The Hobbit -- Adventure

As adequate as formal learning may be, there is a natural curiosity in children that drives them to pursue the unknown, the unexperienced—the grand adventure. Media, specifically adventure stories, is a way to satisfy this curiosity for the strange and the epic and curate the inquisitive minds of children. In J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit, Bilbo represents this childish, adventurous spirit as his Tookish blood and overcomes his sensible Baggins nature as he participates in a dwarvish adventure. Tolkien’s writing style and story structure reflect the childish desire for adventure and the learning process which venturing into the unfamiliar brings.

Tolkien writes The Hobbit as if he were telling the tale to a listening audience. He engages the reader by asking direct questions like, “And what would you do, if an uninvited dwarf came and hung his things up in your hall without a word of explanation?” (20) and directly addresses the reader with “but of course, as you have guessed, he did rescue his friends in the end, and this is how it happened” (171). This style of prose engages the reader and encourages them to reflect upon the story rather than merely consume it. These points, especially the direct questions, provide active learning opportunities for the young reader as they consider, what would I do if a dwarf showed up uninvited? How should I act? What would be polite and what would be rude? Tolkien, writing specifically for children, tailors his writing to inspire and satisfy their adventuresome curiosity.  

As an extension of his writing style, Tolkien’s story structure also encourages learning and curiosity, especially in the learning and exploration of the inner self. Central to the adventure genre is a leaving behind of what is familiar and journeying into the unknown. In the beginning of The Hobbit, adventures are “nasty disturbing uncomfortable things” and with “no use” (18). But after Bilbo hears the dwarves sing of their old, lost home and gold, “something Tookish woke up inside him, and he wished to go and see the great mountains, and hear the pine-trees and the waterfalls, and explore the caves, and wear a sword instead of a walking-stick” (28). Bilbo’s adventure nature is awakened, and despite his fears of danger, pursues his curiosity.

In his book Walden, Henry David Thoreau speaks of how we move away from nature and its experiences as we grow older until “at last, we know not what it is to live in the open air. From the hearth the field is a great distance,” which is just the dilemma Bilbo is faced with. He must leave the comfort of his domesticity and venture back out into nature in order to connect with his true origins, just as children must pursue their adventurous curiosities.. The defamiliarization of the familiar encourages the discovery of one’s true self and identity. Leaving the comfortable dullness of home is essential to a child’s growth, whether it is a literal separation or an empathetic one through media.

Just as crucial as leaving the familiar is the return to it. On his adventure, Bilbo learns many things about the world and himself. He learns that even elf- and wizard-laid plans can go awry, that the reality of danger spoils the initial fun of leaving home, and of the strength self-reliance brings. It’s the moments when Bilbo is unsupervised that he learns the most. For example, “somehow the killing of the giant spider, all alone by himself in the dark without the help of the wizard or the dwarves or of anyone else make a great difference to Mr. Baggins. He felt a different person, and much fiercer and bolder” (154). But the use of these lessons only comes into being when he returns to Bag-End. Bilbo finds more joy in food and cheer and song, as Thorin puts it, because of his separation from them, and is now free from the social conformities that had plagued him before because of his newfound identity.

As instructive as supervised learning is, it’s important for children to escape the watchful eye of society and learn for themselves. Bilbo comes back from his adventure a different hobbit, and is more assured of his identity and place in the world because of it.