1064 Tolkien, J. R. R.
their quest to regain gold stolen from them long ago
by the dragon Smaug. Though a hobbit would seem
an unlikely figure for such a task, Gandalf argues
that there is more to Bilbo than meets the eye and
that he is the burglar the dwarves need. Though he
is an unpromising figure at first, getting the dwarves
captured by trolls in their first adventure and becom-
ing a burden (literally) in their encounter with
goblins, Bilbo learns, grows, and develops over the
course of the novel and in response to each challenge
the questors face. In typical questing-hero fashion,
Bilbo faces a series of tests, growing more confident
and proficient in each instance, mainly by virtue of
wit and cunning. He defeats giant spiders single-
handedly, rescuing the dwarves from them, and he
rescues the dwarves again when they are captured
by elves. By the end, he becomes the true leader of
the quest and the figure whose values and actions are
valorized by the text.
Dominick Grace
comInG oF aGe in The Hobbit
Though he is technically an adult, Bilbo Baggins,
the hero of The Hobbit, undergoes a growth to
maturity. He begins the book living a carefree life
of comfort and security, with all of the benefits and
none of the drawbacks of childhood. Over the
course of the novel, and in part under the guidance
of the wizard and surrogate father Gandalf, Bilbo is
tested repeatedly. He undergoes a process of change
that guides him to assume a level of responsibility
and decision-making power that suggest the hobbit
at the end of the novel is not only older but also
wiser and more mature than the one we met at the
beginning.
Bilbo’s home is a hole in the ground, with a
“tube-shaped hall like a tunnel,” suggestive of a
womb. It is associated with food (he has multiple
pantries, kitchens, and dining rooms) and comfort,
and he does not venture far from these. Hobbits are
human-like creatures but about half the size of adult
humans, beardless, and barefoot, and they tend to
dress in bright colors. Physically, therefore, they are
similar to children. Bilbo’s littleness and his shrill
voice are referenced throughout the novel, and even
near the end he is described as “child.” The child
reader is frequently invited to identify with Bilbo.
Like a child, Bilbo is drawn into the quest by
a desire for adventure and into trouble by a desire
to prove himself. He is also influenced by family
heritage. His Baggins father was staid and respect-
able, but his mother was from the more adventurous
Took family. The novel tracks these blood influences
on Bilbo, indicating that his adventures arise in part
from his growth into a more Tookish heritage. His
early attempts to prove his worth fail, however, and
lead to more trouble for himself and the dwarves. At
times, he even must be carried, like a child, as they
flee from danger. However, as the novel progresses,
Bilbo learns from his experiences and gradually
acquires adult competencies. Each test includes or
culminates with another emergence from the earth
or emergence from a womblike environment (the
trolls’ cave; the tunnels beneath the mountain; the
cocoon-like spider web; the caves of the wood elves;
and, finally, the cavern beneath the Misty Moun-
tain). Bilbo is metaphorically reborn repeatedly over
the course of the novel, more accomplished and
mature each time.
Each adventure marks a step in Bilbo’s prog-
ress. Though he plays a minor role in the conflict
with the trolls (Gandalf is the primary agent here),
Bilbo acquires his knife, a phallic symbol, after
that encounter. His second major adventure is his
conflict with Gollum, during which he acquires his
magic ring, another important talisman, this time
suggestive of feminine virtues. A riddle contest
reminiscent of children’s games, this confrontation
is also Bilbo’s most direct experience to this point of
his mortality and is significant in his moral develop-
ment. Wit and luck help him with the competition,
but the true test comes when he feels pity for Gol-
lum and does not kill him. Bilbo’s ability here to risk
his own well-being out of a concern for others marks
a significant step in his development away from the
figure concerned only with his own material comfort
that he was at first.
Bilbo is now ready to assume adult responsibility,
and in the next major test, the confrontation with
the spiders, he assumes Gandalf ’s role and single-
handedly defeats the spiders. Tolkien explicitly links
his killing of a spider with Bilbo’s growth; after this
act, “he felt a different person, much fiercer and
bolder.” From this point, Bilbo assumes the leader-