The Hobbit

Blog 1

"Let's have no argument. I have chosen Mr. Baggins and that ought to be enough for all of you. If I say he is, a burglar he is, or will be when the time comes. Ther is a lot more in him than you guess, and a deal more than he has any idea of himself. You may (possibly) all live to thank me yet" (Ch. 1)

Gandalf speaks these words in chapter 1 shortly after Bilbo faints from terror at the prospect of going on the quest w/ the dwarves. After Bilbo's display of fear, the dwarves are skeptical that Bilbo will make a good addition to the party, and Gandalf's speech eases their doubts. But their are still questions that remain for me:

Is this "burglary" really going to come true?

Will it actually effect the rest of the book?

If the future can be predicted, couldn't it change the whole novel?

Blog 2

"Bilbo had escaped the goblins, but he did not know where he was. He had lost his hood, cloak, food, pony, his buttons and his friends. He wandered on and on, till the sun began to sink westwards--behind the mountains. Their shadows fell across Bilbo's path, and he looked back. Then he looked forward and could see before him only ridges and slopes falling towards the lowlands and plains glimpsed occasionally between the trees. (Ch. 6)

In this passage, The narrator describes the beautiful and heavenly scenery that Bilbo is experiencing. The author's detail is phenomenal when it comes to describing the outdoors. Although the passage is a bit dark in the beginning, Tolkien's use of words are incredible. 

Will Bilbo's discovery lead him to trouble?

Has he completely escaped the grip of the goblins?

Where does this scenery lead?

For how long will Bilbo be able to handle his lonesomeness?

Blog 3

"Somehow the killing of this giant spider, all alone by himself in the dark... made a great difference to Mr. Baggins. He felt a different person, and much fiercer and bolder in spite of an empty stomach, as he wiped his sword on the grass and put it back into its sheath. 'I will give you a name,' he said to it, 'and i shall call you Sting.' " (Ch. 8)

This passage I found kinda through me off. It kind of has a creepy but gruesome tone to it. The thought of giving a dead, giant spider a name just doesn't make much since. But i think it is a very well written passage and it kind of makes me curious as to what journeys and obstacles lie ahead in the book.

Will there be more giant bugs in the story?

What other crazy challenges will be happening next?

Does this feeling that he receives change his actions later on?

Do all of these creatures lead somewhere?

Blog 4

"The most that can be said for the dwarves is this: 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; but they would all have done their best to get him out of troubel, if he got into it... there it is: dwarves are not heroes, but calculation folk with a great idea of the value of money; some are tricky and treacherous and pretty bad lots; some are not, but are decent enough people like Thorin and Company, if you don't expect too much." (Ch. 12)

This was a long passage that I found, but it included many facts and details. The narrator describes the dwarves with many details and it kind of gives you a clue on maybe their next taking of actions. The author describes them as many different types of personalities, and I'm eager to find out what psycho plans these dwarves will take on later on in the story.

Will the dwarves come up with a specific plan?

How will the dwarves actions affect the story?

There are many different types of dwarves, but is there a stronger type?

Why do dwarves seem to be so popular?

Blog 5

"There is more in you of good than you know, child of the kindly West. Some courage and some Wisdom, blended in measure. If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world." (Ch. 18)

This passage depicts Bilbo's reaction to his narrow escape from the giant spider of Mirkwood, one of the novel's major turning points. Defeating a foe in combat gives Bilbo a taste of the confidence that he has not previously enjoyed, making him feel "much fiercer and bolder in spite of an empty stomach." But this passage has had a great impact on the entire novel. The good and bad things that Bilbo has accomplished may have affected the entire world. I'm so amazed at how wise this Bilbo is and his actions have changed the way of the entire story finished.

Is it natural to name a belonging that can be loved?

Is the work that the author has completed going to continue through generations?

Is Bilbo's wiseness taking an impact on today's society?

The Hobbit: FINAL BLOG

In this story, the suspense that it gives you from the very start to the end of the story has had a huge impact on the way I think. Bilbo's actions seem to have improved throughout the story. In the beginning, you would think of him as some average  young hobbit, but as the story progresses, you begin to realize his true wiseness that exists in his soul. From every creature to every dwarf, it seems that the actions he's chosen, good and bad, gave the story Bilbo's true identity. I find this very interesting because the details that occur in the story are phenomenal. Within each chapter, more and more seems to occur. I mean, even though that is the point of every book, I feel that Tolkien has truly found the meaning of identity and description. His use of vocabulary, context, everything that i've read has really affected the way i think about life itself. He goes so far into depth when the actions seem to be taking place. In the beginning, Bilbo finds himself caught up between massive spiders. This is a very suspenseful scene, and i feel when Tolkien goes into detail with every fiber on each leg of the creature, he seems to really show the power a book can have. This has been a fabulous book and i am safe to say that i have never read a book so symbolic towards life. Another element that i am fascinated by are Tolkien's uses of tones. If you pay enough attention to this story, he actually gives you the feeling that you are experiencing every action that may be occurring in the scene. If Bilbo is in a dark setting, the tone that is presented in the story really seems to grasp the focus of the reader. When i first picked up the novel, i thought, "oh no, another Lord of the Rings book. Whats the poing?" But as I got into Bilbo's adventure, the settings seem to have really harvested on my thoughts and attention. The Hobbit is surely one of the best books i have picked up for a class.