Topic > Bilbo Baggins - A Hero's Journey

Index IntroductionBilbo's JourneyNotion of HeroismBilbo Baggins in Comparison to Harry PotterReferencesIntroductionA Hero's Journey is an imperative part of any quest narrative. It shows not only character development but allows the reader to feel part of the story. Within this essay I will analyze Bilbo Baggins' journey and describe Bilbo in relation to an archetypal hero. Finally I will make a comparison between Bilbo Baggins and Harry Potter; what similarities and differences they may share. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay The hero's journey consists of 12 steps that the hero continues; venture between known and unknown worlds. Below I will briefly discuss the ways in which Bilbo Baggins experienced the hero's journey. Bilbo's journey The first step is the ordinary world. Bilbo Baggins, who is a Hobbit, lives in a warm and comfortable house underground. Hobbits enjoy a peaceful life, lounging and eating most of the time. Here he sits outside his Shire, smoking his pipe and enjoying the fresh morning air (Tolkien. 1996). The second step is the call to adventure. Bilbo then meets the wizard Gandalf for the first time and is quite annoyed by the stranger's visit, because he does not like unfamiliarity (Kuswidyasari. 2019: 5-12). However; Gandalf identifies himself as an old family friend and that's when Gandalf invites Bilbo on an adventure; believes that Bilbo is the perfect candidate (Tolkien. 1996). The third step is rejecting the call. Bilbo hated the idea of ​​adventures. So, when Gandalf asked him to attend one of them, he politely declined but also invited him to tea the next day (Tolkien. 1996). The fourth step is to meet the mentor. The following day Bilbo opens his door to an extremely large group of Dwarves who come to his house. Gandalf, who has accompanied them, explains that they are on a mission to the Lonely Mountain to recover the treasure stolen by the evil dragon Smaug. Bilbo will be given the name “Burglar” (Tolkien. 1996). The fifth step is to cross the first threshold. The next morning Gandalf arrives and invites Bilbo to meet the Dwarves at the Green Dragon Inn (Tolkien. 1996). Bilbo leaves his comfortable lair, leaves everything he holds dear and where he feels safe to travel into the unknown (Kuswidyasari. 2019:5-12). The sixth step is trials, allies and enemies. Here Bilbo faced many challenges along the way. He meets allies in Elrond in Rivendell, the Eagles, Beorn who gives them refuge and of course Gandalf who uses his magic from time to time. There were many enemies, namely the Trolls who captured Bilbo, the Goblins who tortured them and the Wargs who hated all the Dwarves, Gollum the slimy creature and Smaug (Kuswidyasari. 2019: 5-12). All these tested and the Dwarves. The seventh step is the approach. Bilbo and the party eventually reached the Lonely Mountain; once a place of glory (Tolkien. 1996). They decided to camp near the gate in the center of the mountain (Kuswidyasari. 2019:5-12). Phase eight is the hard test. Bilbo is the one facing Smaug so he approached Smaug and tried to talk to him anyway; Bard was the one who finally slew the dragon. The ninth step is the reward. Bilbo is rewarded in many ways. Obtains the elven blade, "Sting". He also resolves the dispute between Thorin and the people of Lake Town by giving away the Arkenstone. Bilbo also gets a fourteenth of the treasure he was promised. The tenth step is the way back. Bilbo begins to return home to Hobbiton. There is conflict between the Dwarves and the Lakemen because they feel they need to be rewarded for the role they played in the war. The eleventh step is theresurrection. The Battle of the Five Armies broke out. There was a war between the Goblins and Wargs and their hated enemies, the Dwarves, Elves and Men (Kuswidyasari. 2019:5-12). The final step is the return withelixir. Bilbo returns home with the magic ring and his share of the treasure. He buys gifts for his family and the ring helped him when he had unwanted guests (Kuswidyasari. 2019:5-12). Bilbo realized that the journey had changed him in ways he couldn't explain. Notion of Heroism I will talk about the notion of heroism and whether Bilbo Baggins identifies as an archetypal hero. There are various interpretations of what constitutes a hero. It is generally believed that a hero is one who faces danger or difficult situations with courage (Wiklander. 2011:4-15). In literature heroes are strong, courageous and have the allure of both physical and emotional attractiveness. In the fantasy world there are unforgettable heroes (Wiklander. 2011:4-15). For example, Hercules is a hero known for his strength and courage. If one were to look at the traits of an archetypal hero, they would be as follows: “Unusual circumstances of birth, leaves family and lives with others, traumatic event leads to quest, has special weapon, and gets supernatural help (Wiklander. 2011 :4-15).”Bilbo is very different from the recognized ideas of a hero. He is small and fat, uncertain and does not participate in any spectacular acts (Wiklander. 2011:4-15). Despite this he is a hero. He completes a difficult mission, acquires a weapon, makes very courageous decisions, and is ultimately rewarded with wealth and fame. When Bilbo accepts the terms offered by the Dwarves and joins them on the quest, he showed heroism because it took great courage to leave home. . Although warned about Beorn being described as cruel and impatient, Bilbo bravely joined him and they became good companions (Wiklander. 2011:4-15). By sparing Gollum's life, Bilbo proved himself to be a compassionate man and one who hated violence. He was aware of the danger he was in but this did not discourage him. Then when he returned with his riches and gave part of the treasure to needy people (Wiklander. 2011:4-15). Although Bilbo did not slay dragons or challenge death in any battle, he played a crucial role in every phase. of the research and turned out to be a hero. I have chosen to focus on Harry Potter below because I feel that both Bilbo and Harry share similar journeys. Now I will compare their similarities and differences. Bilbo Baggins in comparison to Harry Potter Both characters are worried, nervous and lacking confidence. Harry because he is afraid of not being chosen for Gryffindor, but is proven wrong and Bilbo who does not want to embark on a dangerous adventure but was chosen by Gandalf to do so. Each character acquires something with magical powers. Harry Potter receives a cloak that makes him invisible and Bilbo also receives a ring with invisibility powers. Both of these items help each character get out of difficult situations they may find themselves in. Another similarity is that everyone has a magical mentor. Gandalf becomes Bilbo's mentor and Dumbledore becomes Harry's mentor (Fricka. 2019). Both of these characters gain self-confidence, begin to accept responsibility, and eventually become braver. They realize that although the journey has been tough, it has taught them valuable lessons. In contrast to the above mentioned are the differences that the characters share. One of the biggest contrasts is that Harry has more support from his friends who encourage him and try to keep him out of trouble (Fricka. 2019). Bilbo, however, has no real close friend as this is how Dwarves work (Fricka. 2019). Another difference is that both characters have different experiences when facing dragons. Bilbo must face his 4-15