A question about the begining. (Please Read)

[MereMoth]

Well, my friend said LOTR is a really good series and I should read it. So, today I just bought (in a pack) The Hobbit and LOTR 1, 2, and 3. I just started The Hobbit and I'm on chapter 2.
I'm just wondering, how did Bilbo turn out to be a burglar (if he didn't like adventures in the first place)? And why didn't he ask those dwarfs, "What the heck are you doing in my house!?" instead of giving them food without any questions?

If someone could please answer my questions...I would be more than appreciative.

Thanks!

[bmilder]

Welcome to the board, and I hope you enjoy the books! :)

If you read on, you'll find out that Bilbo ends up being quite an efficient burglar, and Gandalf has placed his trust in him well. During the party, Bilbo's Tookish side (The Tooks liked adventures) got the better of him, and he impulsively agreed to the adventure. Plus, he didn't have much of a choice!

[MereMoth]

Thanks man! I now understand. Plus, me and my friend had a little chat over ICQ about it.
If you want to see the conversation, read the following:

==================================================

Me: 1. How did Bilbo turn out to be a burglar??? he doesnt even like adventure

Friend: they just call him that because Hobbits make great burglers. With their small size, long fingers, and fury feet (muffles the sound) they make great burglers.

Me: But why did that Gandalf guy choose him?

Friend: Well, there's a certain family of hobbits which was known to be rather adventurous. Bilbo comes from that family.

Me: Okeydokey

2. Why did Bilbo just let all those dwarfs waltz into his house without asking them, "What in the heck are you doing in my house!!??" instead of giving them food?

Friend: Hobbits are taught to be curteous and such. It's quite rude to tell someone to go away :)

Me: It's rude??? Couldnt it been more realistic and have Bilbo blow them away with a shotgun??

but i guess i have to take in consideration it was written in like 1937...right?

Friend: Bilbo could blow them away with a shotgun if he wants, but that's just plain rude. He'd never stoop to that level.

Me: ok. That's all the questions I have, for now =)

The End.

PS: I think I'll introduce him to this forum. :)

[Fat middle]

as your friend said, it´s too rude for a hobbit to dispacht with bad words people who come to his house.

on further reading you´ll find how rich is the character that Tolkkien choose for Bilbo (and by extension to all hobbits). he´s gentle, kind and all but he´s also wise (at least for the small things of common life) and valiant (when his life or his home are in danger).

that applies to Bilbo and as i said before to all hobbits: although Bilbo can seem too adventurous for a hobbit, many of them will have act in a similar way. he´s the prototype of hobbits, he´s The Hobbit.

...though i doubt Gandalf could have found other hobbit with that "proverbial good luck" uf old Bilbo :)

[dunedain lady]

When the first dwarf showed up,Bilbo though something along the lines of "I like guests, though I prefer to know that they're coming." In other words, he didn't want to pass up the chance for a party, and didn't want to be rude to these unexpected but undenyably polite dwarves. Also, at first he was too surprized to do anything about it, and by the time he got his wits back, it was too late to do anything about it. As someone else said, something in his Tookish blood woke up and demanded to hear about these dwarves. He secretely loved adventure in some part of him, and the dwarves represent adventure to him.

[MyStic PyRO]

WOOOWWW!!! thanks u guys completly clear things up hehe.

[PTimmins]

Something else to think about...

Gandalf (and the other wizards) were sent to Middle Earth to make sure that certain prophecies (sp??) actually came to pass (along with some other duties).

It was the right time for the ring to be found. So, along comes Gandalf with a group of Dwarves that just happen to be looking for a "burglar". The adventure with Smaug is actually a fairly minor side-line in the larger scheme of Middle Earth.

I hope you enjoy the series as much as most of us here have.

Pat

[Inoldonil]

On the contrary bmilder, Bilbo was a horrible burgler. He turned out to be a worthy choice to change history and cut off Smaug from Sauron's uses in the War of the Ring, but he may very well have been the worst burgler ever to steal a milky way from a 711. I won't get into an analasys of what he did since the original poster here hasn't read it all yet, but Bilbo really wasn't a very good theif at all. Quite the hero, but not a theif.

[Gilthalion]

(TRYING NOT TO GIVE TOO MUCH AWAY.)

I think he made an excellent burglar! He successfully burgled T... for quite some time, and that'd be hard to do, magic or no! He stole food, dwarves... etc.

[Spock1]

G
Quite right. BB did become what G. predicted through necessity not of inate predisposition.

[Inoldonil]

Well I suppose that was his shining moments, but the R and his Hobbit stealth I think helped him in that venture a great deal. I wouldn't say he "stole" the Dwarves so much as cleverly released them, but living in the HotEK for the time that he did was impressive. If he was a great theif maybe he could have done it without the R. Still, I wouldn't call him a good burgler.

[Elanor]

At least he burgled for a good cause! :)

[Michael Martinez]

Considering this thread was started last July, I don't think people need be concerned about spoiling the story for the person who started it.

It's a shame that Dungeons and Dragons has persuaded people to believe Hobbits make good burglers and thieves. It's not really in their nature to be like that, and they are hardly equipped by nature for the more aggressive thiefly stuff that role-playing games require.

And I just happen to rant about this topic in my latest article at Suite101, "Trampling the legacy, remaking the myth".

[Morkhon]

That's one reason why I like the 3rd Edition D&D, haflings are less like Hobbits than ever.

[Inoldonil]

LOL! Last July? Well if I wasn't hit over the head with a stupid stick!

[easterlinge]

What made Gandalf study Hobbits I wonder? None of the other Wizards seemed to bother about them (except Saruman exploiting the Sackville-Bagginses).

[mercyfish]

"With their small size, long fingers, and fury feet (muffles the sound) they make great burglers."

Furry feet aren't the reason for their stealth, but they do help keep the feetwarm when you are barefoot all the time!

[Inoldonil]

Where's that quote from?

[mercyfish]

From an earlier post in the thread.

[Inoldonil]

Thanks

[Spock1]

Gandalf took interest in many things the other wizards did not find interesting. That is what makes him an integral part of the solution. Hobbits have the potential for burglaring simply because of their anatomy no because of their personality.

[Inoldonil]

Let's remember they _are not_ burglars, however stealthy. It is not a popular profession among them, and thieves would not be and were not tolerated in their societies. They were decent, lawful folk.

[easterlinge]

Not tolerated in the Shire and the Bree-lands perhaps. Hobbits there are decent folk and pretty well off.

What about poorer more desperate Hobbits living in crude holes in other parts , if there are any?

[Michael Martinez]

Then you have to ask from whom they would be stealing, since most of Eriador was pretty empty. Circumstances pretty much argue against thievery among Hobbits.

[Inoldonil]

easterlinge, there were Hobbits wandering about Eriador that were no better than tramps, digging holes and staying only as long as it pleased them, but that's all we know about them. Like Michael just said, who are they going to steal from?

[Michael Martinez]

And they don't drink or beat their children, and they always have food to put on the table. Hobbits would look pretty good on a dating service except for the fact they are short and tubby.

[Inoldonil]

Well, they do drink.

[Michael Martinez]

"don't drink..." to excess, that should have said.

Of course, then there is the aftermath of the Party where a few were rolled off in carts. But I was thinking of alcoholism. Unfortunately, I've had a few distractions today and completing any thought has been an iffy business.

[Spock1]

Pray deliver me from those seeking to ascribe modern socially correct labels to those of M.E. They were as they were written, nothing more or less.

[Inoldonil]

They were rolled off in carts because they had been accidently left behind, the more important folk went off in carriages.

Some of the Bree-landers thought Frodo had had more ale than was good for him, though, when he stood on his table.

[easterlinge]

"They were rolled off in carts because they had been accidently left behind, the more
important folk went off in carriages."

Why were they left behind in the first place? Because the got DRUNK and passed out, of course!!

I dunno. The poorer Hobbits might steal from travelling Dwarves, maybe, when there were more Dwarves travelling around?

[Michael Martinez]

They were rolled off in carts because they had been accidently left behind, the more important folk went off in carriages.

They were rolled off in carts because they were, apparently, too drunk to make it home on their own.

That is not to say that public drunkenness was a problem in the Shire, but the Party was an immensely special occasion, and Bilbo was quite generous in all ways.

Don't forget that Odo Proudfoot drowned his anger at Bilbo in wine.

[easterlinge]

Unless there are vineyards in the Shire, Bilbo would have to import wine from..... where? The nearest civilization would be the Dwarves of the Blue Mountains, and after that.... errr....

I suppose there are vineyards in the Shire.

[Michael Martinez]

Bilbo gave Rory Brandybuck a dozen bottles of Old Winyards from Southfarthing. I have no idea of whether it would or should be regarded as a cheap wine or an expensive.

[easterlinge]

Elves seem to enjoy wine, too. Galion the Butler of Mirkwood couldn't resist broaching King Thranduil's wine. The cheek! Isn't that a Royal offense?

And when Gimli thundered about where the hobbits found pipeweed in Isengard, Legolas wondered about the wine.

Do Elves consume vast quantities of wine? Do they drink other beverages as well?

[Michael Martinez]

Wine was a popular drink in both the ancient and medieval worlds. It may have been more commonly drunk in the Mediterranean area than in northern lands. I'm not very familiar with the history of wines. And don't forget the cordial of Rivendell. A cordial, as I understand it, is a liquour. Rivendell's cordial may have been a type of brandy (brandy is distilled from wine).

[easterlinge]

Is it possible to out-drink an Elf? Just wondering.

[Inoldonil]

You need not say 'as I understand it ...'. It is stated to be liquor.

'Just a mouthful each - for all of us. It is very precious. It is miruvor, the cordial of Imladris. Elrond gave it to me at our parting. Pass it round!'

As soon as Frodo had swallowed a little of the warm and fragrant liquor he felt a new strength of heart, and the heavy drowsiness left his limbs.