1. Themes, Characters, Motifs
The Hobbit
Themes, Characters, Motifs

2. The Hobbit Plot Summary
The Un-Expected Party
Trolls
Rivendell
Misty Mountains
Riddles in the Dark
Beorn
Mirkwood, spiders and elves
Laketown
The Lonely Mountain
The Battle of the Five Armies
Riddles in the Dark is the central episode. Through pure luck, Bilbo finds Ring, but also escapes from Gollum entirely by himself, begins to trust his own luck and skill. As with many quest stories, troll situation shows Bilbo failing completely as burglar, must be rescued by Gandalf, using disembodied voice trick; later the spiders episode in Mirkwood, Bilbo uses the disembodied voice trick, so he has learned. He is obviously gaining as a thief also, gets cup from Smaug and eventually finds Arkenstone.

3. The Hobbit Motif/caves or underground
The Un-Expected Party
Trolls
Rivendell
Misty Mountains
Riddles in the Dark
Beorn
Mirkwood, spiders and elves
Laketown
The Lonely Mountain
The Battle of the Five Armies

4. The Hobbit Motif/Disembodied Voice Trick
The Un-Expected Party
Trolls
Rivendell
Misty Mountains
Riddles in the Dark
Beorn
Mirkwood, spiders and elves
Laketown
The Lonely Mountain
The Battle of the Five Armies

5. The Hobbit Motif/Fire The Un-Expected Party Trolls Rivendell
Misty Mountains
Riddles in the Dark
Beorn
Mirkwood, spiders and elves
Laketown
The Lonely Mountain
The Battle of the Five Armies

6. The Hobbit Motif/In one door and out another
The Un-Expected Party
Trolls
Rivendell
Misty Mountains
Riddles in the Dark
Beorn
Mirkwood, spiders and elves
Laketown
The Lonely Mountain
The Battle of the Five Armies

7. The Hobbit Characters Major Characters Bilbo Minor Characters
Gandalf
Thorin
Minor Characters
other dwarves
Elrond
Gollum
Beorn
Bard of Dale

8. The Hobbit Conflicts Bilbo/Spiders Bilbo/self Gandalf/ trolls
Physical Psychological
Bilbo/Spiders Bilbo/self
Gandalf/goblins and wargs Thorin/self
Thorin and dwarves in battle
Beorn/Bolg
Bard/Smaug
Mental
Gandalf/ trolls
Bilbo/Gollum
Bilbo/elves
Bilbo/Smaug

9. The Hobbit Bilbo Baggins
Wits: Gollum, Smaug riddles, tricks spiders, understands riddle of keyhole in mountain
Luck: number 14, finds Ring/Arkenstone
Sharp eyes: sees Beorn, eagles
Pity: on Gollum
Kindhearted: returns keys to guard, pays back Elves
Generous: gives Arkenstone to Bard
Loyal, won’t leave dwarves

10. The Hobbit Bilbo Baggins side Took side Desires comfort Gentle
Food, drink
Pipe
Fireside
handkerchief
Gentle
Not acquisitive, gives away mathoms
Took side
Adventurous
Courageous
Heroic
Fights spiders
Rescues dwarves
Faces Smaug alone

11. The Hobbit Other Characters
Dwarves
Thorin: greedy, stern, proud, pompous, wants revenge on Smaug
Balin is Bilbo’s friend, Fili and Kili are youngest, fat Bombur is like Disney dwarf
Gandalf, wise, has control of fire (like Smaug)
Eagles
Beorn, in harmony with nature, animals
Bard, heroic, vs. Master of Laketown, money-oriented
Smaug, like dwarves, greedy, revengeful

12. The Hobbit Thieves Bilbo, the Burglar Other thieves
Tries to take purse from Trolls
Ring
Food from Elves
Keys from guard
Barrels
Cup
Arkenstone
Other thieves
Trolls (stuff in cave)
Gollum (Ring)
Smaug (pile of gold, Arkenstone, mithril)
Thorin won’t share with Bard, others

13. The Hobbit Monsters Trolls Goblins Gollum Wargs Elves Smaug
Stone Giants?

14. The Hobbit Settings The Shire The Wild Rivendell The Misty Mountains
Mirkwood
Elves’ great cave
Laketown
The Lonely Mountain

15. The Hobbit Themes Hospitality: Luck Pity Greed Fairness The Shire
Rivendell
Beorn
the Elves
Laketown
Luck
Pity
Greed
Fairness

16. The Hobbit Traditional Quest Elements
Home, There and Back Again
One year plus one day
Underground or cave-like places:
Under the Misty Mountains
Under the overhanging branches in Mirkwood
In the dungeons of the Elves
Inside the Lonely Mountain with Smaug
Battle with Dragon
Heroic actions: fighting dragon, spiders

17. The Hobbit Parallels Trolls and Spiders (disembodied voice trick)
Fire promises comfort but it tricks: Trolls, Elves, Smaug is greatest fire
Cave of Goblins, Gandalf rescues dwarves; Dungeon of Elves, Bilbo rescues dwarves
Often in front door, out back door: Misty Mountains, Elves. Opposite in side door, out front door: Smaug. Out front door of Bag End, back in the same way. “Road Song.”
Battle of wits with Gollum and Smaug
Caves all remind us of Bilbo’s home
Unusual to see Elves compared with Orcs, but this is from dwarf perspective or at least loyalties.

18. The Hobbit Source material
Beowolf
Much of description of Smaug in Beowolf
Beorn and Bard derivative
Name of Beorn a linguistic joke: name comes from bjorn (bear in Scandinavian), warrior or man in Old English
“In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit”