In J.R.R Tolkien’s book, the Hobbit, Bilbo Baggins goes on a long, treacherous journey to retrieve the dwarves’ treasure from the dragon, Smaug. Bilbo is terrified to go on this adventure, but is soon persuaded to go. This story is an epic that states all of the steps of a Hero’s Journey. With this being said, the three steps of the Hero’s Journey” are the departure, the initiation, and the return. Through Bilbo’s misadventures, he goes through all of these steps; him and all of his companions learn throughout the journey. The departure includes the hero leaving their comfortable lifestyle to start a quest. “Sorry! I don’t want any adventures, thank you. Not today” (Tolkien 6). Likewise, this represents the hero’s journey by showing his timidness. Bilbo is talked into leaving Hobbiton, but is anxious about leaving during the call to adventure step, the refusal of the call step, and acceptance of the call step. Second, crossing the first threshold, is shown by the group getting captured by trolls and Gandalf tricking them into turning into stone by the sun’s light. This is when Bilbo starts to cross over into his new life. Next, in the supernatural aid step, …show more content…
Bilbo faces yet another fight when a war starts between the five armies; dwarves, men, elves, goblins, and wargs. He stops the war between the allies by keeping the Arkenstone from them. He uses the ring to avoid his capture and saves his crew, except for Thorin who dies during the battle. After Bilbo and his crew escape, they finally return to Hobbiton. “it gave him more sorrow than joy, and he was now weary of his adventure. He was aching in his bones for the homeward journey” (Tolkien 290). This truly represents a step in the Hero’s Journey because he is actually questioning his belonging now. The worries that Bilbo have about not fitting in vanish after he remembers what it is like to be