1. First Respite
The Hobbit Pages 44-51

2. The Need for a Respite
“We need food for one thing, and rest in reasonable safety…” (Gandalf, page 44)
Tolkien allows for respites (periods of rest and safety) to help the story flow and separate incidents from each other.

3. The Last Homely House
Imagery of “waste” broken suddenly by “trees and running water.”
Nature always indicative of positive traits
Good of elves vs. evil of trolls and others

4. For your consideration
“The trees changed to beech and oak, and there was a comfortable feeling in the twilight.” (Page 45)
What literary technique is Tolkien using here?
What literary element is he clarifying through its use?

5. How to Describe the Elves...and Rivendell
Figurative Language (“song like laughter” (45), “Valleys have ears” (48), whole Elrond description (49)
Verisimilitude (“Elvish singing is not a thing to miss” (47), Elrond introduction (48), allusion to history of sword names and Gondolin (49)
Remember, songs for Tolkien always reveal much about the singers (46)

6. The Mines of Moria
Foreshadowing of LOTR- “I have heard that there are still forgotten treasures of old to be found in the deserted caverns of the mines of Moria, since the dwarf and goblin war.” (Elrond, Page 49)

7. For your consideration
The timing of the party is amazing in getting to Elrond just as the moon is in the right phase to read the letters. What running theme does this seem to emphasize?
Why does the focus on the importance of writing also make sense for Tolkien?

8. Leadership
At this point, Tolkien, like many other authors, has set up a few people as leaders.
Who are those people?
What characteristics do they share?
What characteristics differentiate them from each other?
What is Tolkien’s tone right now concerning their leadership credentials?

9. What is Durin’s Day (51)?
“The first day of the dwarves’ New Year...is as all should know the first day of the last moon of Autumn on the threshold of Winter. We still call it Durin’s Day when the last moon of Autumn and the sun are in the sky together.” (Thorin, 51)
Riddles keep us actively involved and thinking.