READING RESPONSE: THE HOBBIT BY J.R.R. TOLKIEN

I am still reading The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien, and I'm up to an interesting part in the story. Bilbo and the dwarfs only left The Shire about a week ago, and already they have encountered  many dangerous situations. As I discussed last post, the group slyly escaped three huge dwarfs (with a little help from Gandalf), and now they are climbing the treacherous Rocky Mountains, while two rock creatures are in the midst of a battle. As Bilbo informs the reader, the weather is horrible, and the rock creatures are causing an avalanche of boulders to rain down on them, barely missing Bilbo as he dangles precariously off the side of a cliff. Eventually, the storm comes to a standstill, and the group take shelter in a small cave in the side of a mountain. Little do they know, the cave is already inhabited by Goblins, and once again they find themselves captured.

I can already see how Bilbo's character is developing and changing. In the beginning of the story, Bilbo resembled his father, who was a respectable hobbit, and who seemed the least likely to go out on adventures. Later, Bilbo becomes more like his mother Belladonna Took, who came from a long ancestral line of adventurers. Risky adventures suddenly appeal to Bilbo, and he is desperate to prove himself to the dwarfs and show them that he is capable of dealing with adventures. Bilbo eventually does prove himself, by distracting the trolls and saving his companions.

I predict that Bilbo will keep continually changing, gaining the characteristics of a Took descendant.He will probably have to prove himself multiple more times until the dwarfs finally see him as a worthy companion in an adventure.

This book is amazing. It is a classic fantasy book, such as The Once and Future King. J.R.R. Tolkien brings the story to life, using many descriptive words and making Bilbo a very distinct and recognizable character.