“The Hobbit” is a book that narrates the adventures of a creature called a hobbit. Bilbo, the name of the hobbit, embarks on a long journey with a troop of fourteen to recover stolen gold. His companions each play different roles throughout the story, and these roles help readers understand what each character contributes to the story. As the story progresses, the reader will start to realize which characters belong to which archetypal roles and how they affect the story. Roles such as the shapeshifter add suspense, and roles like the herald help bring the story to life. In “The Hobbit,” many characters play archetypal roles to help carry and enhance the story. Heroes play the most important role in the story, they make sacrifices and lead …show more content…
One instance is where Bilbo rescue the dwarves from the spiders,” The idea came to im to lead the furious spiders further and further away from the dwarves, if he could; to make them curious, excited, and angry all at once.” (J.R.R Tolkien, The Hobbit, pg 173) Many heroes, like Bilbo, will do anything to protect their friends. Even if the cost is their lives. While reading “The Hobbit”, you can see Bilbo shows the attributes of a real hero, and he also shows how heroes must act brave in dangerous situations. Protagonists, often heroes, must also have courage, otherwise they will not be able to act quickly. As the journey progresses, Bilbo starts to gain courage and confidence. He begins to come up with ideas and starts to lead the group into adventures. When he begins to gain courage he starts to take on challenges with more confidence. An example of this can be found when Bilbo is fighting the spider, "Somehow the killing of a giant spider, all alone by himself in the dark without the help of a wizard or the dwarves or anyone else, made a great difference to Mr. Baggins. He felt a different person, and much fiercer and bolder in spite of an empty stomach as he wiped his sword on the grass and put it back