1
A Comfortable Life
It’s no surprise that an author would provide the best description of his or her own book. Here is a snippet from J. R. R. Tolkien’s introduction to the original edition of The Hobbit, published in 1937:
If you care for journeys there and back, out of the comfortable Western world, over the edge of the Wild, and home again, and can take an interest in a humble hero (blessed with a little wisdom and a little courage and considerable good luck), here is a record of such a journey and such a traveler.[1]
If we care, indeed! Many millions of us have read about the adventures of Bilbo Baggins from Hobbiton, the Shire—and we have cared. We have laughed with him, grieved with him, fearfully shivered with him, and triumphantly celebrated with him. Such is the power of his story.
And yet, if we’re honest, we have to admit that our first glimpse of the estimable Mr. Baggins reveals a great deal of humble and very little hero.
Bilbo Baggins B.A.
Don’t all good stories begin with a problem to be solved? Right away in chapter 1 of The Hobbit, Tolkien makes it clear that the problem in this tale lies with the titular character: the hobbit Bilbo Baggins.
At first glance, we might think the problem occurs when the respectable Bilbo is hoodwinked into joining a dangerous venture. But we’d be wrong. Or we might think it has to do with his stature: short and pudgy with “little or no magic”[2] is not a strong combination for a protagonist. That’s closer to the mark, but still wrong.
Rather, the main problem Tolkien wants us to see at the beginning of this book lies inside the hobbit. Bilbo Baggins B.A. (Before Adventure) possesses a major character flaw. His highest priorities are comfort and safety, and he displays several vices when those concerns are disturbed or threatened.
For example, when Gandalf first speaks with Bilbo, he mentions that he is looking for someone to share in an adventure. The hobbit is rude in response. He reads his morning letters and pretends nobody else is there, hoping the old man will just go away.
Later, when Gandalf’s intervention compels Bilbo to host an unexpected party for thirteen hungry dwarves, again and again the hobbit demonstrates a glutton’s over-concern with (and over-fondness for) food.
Worst of all, Bilbo Baggins B.A. lacks the virtues of bravery and courage. In other words, he’s a coward. And while this is a cardinal sin in any generation, it’s noted as particularly so in one that has endured one terrible war and teeters on the brink of another.
What’s the Problem?
From a distance, Bilbo’s shortcomings and faults may not seem crucial or perhaps even significant. After all, deep down, lots of people are cowardly. Many of us behave boorishly at times. And who doesn’t ever succumb to over-indulgence? What’s the big deal?
There are at least two reasons these sentiments don’t apply to this hobbit.
A HEROIC HOBBIT
The first reason for highlighting these flaws is that Bilbo was created to be so much more than a cravenly self-centered, safety-obsessed coward. In fact, Bilbo Baggins was designed to be a hero.
Tolkien clearly points us in this direction during the events of the unexpected party in chapter 1. Initially, the hobbit’s attitude and reactions are normal enough. He’s confused, frustrated, and annoyed as a throng of uninvited guests are taking advantage of him. We sympathize with his predicament.
But when the dwarves begin to sing about the deeds and treasures of their ancient ancestors, we see a different side of Bilbo. He wants to see mountains, and trees, and waterfalls and “wear a sword instead of a walking stick”[3]
In this key moment, larger forces are at work around Bilbo. He begins catching hold of visions and notions bigger than and beyond himself—themes outside his cozy and isolated existence. A small, struggling seed of courage does exist in the hobbit’s heart, awaiting opportunity to sprout and grow.
Furthermore, Tolkien wants us to see that these desires have always been inside Bilbo. They were not planted by the dwarves’ song; rather, they were stirred and roused. There is a dozing, undernourished conqueror inside this pudgy little frame—one he doesn’t even recognize.
However, this flash of awakening doesn’t last long. The wood-fire Bilbo “sees” in the distance reminds him of dragons, which reminds him of danger. And in the face of even imagined peril, he wilts. He would have fled down to cringe behind the beer barrels in his cellar if Gandalf and the dwarves hadn’t stopped him.
To make sure we don’t overlook the import of Bilbo’s constitutional weakness, Tolkien records an even more cowardly (and hilarious) episode soon thereafter. When Thorin implies that members of the company might be killed during the expedition, something snaps inside the hobbit. He shrieks and kneels on the floor, shaking like a bowl of jelly. Then he falls on his back, repeatedly calls out gibberish, and refuses to say anything else for a long time.
It’s a wretched, pathetic display for a would-be champion.
A COMING CONFLICT
There’s another reason for emphasizing the fat in Bilbo’s moral fiber: He’s about to be drafted into a conflict that’s been raging for thousands of years. He will not stay detached from the ultimate struggle between good and evil.
This war has been spurred on by the valiant deeds and sacrifices of elves and men, Valar and Maiar, since the world’s creation. Now, at this time things are rushing toward a climax. The Shadow is rapidly amassing advantage and gaining strength; the forces of good are scattered and thin. In order for good finally to triumph, something unexpected must happen.
As it happens, Bilbo has much to do with this something unexpected—although not even Gandalf fully understands this when he selects Bilbo to be the Burglar for the mission of Thorin and Company. The hobbit will play a vital role in events that will culminate in The Lord of the Rings. He is destined to find the One Ring and pave the way for its destruction. To do his part, he must overcome his flaws and embrace the hero he was created to be.
To come full circle, then, what are we to make of the “humble hero” at the beginning of his book? Bilbo Baggins is not a bad person—not someone to be disliked, definitely not to be or ignored or shunned. Rather, he is pointedly unfinished. He is both the hero of the story and not yet heroic.
Fortunately, things began to change for Bilbo because of three life-altering words: “Gandalf came by.”[4]
Speaking of Gandalf, there’s another question to address concerning The Hobbit’s beginning. It’s one most people are curious about when they start the story, although some think it’s not supposed to be asked (or answered).
Namely, why would anyone—especially a wizard who seems to know what he’s doing—choose Bilbo to participate in a dangerous quest?
Two observations will help us find the answer: (1) Gandalf specifically selected Bilbo, and (2) he made this choice based on outside information regarding the hobbit’s inner character.
First, as the wizard affirms and confirms several times, starting here, he didn’t run into Bilbo by accident; he intentionally chose Bilbo to join the venture. When they harp on his apparent lack of qualifications, Gandalf remains firm to the point of stern—daring the dwarves to accuse him of finding the “wrong man” and proposing that he leave the venture altogether if they don’t like his choice.
What’s more, soon thereafter he makes an intriguing declaration that there is more to him than you’d expect; more, even, than he’s aware of himself.[5]
The message is plain: Gandalf was neither flippant nor foolish in tapping Bilbo for his task, and he had in no wise sought to hazard a fortunate guess. The wizard wanted Bilbo Baggins and only Bilbo Baggins. Gandalf knew that something inside Bilbo made him vital to the expedition’s success—something of which even Bilbo himself wasn’t yet aware.
Second, then: Gandalf was in possession of outside information.
Gandalf is a representative of Ilúvatar, divine Creator of Middle-earth. As such, he was present when Ilúvatar revealed a vision of what would happen in the world. And so he maintains a limited knowledge of future events, which is how he understood what the hobbit was really made of.
This necessarily impacts the way we view Bilbo’s participation in the realm’s larger events. He was not drafted by chance or by mistake into the battle between good and evil; rather, his inclusion was the result of a divine call. Before Ilúvatar shaped creation, he knew what would unfold there. Bilbo Baggins was formed in a specific way in order to accomplish a specific task, and in chapter 1 we see him being summoned to carry it out.
The same is true for us.
In his letter to the church at Ephesus, Paul begins by notifying the believers that their status as followers of Christ was not an accident or a turn of good luck but was divinely ordained:
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will.
Ephesians 1:3–5
We too are chosen with a preordained plan. Later Paul reminds them that they were not called to sit by in idle comfort and self-preserving safety; they were chosen so that one day they could stand and fight:
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.
In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
Ephesians 6:10–17
In The Hobbit, Bilbo does stand and fight when the chips are down. In fact, he even picks up a few such weapons along the way. But his abilities and his courage take some time and some learning to develop.
Moral and Spiritual Growth
We’ve seen that The Hobbit was written with a strong theological basis. It is very much a Christian book because Tolkien was very much a Christian author. As you read it, one of the best places to see this foundation at work is within the theme of moral and spiritual growth.
One core concept of Christian doctrine is that human beings are born with a fatal flaw—something that’s broken in the core of our beings must be fixed before we can become the people God created us to be. This defect is often defined as “sin” or our “sinful nature.”
God is the one who ultimately fixes us, of course, and He does so in a dramatic way. Because of Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection, we have the opportunity to be reborn. That is, we can be remade in such a way that our sin no longer prevents us from becoming who God intended.
Then, once the flaw has been removed, the rest of our lives become a journey of becoming our true selves—a process often referred to as “spiritual growth.” The apostle Paul summarizes it this way:
You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.
Ephesians 4:22–24
Here’s the point: Tolkien intentionally built all of these ideas (and more) into the background and story of The Hobbit.
The affliction of Bilbo Baggins B.A. by his own flaw—that is, his incompleteness—results in the absence of certain virtues and the presence of certain vices. Throughout the rest of the story, Tolkien presents the hobbit with a series of opportunities to overcome that flaw and take another step toward becoming the hero he was created to be.
As we’ll see in chapter 19, Bilbo’s willingness to take advantage of these chances allows him in due course to shed his “old self” and “put on the new self.” In other words, he becomes a new creation. He is born again.
Interestingly, Bilbo’s opportunities for growth almost always involve some kind of hardship, another connection between The Hobbit and Christian doctrine. Scripture clarifies several times that believers often experience the most spiritual growth amid difficult circumstances. For example:
Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
James 1:2–4
It’s also important to note that Tolkien extends this pattern beyond Bilbo. Several characters are given opportunities for moral development. Some take advantage; others do not. Either way, their choices—and the spoils, or the consequences—are instructive.
Keeping this in mind, let’s explore the beginning of Bilbo’s journey toward maturity—and a few trolls along the way.