Reflections on the importance of The Hobbit

The Hobbit is considered by some to be a story for children, while The Lord of the Rings, it is said, is the more mature extension of the myth. Does the dramatic shift in tone between Bilbo and Frodo’s adventures signal a lack of continuity in Tolkien’s epic, or is it merely another layer to this multifaceted tale?

I will admit that when my family first started reading The Fellowship of the Ring, I was disappointed at Bilbo’s quick departure from the story. In fact, I rather held it against poor Frodo until, of course, the story got into full swing and I began to grow accustomed to both its new characters and darker themes. Still, I questioned its direction. Was this really where the author was headed all along? Did he foresee the growing shadow and the potential end of Middle-earth even as he was writing the lighter Hobbit, or was this all an afterthought?

As a teenager, the hype of the impending movies renewed my interest in the books, which had shaped such a large part of my literary adventures thus far. In fact, I realized that I had unknowingly used Tolkien’s works as a yardstick against which I measured the majority of other fiction I encountered. Seeking to recapture some of my childhood, I began rereading The Hobbit and LOTR, as well as researching Tolkien himself. Learning that LOTR was quite literally his life’s work, I knew that The Hobbit must tie in with later history in ways beyond a six-year-old’s grasp.

As I worked my way through the books, memories of those initial impressions came flooding back to my consciousness, and one stood out in particular: the great sadness that my beloved Bilbo was being transformed into Gollum. This I believe is one of the keys to unlocking the importance of The Hobbit. Having experienced this world in a happier time, we can feel a greater sense of loss as the forces of darkness stir and plunge it into turmoil. It is through Bilbo that one can best learn the light-hearted ways of hobbits and all their eccentricities. It is also through his eyes that we see the world of Middle-earth before the reawakening of the Ring of Power. The Hobbit is not simply a light-hearted children’s book set in Middle-earth, it is an essential foundation for coming to grips with the power of the One Ring. After all, if Bilbo could succumb to the evil of the Ring, what hope did Middle-earth have?

We can see the beginning of his downfall even as a member of Thorin & Co., again highlighting the sway of the Ring. Once we learn Gollum’s back-story, it is obvious that Bilbo’s experiences with the Ring and the creature himself are not isolated to his journey, but woven into the nature of the Ring itself.

If Frodo destroyed the Ring, it was Bilbo who laid much of the groundwork. His tales not only serve to pique the interest of Frodo and Sam, but also to prepare them for the journey. Many of the alliances that are formed can be traced to Bilbo. Even Sam’s devotion to Frodo is due in large part (at least initially) to the fact that the elder hobbit had shown great kindness towards him and “learned him his letters”.

Bilbo’s adventures are thoroughly intertwined with the future of the quest. Indeed, rather than being separate from the rest of Middle-earth’s history, Bilbo’s portion is not just a minor incident, but an integral episode during a simpler time.

by ~Mirimë~