Introduction
Perhaps even before Greeks writing scrolls of the poetic epics, the expedition of the hero which is popularly known currently as The Hero's Journey, or as it is termed as "monomyth" by Joseph Campbell has been an influential configuration for the plotline for protagonists. The expedition of the hero when shedding to its central part is a significant outline that can currently be perceived in several narratives all over the world. Although there has been a thorough discussion of the topic in the past years, none of them have looked into the subject as deeply as Joseph Campbell. The Hero with a Thousand Faces which is his work considers texts from different regions and periods where this popular cycle is widespread (Lee, 45).
The focus of this examination will be Tolkien's the Hobbit even though the protagonists from most of the tales follow this cycle and it will be based on Aristotle’s elements. Campbell states in The Hero with a Thousand Faces that the Superman changes out of his globe of the commodity into the borders that are in most cases supernatural and not familiar. They experience extraordinary forces, became successful in odd-defying forces along the journey and go back to his initial place entirely metamorphosized.
Departure: Bilbo's Journey Begins
On the other hand, before looking into how strongly Bilbo Baggins pass down Campbellian path of the champion, it is essential to know the complicated and different divisions of the sequence itself. Seventeen segments are featured in the Campbell’s journey. These segments are grouped into various sections departure, return, and initiation. Comprehensive depth analysis of The Hero's Journey in The Hobbit, the "Departure" point of Bilbo's trip will be looked into.
The Normal Life of Bilbo Baggins
The hero is not already a hero is seen during the departure enjoying a happy life in an ordinary setting in which the sole thing he has fear on, fundamentally, is what time in the period in the morning the manuscript will be placed in their entrance. All the things concerning meeting with a hero who is potential stresses the normality. Nothing is unique concerning this character, and there is no suspicion that this personality has even a minute bit of moxie. The reader meets with Bilbo Baggins in The Hobbit, a fifty-year hobbit enjoying a simple life comforts. This includes burning of Old Toby out of his porch, consumption of ales, as well as eating of food. There is nothing concerning previous meeting reader with Bilbo indicates that he contains essential heroic features at all.
The Call to Adventure
Stage one involves a call to adventure. This is the time in which the “destiny” calls the Superman from the limits of his residence that is friendly to the strange, and always risky borders way from the world. In this area, there is always treasure even though the same treasure will always be represented symbolically. That far place which is unfamiliar in The Hobbit is Erebor. This was a previous throttlehold of the grandfather of Thrain who name was Thorin Oakenshield. A valuable blade coveting dragon Smaug at this area is at this moment alarming through every treasure that dwarves once ensured they are close closed. The fate approaches commanding Bilbo in the appearance of stoop-shouldered, gray-shrouded wizard known as Gandalf (Lee 72). Gandalf tries to convince Bilbo out of his quiet and quaint hobbit-opening to assume the responsibility of robber in the company of Thorin.
The Refusal of the Call
The call has been given in the second stage, and there has been declination of the future of the hero. There are always different explanations that the brave man declines. The most common perhaps is the fear. Going out of his ordinary place to undertaking into the globe which is unknown is both threatening and perplexing, and in most scenarios, the central character has by no means had a chance to decide on this extent. Another big issue is insecurity. The hero is neither strong nor big enough for the task. He may be abandoning a sort of responsibility back. This can be either line of work or anything easy that they have ensured a responsibility over an extended period. Initially, Bilbo Baggins needs not anything concerning the quest of dwarves and Gandalf. Half of Begin's makeup would like nothing apart from to stay in the Shire. However, his more exploratory side is intrigued uncertainly by the stories of battles, elves, treasures, dragons and therefore, upon the dawn of the departure of the company, Bilbo at the end decides to join them.
The Helper: Gandalf and the Talismans
The hero in the third stage heeds to the request and is by now dedicated to his mission. It is now the moment of helper, mentor, guide, or aide to make himself recognized. In most cases, the origin of this personality is paranormal, whether he or she is goddess or god (for instance The Odyssey), spirit (that is Hamlet), or a number of other individuals that are having features that are extraordinary. The future for the hero will also be provided by this character with some item that will at the end perform a key primary in his mission.
It is not hard to conclude that the supernatural aid of Bilbo is Gandalf. He is the sole paranormal being to be mentioned in the narrative in Hobbit. Specifically, one of the supernatural guides of Bilbo is Gandalf, but it is not clear whether he is the single one. As Gandalf has proven beyond any reasonable doubt to be the most supernatural mentor of Frodo Lord of the Rings, lounging him out on his expedition to Mordor and passing on a ring to him, Gandalf just requests his uncle to go with him as well as the dwarves. Bilbo could not have turn out to be a hero without Gandalf. However, there are the rest that best fit the role of the mystical guide apart from Gandalf.
The talisman concept is the most interesting thing concerning this stage on the journey of the hero. In The Lord of the Rings, the one ring is given to Frodo by Gandalf. A new hope gives Luke Skywalker with the lightsaber of his father. This latter assisted him to face up to Darth Vadar. Dumbledore gives Harry the Invisibility Cloak that acted as prove of the tool that is the most invaluable all through the series. What remains knows what was provided to Bilbo by Gandalf in The Hobbit. Bilbo gets to his aid in various ways (Lee, 23). There are specifically some significant talismans in the whole narrative, the initial one being the term Sting of Bilbo. He found it left in the troll-cave following outsmarting of three trolls into remaining past the break of day. Bilbo was alerted to the presence of the enemy by Sting. Without any doubt, the One Ring is the most significant talisman in the narrative. Bilbo found the One Ring on his individual doing in the burrow of Gollum. Bilbo carries it for himself and discovers it assists him to run away from the liar of Gollum and as well the domain of the king of Golbin as it ensures that he is not seen. Bilbo had no familiarity that this is for real the ring of the Dark Lord Sauron.
The Crossing of the Threshold
Stage four of the tale is the initial threshold. The "known" get left behind at this moment of the tale and the charter ventures into (at least him) the "unknown." The adventure of the hero is initiated by the crossing of the initial threshold. From this point, the hero will be put into often dangerous and unfamiliar situations and settings.
Some few heroes who are famous have gone through their initial threshold. Among them is Luke Skywalker and he goes from Tatooine for the first time. Another one is Frodo Baggins who together with Sam, Pippin, and Marry gets themselves in the territory not familiar to them as they go out of Shire towards the rural community of Bree.
The initial threshold of his expedition was crossed by Bilbo Baggins at the time when he and Gandalf met the dwarves in the Bywater Inn. The dwarves at this place are expecting Bilbo as well as Gandalf to be with them so that they can start the journey. Some few but suggestive things occurred in this part of that brought about the consideration that this is the point threshold in the adventure of Bilbo passed. This section of the hero’s journey as stated earlier is concerning changing to the unknown from the well-known. For a number of reasons, Bilbo is brooding. The first reason is that he is disappointed since he is yet to take his subsequent breakfast. The second one is that he is upset at having gone behind the handkerchief he preferred most. And lastly, he discovers that he did not remember to make proactive arrangements for the period he is absent. These are the three major unique daily activities that Bilbo (if not entire hobbits) are used to. It is suggested Bilbo having not been in a position to complete each of these customs that, even prior to moving out of Shire entirely, he is certainly going into the boundaries that are not known to him, psychologically if not geologically.
Conclusion
At the fifth phase, everything that the conqueror is well-known with is not there anymore. This stage is termed as the belly of the whale. His change or not the hero is aware of has already started. In The Hobbit, one specific scene that symbolizes this stage explicitly in the hero’s journey is the time when Bilbo manages to flee from the huge spider as shown in part eight. To some extent, the destruction of this big spider, by his own in the presence of the darkness resulted in a very big difference to Bilbo. He became a special individual, bolder and force despite having not eaten, as he cleaned his blade on the lawn and returned it into the sheath. This is a very significant turning point of the narrative. This is so far the first adversary that Bilbo has defeated, and this gives him more hope and determination at this particular point. At the metamorphosis of Bilbo, this is a significant junction as a hero. Bilbo starts to take the initiative as well as taking the best interest of the company into consideration instead of his individual preferences. He further entirely ignores his lack of food at this scene. For Bilbo, this is a significant step in his journey towards removing his initial skin. Also, this is the point at which Sting obtains its name. Usually, according to the classic epics, giving the name the sword is a suggestion which its wielder has taken over the responsibility of the hero. Even though the journey is yet to be completed by Bilbo, it is turning apparent at this particular moment that he is moving more nearer to his claim to the heroism.
The hero has now become the master of both worlds, i.e., inner and outer as well as the known and the unknown after passing through all the trials of the hero’s journey. The hero passes liberally over the threshold and interacts with both worlds. Return threshold is one of the significant challenges that the heroes face during the return journey. As the heroes died a symbolic death when they go through the initial threshold, therefore they are reborn symbolically when they are crossing the return threshold. The hero, in the end, overcomes all the challenges.
Works Cited
Hynes, Gerard. "J.R.R. Tolkien: The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings ed. by Peter Hunt." Tolkien Studies, vol. 11, no. 1, 2014, pp. 241-247.
Lee, Stuart D. A Companion to J.r.r. Tolkien. 2014.
