Unexpected Killing

     Throughout The Hobbit it seemed to me that Bilbo Baggins was the one destined to slay the dragon, Smaug. He was brought on the trip as the burglar and fulfilled this role as the group made its way towards the dragon's mountain. Yet, for some reason, I still expected Bilbo to be the one to kill Smaug. He was the one that went down to the dragon's layer and talked to him. Bilbo also stole some of Smaug's gold before he was slain. Finally, Bilbo Baggins was the one to find out where Smaug's weak spot in his armor was. It seemed inevitable that he would be the one to kill Smaug.
     I was shocked when it was not Bilbo who slain Smaug, but a man dwelling in the Lake-town. Bilbo was not even present when Smaug was killed. I suppose, though, that he still must be given some credit since he did find the weak spot in Smaug's armor of diamond that allowed Smaug to be taken down. The killing of Smaug was dramatic and exciting; everything I wanted it to be, even if Bilbo Baggins was not the one to kill him. 

Relatable?

     The Hobbit is a fun book full of adventures. However, it is also very hard to relate to. This book is all fantasy, there is not a lot of real life situations. I believe that if I could have related to this book more easily, then I would have also enjoyed it more. After all, if I can relate to anything, whether it be books, movies, or other people, it creates a bond and the movie, book, or friendship is much more enjoyable to be involved with.
     The overall theme of the book, though, is relatable to everybody's lives. The Hobbit follows the Hero's Journey, a timeline of events that every book and movie that have heroes in them follow. Most people also loosely follow this journey in their lifetimes. I am like most people and, so far, have seemed to follow the Hero's Journey just like Bilbo Baggins. 

A Long, Long Journey

     The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien follows the long adventure of Bilbo Baggins. At first Bilbo seems to be a stereotypical hobbit and does not want to go on this adventure to go slay a dragon. However, with the wizard Gandalf and thirteen dwarves urging him to go, he gave in. Bilbo stuck with the group through many adventures including run ins with trolls, goblins, wolves, and, in the end, a huge, deadly dragon. Bilbo was brought on the trip to be the "burglar" and fulfilled this role fully, especially in the end when he stole gold from the dragon Smaug. Although nobody in the group actually slain the dragon, the trip was still a success. After a dead dragon and a large, bloody battle peace was restored and Bilbo was able to go home and live out a slightly alienated life.

     In my opinion, the story line of The Hobbit was entertaining and enjoyable to read. However, as the group walked from place to place the story did get a little dry. Luckily, after getting through the dry spots there were always upbeat adventures. As this book came to a climax it was exciting, but I believe there could have been more build up and more suspense. Then, Bilbo Baggins got back to his hobbit hole. It essentially said that he lived alienated for the rest of his life. This left me with a slightly sour taste for this book. Overall, though, this was an entertaining book full of adventure.