a cosmic struggle
Approaches for between good and evil. Tolkien always maintained that
Post-Reading Activities he was writing fairy tales, not allegories, and that a story
must first succeed just as a tale—that it must excite,
Perhaps the most striking aspect of Tolkien’s novel is its please, and even on occasion move.
creation of a complete and convincing imaginary world
with its own history, geography, heroes, villains, myths, Read On
and legends—a world with similarities to our own.
Discussion groups or students doing individual J. R. R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring. The first
research might focus on the following activities. in a trilogy that begins a heroic quest to save the world
from evil. The Two Towers is the second part of the
1. The Reluctant Hero trilogy, in which the armies gather for battle. The
Although Bilbo Baggins, like all heroes of epic and Return of the King is the conclusion of the quest.
romantic tales, sets out on a quest and faces and

Copyright © Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

overcomes many obstacles, his heroism is not quite Homer, The Odyssey. The classic Greek epic, in which
epic. Students may enjoy discussing the nature and a hero must prove himself before he can reclaim his
extent of Bilbo’s heroism, using questions like these: kingdom, his wife, and his home.
• In what ways is Bilbo a reluctant hero? Louis L’Amour, “Trap of Gold.” The quest for a
• What is heroic and not so heroic about Bilbo? buried treasure trove in the American West.
• How is Bilbo changed by the end of the story? Sir Thomas Malory, Le Morte Darthur. The arche-
• How is Bilbo like or unlike modern questing typal quest story set in the Middle Ages, with knightly
heroes in movies and sci-fi stories? heroes, wizards, and reeking dragons.
2. Finding Motifs Sundiata, retold by D. T. Niane. An epic of old Mali,
Although Tolkien has created an original imaginary in which an unpromising boy becomes the hero who
world, he has also borrowed extensively from the saves his people and creates an empire.

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4 The Hobbit