As before, here are some questions to consider for Thursday's class--but keep your eyes open for any of the themes we discussed in Tuesday's class as well! Anything is fair game!
* In Beowulf, a work which Tolkein not only translated but was highly influenced by, the phrase “wyrd” is often used, which translates to fate or chance. In one significant passage, Beowulf claims, “Wyrd saves oft/the man undoomed if he undaunted be.” How does fate (or luck?) seem to function similarly in The Hobbit? Is this a book where Bilbo is guided by a higher power…or does he make his own luck? How might Tolkien want us to read this?
* The Hobbit is full of poetry and song, from the dwarfs’ songs to the goblins’ ferocious chants to Gollum and Bilbo’s riddles. Why does the narrator (who has a distinct personality) include these unnecessary embellishments in the story? After all, we don’t really need them to understand the plot, and many people just skim over them entirely. Why might he want us to hear the poetry and puzzle over the riddles ourselves?
* Tolkein purposely went back and revised The Hobbit to bring it in line with his evolving mythology and the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Though we can read The Hobbit as a stand-alone work, where do we see foreshadowings and links to the later works in this one? How, for example, do we know the ring isn’t just a magic trinket but a true “ring of power”?
* How does Bilbo live up to his name and pedigree in these chapters and become, in a small way, a hero of legend? What causes him to do this? Is it an accident, like the way Gandalf tricked him into undertaking the Quest, or is it a conscious decision of Bilbo’s? Discuss a scene where you see him renounce his identity as a "burgher" and become a "burglar."
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