Author AuthorJ.R.R. Tolkien Born in 1892 in South Africa Had a deep interest in languages and even started to develop his own as a boy This language would serve as the basis for his imagined world, Middle-Earth

Author AuthorTolkien was a professor at Oxford and also served during World War I During his years at Oxford he developed a close friendship with C.S. Lewis, author of The Chronicles of Narnia His The Lord of the Rings Trilogy cemented his place as a famed writer in both England and America

General Information The Hobbit was Tolkien’s first published work Its success generated an audience for Tolkien that consisted of both adults and children

General Information The work is at a glance a simple adventure story, but also is painstakingly developed in its descriptions Tolkien’s Middle-Earth is a world with it own wizards, monsters, mythology and language!

Literary Focus Publication: 1937 Genre: Fantasy Setting: Middle-Earth Narration: Omniscient Third Person. The anonymous narrator is playful and humorous. He tends to speak in a comic voice with frequent asides and humorous descriptions of the characters.

Literary Focus Tone: The narrator’s tone is light and casual, often aided by jokes and funny observations about events and characters Foreshadowing: Gandolf’s insistence that there is more to Bilbo than meets the eye points to Bilbo’s ability to become more than just an ordinary Hobbit

Literary Focus ThemesGood vs. Evil Bilbo’s heroism Race Relations Lineage The Epic Quest Obsession and Compulsion

Summary and Plot Overview Bilbo Baggins lives a quiet, peaceful life in his comfortable hole at Bag End He is a member of a race of small, plump people about half the size of humans, with furry toes and a great love of good food and drink called Hobbits Bilbo’s life is turn upside down when he recruited on a quest by the great wizard, Gandalf

Summary and Plot Overview The quest is not an easy one: he must help some dwarves reclaim a treasure taken by a mighty dragon named Smaug Bilbo’s role is to be that of a burglar Although both Bilbo and his dwarf companions see him as having little value, he proves himself throughout their adventures

Summary and Plot Overview During Bilbo’s quest he encounters trolls, goblins, wargs, an evil creature called Gollum, and a great dragon named Smaug Bilbo also procures several important and magical weapons: a strange golden ring and sword chief among them

Character Analysis Bilbo Baggins - is a hobbit, “a short, human- like person.” Bilbo leads a quiet life in his comfortable hole at Bag End and, like most hobbits, is content to stay at home. Bilbo’s adventures, however, show there is much more to him than meets the eye.

Character Analysis Gandalf - has a vast command of magic He seemingly watches over Bilbo and the dwarves, appearing at the right moments to help the quest He is wise and seemingly has little interest in the treasures that consume many of the characters in the novel

Character Analysis Thorin Oakenshield - A dwarf who leads his fellow dwarves on a trip to the Lonely Mountain to reclaim their treasure from Smaug. Thorin is a proud, purposeful, and sturdy warrior, if a bit stubborn at times.

Character Analysis Dark Lord Sauron - An evil sorcerer and creator of the magic ring. Gollum - Creature who lives deep in the caves of Moria brooding over his “precious,” a magic ring Smaug - The great dragon who lives in the Lonely Mountain.