Chapter 1 An Unexpected Party - Reading Group: The Hobbit

Chapter 1 An Unexpected Party - Reading Group: The Hobbit https://community.narniaweb.com/community/reading-group-the-hobbit/chapter-1-an-unexpected-party/ NarniaWeb Forum Discussion Board en-US Sat, 18 Apr 2026 00:55:40 +0000 wpForo 60 Re: Chapter 1 An Unexpected Party https://community.narniaweb.com/community/reading-group-the-hobbit/chapter-1-an-unexpected-party/paged/2/#post-248830 Thu, 01 Aug 2013 00:03:13 +0000 Reading Group: The Hobbit coracle https://community.narniaweb.com/community/reading-group-the-hobbit/chapter-1-an-unexpected-party/paged/2/#post-248830 Re: Chapter 1 An Unexpected Party https://community.narniaweb.com/community/reading-group-the-hobbit/chapter-1-an-unexpected-party/paged/2/#post-248669 Tue, 30 Jul 2013 19:41:37 +0000

2. What do you think about the idea that a person/character can have two sides (Baggins vs. Took)?

2. One of my favorite things in the Hobbit is Bilbo's constant going back and forth about liking the adventure and then disliking it. I can relate to Bilbo wanting to be adventurous and Brave (his Tookish side), but the next moment being unsure or cautions (his Baggins side). It makes him so human, doesn't it? He's not an obvious hero who always rushes into adventure and saves the day on a regular basis, relishing the excitement. He does sometimes save the day. And he enjoys it. And he sometimes even enjoys the adventure, the excitement, the feeling of being in the middle of where things happen. But then he's had enough for a while, especially when things aren't going so well - and he wishes he was back in his Hobbit-hole, with his food and his pipe and his peaceful life. I can relate to that, too - a suitable portion of adventure, and then the solid basis of peacefulness and calm, domestic bliss and time to enjoy the simple pleasures of life, an unhurried meal and some good reading afterwards.]]> Reading Group: The Hobbit Varnafinde https://community.narniaweb.com/community/reading-group-the-hobbit/chapter-1-an-unexpected-party/paged/2/#post-248669 Re: Chapter 1 An Unexpected Party https://community.narniaweb.com/community/reading-group-the-hobbit/chapter-1-an-unexpected-party/paged/2/#post-245297 Wed, 10 Jul 2013 05:14:52 +0000 Reading Group: The Hobbit Varnafinde https://community.narniaweb.com/community/reading-group-the-hobbit/chapter-1-an-unexpected-party/paged/2/#post-245297 Re: Chapter 1 An Unexpected Party https://community.narniaweb.com/community/reading-group-the-hobbit/chapter-1-an-unexpected-party/#post-243556 Wed, 03 Jul 2013 15:11:22 +0000 3. Tolkien seems to make it fairly clear that respectability was not dependent upon wealth, emphasizing Baggins vs. Took as a representation of this concept. What do you think contributed to respectability? How could a hobbit or hobbit family earn (or lose) respect? In order to be respectable, it seems hobbits should not go on adventures or get in to mischief. Going on adventures is like getting into mischief. Instead, they should keep to themselves and not get into trouble. 5. Why do you think Bilbo put "on his business manner (usually reserved for people who tried to borrow money off him)" when talking with Thorin about burglary? What did he gain by doing so? It was for the purpose acting like he really was a burglar like Gandalf said. This is his serious tone and it shows maybe he believes that Gandalf trusts him so should everyone else. 6. Tolkien is said to have disapproved of Lewis' practice of incorporating a mix of mythological creatures and concepts into his work, yet Gandalf states that "Let anyone say I chose the wrong man or the wrong house, and you can stop at thirteen and have all the bad luck you like". Why do you think Tolkien chose to incorporate the traditional concept of 13 as an unlucky number? What does this say about both Gandalf and the dwarves? This kind of leads to the idea that Gandalf is trying to get across to the dwarves, that Bilbo is their secret weapon. He not only makes them not an unlucky number which they would not want especially because of the adventure they are going on but also he can actually do things they cannot. This may even give some more crediblity to Bilbo.]]> Reading Group: The Hobbit Eustace https://community.narniaweb.com/community/reading-group-the-hobbit/chapter-1-an-unexpected-party/#post-243556 Re: Chapter 1 An Unexpected Party https://community.narniaweb.com/community/reading-group-the-hobbit/chapter-1-an-unexpected-party/#post-242834 Tue, 02 Jul 2013 00:47:43 +0000 2. What do you think about the idea that a person/character can have two sides (Baggins vs. Took)? 2. One of my favorite things in the Hobbit is Bilbo's constant going back and forth about liking the adventure and then disliking it. I can relate to Bilbo wanting to be adventurous and Brave (his Tookish side), but the next moment being unsure or cautions (his Baggins side).]]> Reading Group: The Hobbit 7chronicles https://community.narniaweb.com/community/reading-group-the-hobbit/chapter-1-an-unexpected-party/#post-242834 Re: Chapter 1 An Unexpected Party https://community.narniaweb.com/community/reading-group-the-hobbit/chapter-1-an-unexpected-party/#post-225815 Sat, 06 Oct 2012 19:30:29 +0000 The Fellowship of the Ring in theaters I made a conscious decision not to read The Lord of the Rings, or at least not all of it, until the movie trilogy was complete. I knew then, as we all know now, that if you read a book before you watch the movie, you are never entirely happy with the movie. Thus, while waiting for Peter Jackson to tell me what happened to Frodo and Sam, I decided to direct my literary interests to The Hobbit in order to learn more about the peoples and places of Middle-earth. To this day, of all of Tolkien's works, I have only read The Hobbit and The Fellowship of the Ring (a situation I hope to soon remedy), but as I read The Hobbit for a third time, I hope I have some helpful comments to add to the discussion.

2. What do you think about the idea that a person/character can have two sides (Baggins vs. Took)?

I think that in context, one might attribute Bilbo's two sides to his upbringing. I would assume, until any further evidence shows up, that Bilbo had a mother and a father who raised him through his childhood. I think the "Tookish" parts of Bilbo were simply the characteristics of his mother that rubbed off on him and the "Baggins" part of him was the part of his personality that he learned from his father. Children do tend to imitate their parents. Who hasn't had a parent who has accused them of being "just like" the other parent?

4. What do you think of the characters so far?

I don't like Thorin much in this chapter. But he is a king. I think we are meant not to like Thorin much yet. The rift between Bilbo and Thorin seems to be part of a story arch, since the relationship between the two certainly develops as the adventure continues.

5. Why do you think Bilbo put "on his business manner (usually reserved for people who tried to borrow money off him)" when talking with Thorin about burglary? What did he gain by doing so?

I think Bilbo was simply tired of being taken advantage of all evening and finally took a stance against the gale. He is not going to do anything without having things explained to him first.

6. Tolkien is said to have disapproved of Lewis' practice of incorporating a mix of mythological creatures and concepts into his work...

The key word in your statement is "mix". I don't think Tolkien was against including mythological concepts in a story. Tolkien's criticism of Narnia, as I understand it, was that Lewis mixed so many different creatures from different cultures, with no apparent reasoning behind it. But as I see it, Tolkien was writing a myth about pre-Britain culture, and since unlucky number 13 seems to be a publicly known superstition in the English-speaking world, Tolkien seemed it was fair game for inclusion in his story, -pretending that we got our superstition from our supposed Middle-earthian heritage.

...they both have somewhat reclusive/domestic 'heroes' who suddenly go out into the world and have all sorts of adventures, though Bilbo's are on a far larger scale than the Mole's.

Pun intended? ;))

]]> Reading Group: The Hobbit Movie Aristotle https://community.narniaweb.com/community/reading-group-the-hobbit/chapter-1-an-unexpected-party/#post-225815 Re: Chapter 1 An Unexpected Party https://community.narniaweb.com/community/reading-group-the-hobbit/chapter-1-an-unexpected-party/#post-225228 Sat, 29 Sep 2012 15:48:19 +0000 Baggins/Took sides. I know I am a bit like that, one part happy to sit at home and read, watch TV/DVDs, chat on the phone and surf the internet, and maybe go for gentle walks. But there is another side that enjoys fun, adventure, creativity, performance, and travel. Respectable Baggins family members would be pillars of society, living quietly and in the same old pattern as their neighbours, helping others, dressing and eating the same way as everyone else. The characters: Bilbo is just an average middle class single chap of Tolkien's sort, quieter living and not wanting to be bothered, but who knows his manners. In some ways he's a bit old-womanish! (Really needs shaking up I think). Gandalf is an enigma - very story book, not a lot of background to him, but clearly the author is impressed with him so we trust him with our hero. Dwarves: a somewhat hairy, coloured-hooded, hungry flash-mob? They are already a group, already have a common purpose, but we don't quite know whether to like and trust them. We hope so for Bilbo's sake, as we are getting rather protective of this quiet stay-at-home little fellow.]]> Reading Group: The Hobbit coracle https://community.narniaweb.com/community/reading-group-the-hobbit/chapter-1-an-unexpected-party/#post-225228 Re: Chapter 1 An Unexpected Party https://community.narniaweb.com/community/reading-group-the-hobbit/chapter-1-an-unexpected-party/#post-225127 Fri, 28 Sep 2012 10:13:01 +0000 1. Tolkien wrote, “the Tooks were not as respectable as the Bagginses, though they were undoubtedly richer.” In the next paragraph, he wrote “Bungo, that was Bilbo’s father, built the most luxurious hobbit-hole for her her (and partly with her money) that was to be found either under The Hill or over The Hill or across The Water…” Why do you think Tolkien references money twice so close together? I think he might have been suggesting that the Tooks were richer because they were more likely to take risks (due to their adventurous nature). I'm not sure how the economy of the Hobbits works, but the Bagginses seem like they would be steady businessmen taking a prosperous but safe routes to wealth. The Tooks would be more likely to speculate and try risky business deals. 2. What do you think about the idea that a person/character can have two sides (Baggins vs. Took)? I think it is a valid idea. I know I've argued with myself on matters before. I'm not sure if it is as hereditary as is implied in Bilbo's case. 3. Tolkien seems to make it fairly clear that respectability was not dependent upon wealth, emphasizing Baggins vs. Took as a representation of this concept. What do you think contributed to respectability? How could a hobbit or hobbit family earn (or lose) respect? They needed to be the average hobbit and not want to go on any adventures. They would need to want to stick around home. As long as a family (or individual hobbit) acts as Hobbits should they will have respect. Have an adventure, lose respect. Do things unexpected, lose respect. 4. What do you think of the characters so far? Throin seems very proud and quick to anger. Bilbo is very naive but for a hobbit he handles the situation remarkably well. ;))

Gandalf is very devious. I really enjoy how he handles Bilbo on the doorstep. 5. Why do you think Bilbo put "on his business manner (usually reserved for people who tried to borrow money off him)" when talking with Thorin about burglary? What did he gain by doing so? It probably seemed to him like a business situation. I'm not sure that he gained much. He did get an explanation though. I think a business manner would be more likely to please Thorin than a scared hobbit one. ;))

6. Tolkien is said to have disapproved of Lewis' practice of incorporating a mix of mythological creatures and concepts into his work, yet Gandalf states that "Let anyone say I chose the wrong man or the wrong house, and you can stop at thirteen and have all the bad luck you like". Why do you think Tolkien chose to incorporate the traditional concept of 13 as an unlucky number? What does this say about both Gandalf and the dwarves? I wonder if it is something so ingrained in culture that Tolkien didn't even think about it? I did a little internet research on it and it seems that different cultures have decided that 13 is an unlucky number. It is possible that there something in Middle-earth's history that makes 13 an unlucky number. I don't think Gandalf cares too much about 13 being unlucky. The dwarves are obviously superstitious. Maybe Tolkien wants to signify that Bilbo is lucky? ]]> Reading Group: The Hobbit Pattertwigs Pal https://community.narniaweb.com/community/reading-group-the-hobbit/chapter-1-an-unexpected-party/#post-225127 Re: Chapter 1 An Unexpected Party https://community.narniaweb.com/community/reading-group-the-hobbit/chapter-1-an-unexpected-party/#post-225110 Fri, 28 Sep 2012 01:38:12 +0000 2. What do you think about the idea that a person/character can have two sides (Baggins vs. Took)? I'm all for it, if it's referring to the idea that one's personality can have multiple facets. In Bilbo's case I think they're actually kind of complementary: One side values the comfort of hearth and home, while the other wants to get out every now and then for an adventure. Like others have noted, I like the description of Bilbo's home as a cozy, inviting place, confirming that opening statement: "it was a hobbit-hole, and that means comfort." I also like the humor in this chapter: the drawn-out arrival of the dwarves, Bilbo's worry about having enough food and drink for the group, his waking up to the pile of dirty dishes - not to mention Gandalf calling him an "excitable little fellow" after his reaction ("struck by lightning!") to the wizard creating a blue light on his staff. Thanks for linking a bit of the Norwegian translation, Varna. It's fun to try to pick out familiar words.]]> Reading Group: The Hobbit stargazer https://community.narniaweb.com/community/reading-group-the-hobbit/chapter-1-an-unexpected-party/#post-225110 Re: Chapter 1 An Unexpected Party https://community.narniaweb.com/community/reading-group-the-hobbit/chapter-1-an-unexpected-party/#post-225056 Thu, 27 Sep 2012 13:06:51 +0000 4. What do you think of the characters so far? I always liked the first chapter and the introduction of Bilbo, Gandalf, and the dwarves. This time a phrase stuck out describing Bilbo's "wooly toes (neatly brushed)". You get that the dwarves like to sing, Gandalf has adventures pop up wherever he goes and Bilbo has an adventurous as well as docile side. Also, the story of the dwarves and the Mountain, the treasure, the town of Dale, and Smaug. B-)

So I give chapter 1 big thumbs up.

]]> Reading Group: The Hobbit GlimGlum https://community.narniaweb.com/community/reading-group-the-hobbit/chapter-1-an-unexpected-party/#post-225056