Prateeksha

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J. R. R Tolkien

John Ronald Reuel Tolkien was an English

writer, poet, philologist, and university
professor, best known as the author of the
classic high fantasy works The Hobbit,
The Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion.
Tolkien never expected his stories to
become popular, but by sheer accident, The
Hobbit , which he had written some years
before for his own children, came in 1936 to
the attention of Susan Dagnall, an
employee of the London publishing firm
George Allen & Unwin, who persuaded
Tolkien to submit it for publication.[84]
However, the book attracted adult readers
as well as children, and it became popular
enough for the publishers to ask Tolkien to
produce a sequel.

Characters

Bilbo Baggins - The hero of the story. Bilbo

is a hobbit, a short, human-like person.

He leads a quiet life in his comfortable hole at

Bag End and, like most hobbits, is content to
stay at home.

Gandalf - A wise old

wizard who always seems
to know more than he
reveals. Gandalf has a
vast command of magic
and tends to show up at
just the moment he is
needed most.

Thorin Oakenshield - A dwarf who

leads his fellow dwarves on a trip to the
Lonely Mountain to reclaim their
treasure from Smaug.
Thorin is a proud, purposeful, and
sturdy warrior, bit stubborn at times.

Thorin and
Company

Thorin and Company were a group of

thirteen dwarves including Gandalf and Bilbo
Baggins led by Thorin Oakenshield.
Their main purpose was to regain the lost
Dwarven kingdom of the LonelyMountain
(Erebor) from theDragon Smaug.

Gollum - A strange, small,

slimy creature who lives
deep in the caves of Moria
beneath the Misty
Mountains. There, Gollum
broods over his precious,
a magic ring, until he
accidentally loses it and
Bilbo finds it..

Smaug - The great dragon who

lives in the Lonely Mountain.
Years ago, Smaug heard of the
treasure that the dwarves had
amassed in the mountain under
Thrors reign, and he drove them
away to claim the gold for himself.
His flaming breath can scorch a
city, his huge wings can carry him
great distances, and his armorlike
hide is almost impenetrable.
Smaug can speak and possesses
a dark, sardonic sense of humor.

Plot Summary

The Kingdom of Erebor in the Lonely Mountain was taken

from the dwarfs by the evil dragon Smaug.
One day, the young Hobbit Bilbo Baggins is unexpectedly
visited by the wizard Gandalf the Grey and twelve homeless
dwarfs led by their former king Thorin and decided to
vanquish Smaug and recover Erebor and their treasure.
Bilbo joins the company in an unexpected journey through
dangerous lands of the Middle-Earth where they have to
fight against Trolls, Orcs and other magic creatures.

LESSONS FROM THE

HOBBIT

#1 ACT OF COURAGE ARE MADE OF LITTLE

ACTS AND DECISION
Courage is having fear but act nevertheless.
An act of courage are different for everyone. For
Bilbo, crossing the barrier of The Shire is an act of
courage. Stepping into the unknown territory beyond
comfort of his life of good food and simple pleasures.

#2 WE ARE MORE THAN WHAT WE

THOUGHT WE WERE
When Bilbo was first called for an adventure, he
turned it down. He didnt think that he has the
courage to go on the journey. It is only through
experience that your true courage will show up.

#3 BE PRESENT. FORGIVE
Thorin refused to take refuge with the elves at
Rivendell because he still have not forgiven the
elves from the past. Gandalf reminded Thorin
that it happened in the past and he is a different
person and can choose differently now.

# 5 BE COMPASSIONATE TO BOTH ENEMIES

AND ALLIES
Bilbo Baggins: I have I have never used a
sword in my life.
Gandalf: And I hope you never have to. But if you
do, remember this: true courage is about knowing
not when to take a life, but when to spare one.

Bilbo could have easily killed Gollum in a stroke of

his arm. But, he didnt.
What changed his mind? A drop of tear running
down on Gollums face.
It is the compassion he felt. We must realise that
each of us are dealing with our own demons. What
others has done, to us is not personal.

REASONS TO READ THE HOBBIT

To experience the beauty of

language.

Tolkiens powers of description

are unmatched. Travelling
approximately a years journey
across many different lands,
one is able to easily visualize
every change in scenery.