Statement of intent independent study project the hobbit

My topic for this ISP will be focusing on the evolution of the main character, Bilbo Baggins, in the novel, The Hobbit. Bilbo, is given many tests of strength and knowledge, throughout the novel, that help evolve him into the character he becomes at the end of his journey. At the beginning Bilbo Baggins, is nothing more than a quiet simple hobbit, but by the end he is a hobbit with a new found heroism and love for adventure. After reading, The Hobbit, it becomes clear that Bilbo Baggins, makes a large evolution in character as the novel progresses. In this ISP, I will demonstrate that the character Bilbo Baggins, in fact, evolved into a hero throughout the novel. I will try and prove this tentative thesis by using specific examples from the novel where Bilbo shows acts of heroism. I will also go through different stages of Bilbo becoming a hero. In doing this, I hope to show that Bilbo does become a hero. Also I want to show that Bilbo may not be the “ classic” hero, where strength is measured by the might of his sword, but he is a hero in courage, and intelligence, but most importantly his loyalty to his friends. The major points I will consider in this paper are: When Bilbo made the choice to leave his home in The Shire, to go on an adventure to recover treasure with Gandalf and the Dwarfs. When Bilbo finds the courage to rescue the Dwarfs from the spiders and wood elves in Mirkwood. When Bilbo prevents Thorin’s greed and bring peace to all the Dwarfs, Elves and Humans. Bilbo’s decision to return to Hobbiton, even though he has a newfound heroism, and love for adventure, he remains true to himself. Bilbo’s confrontation with Gollum and Smaug. The major challenges I will face when writing my ISP will be ensuring that my essay is clear on topic and the points I use to support it are clearly connected back to the topic. Also, when explaining my supporting points, it will be a challenge to ensure I do not over explain each point, as there is much to say about each, it is important to use only what is needed. Initial List of Works Cited The Hobbit July 4, 2012 Primary Sources: J. R. R. Tolkien. The Hobbit. Hammersmith, London. HarperCollinsPublishers, 1937. Secondary Sources: “ Bilbo Baggins. ” Tolkien-Online. com. 2007. < http://www. tolkien-online. com/bilbo-baggins. html> BookRags Student Essays. “ Bilbo Baggins. “. BookRags Inc. 2012. < http://www. bookrags. com/essay-2005/6/3/122435/5990/> BookRags Student Essays. “ The Maturation of Bilbo Baggins. ” BookRags Inc. 2012 < http://www. bookrags. com/essay-2004/4/3/165639/3532> Hardy, Gene B. CliffsNotes on The Hobbit. 4 Jul 2012 . Joshua McCormick. “ Bilbo Baggins: An Unlikely Hero. ” SlideShare Inc. May 1, 2012. < http://www. slideshare. net/joshuamccormick/eng328-bilbo-baggins-the-unlikely-hero> Kelley Davis. “ Bilbo Baggins — The Hero’s epic Journey. ” HubPages Inc. July 25, 2012. < http://kelitad. hubpages. com/hub/Bilbo-Baggins-The-Heros-Epic-Journey> SparkNotes Editors. “ SparkNote on The Hobbit. ” SparkNotes. com. SparkNotes LLC. 2002. Web. 26 Jun. 2012. ” The Hobbit by JRR Tolkein – Bilbo Baggins.” 123HelpMe. com. 05 Jul 2012 . Wikipedia contributors. ” Bilbo Baggins.” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 3 Jul. 2012. Web. 5 Jul. 2012. < http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Bilbo_Baggins>