The Hobbit 2 Essay, Research Paper
The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien is set in a fantasy world that hasdifferences, as well as similarities, to our own world. The author hascreated the novel’s world, Middle Earth, not only by using imagination, butby also adding details from the modern world. Realistic elements in thebook enable readers to relate to the setting, yet have the ability to”imagine” exciting events and organisms not found on Earth.The majority of differences between Middle Earth and today’s world arefound in objects and the actions of characters that can not be carried outor created in our world. The most abundant example of this in The Hobbitis the presence of magic. Gandalf, the wizard, is able to help theadventurers out of a number of dangerous situations by using his magicalpowers to harm their enemies. He set Wargs afire while he was trapped in atree and created a bolt of lightening to kill many of the Goblins who hadsurrounded the group in a cave. The magical ring, which was a key tohelping the group succeed in the book, allowed he who was wearing it tobecome invisible to others. Also, there was a black stream in Mirkwood thatmade he who drank out of it suddenly very drowsy and forgetful of previousevents. All of these examples of happenings and objects found in MiddleEarth are physically impossible in a world such as ours.Several of the organisms in the book are not known to exist on Earth.Hobbits, of course, are fictional characters, as are dwarves, elves,goblins, and trolls. Many species of animals are able to vocallycommunicate with humans and dwarves in the novel, which is not possible onour planet. Beorn, a human who is able to morph into other creatures at aninstant, is an excellent example of such fiction. The dragon, Smaug, isthe main adversary of the fourteen adventurers and is a type of creaturethat has long been used in fantasy writing. Although most of thecharacters’ species are merely creations of the author, they all exhibit asense of realism that causes them to seem almost human.There is a vast difference between Middle Earth and the modern world,but there are also several similarities. In Middle Earth, there livehumans, and hobbits, which are very much similar to miniature people. Thelanguage spoken and food consumed in the novel’s world are found in modernsociety. Also, the fact that Thorin Oakenshield is heir of the throne ofthe King under the Mountain and inherits all of the riches of the kingdom islike the parliamentary system of England. The environment and terrain thegroup passes through on their adventure is primarily the same as landsunchanged by humans and surrounded by nature appear today. In the novel,there are forests with miles of trees, high, rocky mountains, and flowingrivers just as there are here on Earth.It is not possible that a fantasy story such as The Hobbit could occurin real life. However, I do believe that fantasy can effectively teach usabout reality. There are morals, lessons, and themes to be found withinthe text that can help us gain knowledge and live our lives moreproductively.Bilbo Baggins took a stand and raised enough courage to do somethinghe had never thought of doing before, going on a great adventure. Thischoice caused Bilbo to gain endurance, bravery, an appreciation of his life,and many valuable experiences that made him a wiser person. Thorin’sselfish act of not wanting to share the dragon’s riches with the othertowns’ citizens caused only bad events to occur. This teaches us thatkindness and giving to others will not only benefit them, but will alsocause you to feel more content inside. When the group of fourteen wasstaying with Beorn to rest, he gave them suggestions and information aboutthe journey that lie ahead of them. He informed them about a black streamout of which they should never drink, no matter how thirsty they may be,for it would put them to sleep for days. If they had not listened to hiswords, their adventure would have ended, as they all would have consumed thewater and probably been captured by enemies. Their experiences teach usthat it is wise to listen to those with more knowledge than us, as it islikely that they have been in our position before and have experience. Ifwe shun them and take their words as mere bragging, then we are missing anopportunity to learn and will probably make a mistake that we could haveprevented. Although The Hobbit is fictional, one can learn much aboutreality in the morals it contains.