The Hobbit (6 points)

 

                 I have always known that “The Hobbit” and “The Lord of the Rings” were originally books but I have only seen the films. “The Hobbit” films are a trilogy whereas the book tells the entire story in one book. In the book it is clear where the stopping points are in between movies. The book feels like there are several quests until the final quest is completed.

                “The Hobbit” is very different from the books we read in the previous weeks. It doesn’t include any horror elements. It is mostly an adventure and fantasy book. It is not as long as I would expect since it was made into three long films. A lot of what is in the book is included in the films.

                In this book, Bilbo goes through a literal and figurative journey. His literal journey is to find a stone. He comes across goblins, dragons, wolves, spiders and various other creatures on the way. His inner journey is trying to be accepted and accept himself. The dwarfs and humans in the story are a different size. He feels that he is nothing like them. By the end of the story, many of his fellow hobbits dislike him but he finds comfort in his home and the fact that he can call some dwarfs and humans friend.

                I greatly enjoyed these films when they came out. I assumed that the book was extremely long but the films combined are probably longer than the single book. This allowed the films to be partly their own thing while still following the original story. There are some major differences between the book and the film but the main story is similar in both.

                I find it interesting that “The Hobbit” was banned early on when it was released. J.R.R. Tolkien is now known to be one of the most famous Christian authors. I find it strange that people banned a Christian author’s book because of its storyline.

                The book is ultimately about Bilbo becoming and realizing that he is a hero. At the start of the book, we know that he is the hero because he is the main character but Bilbo doesn’t realize this. By going on a journey throughout the book, he realizes that he actually is the hero.

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