Archetypes Related to The Hobbit
In Thomas C. Foster’s How to Read Literature Like a Professor, many different archetypes and literary codes are discussed. Examples of these archetypes that apply to J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit include a hero’s quest, the act of communion, and a descent into the underworld. Understanding how these different archetypes apply to literature, whether it’s the casual reader or an English professor, can greatly enhance the reading experience.
One archetype mentioned by Foster that applies to The Hobbit is a hero’s quest. Foster states that, “The quest consists of five things: (a) a quester, (b), a place to go, (c) a stated reason to go there, (d) challenges and trials en route, and (e), a real reason to go there.” …show more content…
In How to Read Literature Like a Professor, Foster says that “…whenever people eat or drink together, it’s communion.” The dinner scene at the beginning of The Hobbit is an act of communion because the dwarves and Gandalf are eating and drinking together. Another point that Foster makes is that there must be a reason for including a dinner scene and that “that reason has to do with how characters are getting along. Or not getting along.” In this instance, it would have to do with how characters are not getting along because Bilbo’s mindset that everything must be planned and adventurous or exotic activities are undesirable clashes with the spontaneous, adventurous mindset of the dwarves so that the reader can have a clearer interpretation of Bilbo’s mindset right before the journey. For example, as the dwarves began to enter Bilbo’s house his demeanor completely changes from being a calm host to a very stressed an irritated individual. There was one instance in The Hobbit where a dwarf implied that more dwarves were arriving and Bilbo thought to himself, “It was not the correct thing to say, but they have begun to arrive had flustered him badly.” Additionally, throughout the scene Tolkien uses words such as angry, bewuthered, and bewildered to describe Bilbo’s mood as he was continuously greeting new arrivals while making sure the other guests had their needs met and addressing loud knocks on the door. Tolkien also says that Bilbo, “was beginning to wonder whether a most wretched adventure had not come right into his house.” The chaotic atmosphere ultimately puts Bilbo on edge and shows just how much he differs from the
In Thomas C. Foster’s How to Read Literature Like a Professor, many different archetypes and literary codes are discussed. Examples of these archetypes that apply to J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit include a hero’s quest, the act of communion, and a descent into the underworld. Understanding how these different archetypes apply to literature, whether it’s the casual reader or an English professor, can greatly enhance the reading experience.
One archetype mentioned by Foster that applies to The Hobbit is a hero’s quest. Foster states that, “The quest consists of five things: (a) a quester, (b), a place to go, (c) a stated reason to go there, (d) challenges and trials en route, and (e), a real reason to go there.” …show more content…
In How to Read Literature Like a Professor, Foster says that “…whenever people eat or drink together, it’s communion.” The dinner scene at the beginning of The Hobbit is an act of communion because the dwarves and Gandalf are eating and drinking together. Another point that Foster makes is that there must be a reason for including a dinner scene and that “that reason has to do with how characters are getting along. Or not getting along.” In this instance, it would have to do with how characters are not getting along because Bilbo’s mindset that everything must be planned and adventurous or exotic activities are undesirable clashes with the spontaneous, adventurous mindset of the dwarves so that the reader can have a clearer interpretation of Bilbo’s mindset right before the journey. For example, as the dwarves began to enter Bilbo’s house his demeanor completely changes from being a calm host to a very stressed an irritated individual. There was one instance in The Hobbit where a dwarf implied that more dwarves were arriving and Bilbo thought to himself, “It was not the correct thing to say, but they have begun to arrive had flustered him badly.” Additionally, throughout the scene Tolkien uses words such as angry, bewuthered, and bewildered to describe Bilbo’s mood as he was continuously greeting new arrivals while making sure the other guests had their needs met and addressing loud knocks on the door. Tolkien also says that Bilbo, “was beginning to wonder whether a most wretched adventure had not come right into his house.” The chaotic atmosphere ultimately puts Bilbo on edge and shows just how much he differs from the