Abstract
In The Hobbit, J. R. R. Tolkien constructs middle-aged Bilbo Baggins as a sheltered and emotionally immature ‘child’ during the opening chapters before tracing his development into an autonomous, self-aware adult as the tale progresses. This article examines Tolkien’s novel qua bildungsroman through both a literary lens—considering setting, dialogue, and symbolism, among other techniques—and via a psychological framework, emphasizing an Eriksonian conception of development. Additionally, Peter Jackson’s three-part film adaptation of The Hobbit is discussed throughout with ways that Jackson succeeds and fails at portraying Bilbo’s childlike attributes noted. I argue that Tolkien presents a sophisticated account of Bilbo’s childish persona growing into a mature adult worldview, and that Jackson appropriately reflects much, though not all, of this development in his films.
Highlights
Childlikeness may characterize individuals of any age
Collins is an undergraduate at the University of Canterbury in New Zealand, triple-majoring in English, Philosophy, and Psychology with a minor in Statistics. He extends his gratitude to Jane Comeau, Daniel Bedggood, and an anonymous reviewer for their helpful comments on earlier drafts of this work
The text can be suitably read through a psychoanalytic lens to investigate how Bilbo’s development is represented and glean insights into the nature of psychological processes.[1]
Summary
Detailed descriptions of Bilbo’s home environment on the very first page present him as a sheltered and childlike individual from the outset. As Tolkien writes: “something Tookish woke up inside him, and he wished to go and see the great mountains He shuddered; and very quickly he was plain Mr Baggins of BagEnd, Under-Hill, again.”[39] In two senses, Bilbo’s first encounter with the dwarves reveals a childlike psychology beneath his middle-aged character. By downplaying Bilbo’s emotional response in favor of a cartoonish joke, Jackson neglects the psychological depth Tolkien conveyed In this part of the film, Jackson omits Bilbo’s inner conflict between his Baggins and Took ancestry,[41] despite it being paramount to Tolkien’s characterization of Bilbo as a child. It is unfortunate Jackson misses such an ideal opportunity to present Bilbo’s conflicted psychological state, choosing instead to direct more like a ‘conjurer of cheap tricks’ than the sophisticated Tolkien reader he proved himself in The Lord of the Rings
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