Riddles are a major component in The Hobbit. Gollum and Bilbo have their riddle contest and because Bilbo wins, he escapes from Gollum's lake alive. This is probably a good thing since the dwarves would've died many times without him. The riddle of the moon-letters hinders the plot a little, but it adds a sense of mystery to the story. When Bilbo came upon the mountain and visited Smaug, he introduced himself in riddles so that Smaug would not know who he was. This was a smart thing for Bilbo to do and I enjoyed figuring out how the riddles applied to his