About the Author
John Ronald Reuel Tolkien was born January 3, 1892, in Bloemfontein, South Africa, where his father was a bank manager. After his father’s death, four-year-old […]
The Hobbit
Setting
The story begins and ends in The Shire, in the Village of Hobbiton, a completely imaginary place which resembles a medieval English country village unspoiled […]
Themes and Characters
The hero of The Hobbit is Bilbo Baggins, a hobbit who, at the age of 50, has never had an adventure and who asserts that […]
Literary Qualities
Tolkien’s prose style tries to approximate the spoken word. He uses a variety of devices to achieve this storyteller’s style: parenthetical and exclamatory remarks, direct […]
Social Sensitivity
Although there is violence in several sections of The Hobbit, it does not become central to the plot. Both the trolls and the giant spiders […]
Topics for Discussion
1. Early in the first chapter the narrator comments on Bilbo’s parents. What is the significance of the references to his “Tookishness” in this chapter […]
Ideas for Reports and Papers
1. Consult a good dictionary for definitions of hero and heroism. According to these definitions, to what extent is Bilbo a hero? Include in your […]
Related Titles
Tolkien followed The Hobbit with a three-volume sequel, The Lord of the Rings. This trilogy is far more serious in tone and more complex in […]