Imagine reading Harry Potter without Lord Voldemort. What if the Hunger Games didn’t have The Capitol? Without those characters, I’m sure my world would have been in pieces, but why are these villains, also known as shadows, necessary? In The Hobbit, the shadows are significant because they test the hero, they make the story more appealing, and they are used to relay the theme of the story. No matter what, this essential archetype is found in almost any book you read and it is definitely the hidden reason why we all read books.
In the Hobbit, if Bilbo wasn’t tested by the shadows, we would never see any of his flaws or hidden strengths. For example, when Bilbo was forced to face Gollum, I found out that he was very witty and skilled at getting out of tight situations. Additionally, when shadows test the hero, they give the hero and opportunity to grow. Namely, when Bilbo was faced with Gollum and escaped, bravely, by
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The Hobbit uses shadows many times to convey various themes or messages of the story. For example, The Hobbit used Gollum to demonstrate the theme of greed. Tolkien portrayed Gollum as a very lonely monster who had been possessed by greed. He had an overwhelming desire for the ring and he was willing to do anything, even kill, for it. "But now the light in Gollum’s eyes had become a green fire, and it was coming swiftly nearer. Gollum was in his boat again, paddling wildly back to the dark shore; and such a rage of loss and suspicion was in his heart that no sword had any more terror for him." (Tolkien 82). This quote shows how Gollum's character changed when he realized the ring was missing. He had so much greed for the ring that he was so angry when he couldn't find it. Gollum ate things that innocently wandered into his cave and J.R.R Tolkien wanted this “pitiful excuse of a creature” to teach a lesson on what happens if you are