The Hobbit, or There and Back Again is a fantasy novel written by JRR Tolkien. It was published on September 21, 1937, to widespread critical acclaim and was nominated for the Carnegie Medal. Bilbo Baggins was a Hobbit of the Shire, the main protagonist of The Hobbit and a minor character in The Lord of the Rings, the sequel to The Hobbit. Gandalf suggested that Bilbo Baggins be hired by Thorin and the Fellowship to be their thief in the Erebor Mission, and later fought in the Battle of the Five Armies. Bilbo was also one of the bearers of the One Ring, and the first to give it up voluntarily, albeit with some difficulty. He wrote many of his adventures in a book he titled There and Back Again. Bilbo is believed to be an underdog, as there have been many instances where he showed his potential but was left out. It is evident that Bilbo possesses the qualities of a loser. Bilbo Baggins can be described as an underdog as he strives to prove that he is capable of overcoming difficulties and prevailing. The role of the underdog resonates with the reader because they are enchanted by characters who overcome all kinds of adversities. In Bilbo's case, it is his physical characteristics along with his fear of the unknown that make him fall into the underdog category. He embarks on a journey to prove that an underdog can be a hero. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Over the course of the novel, Bilbo goes from being a frightened hobbit to demonstrating that he possesses the noble and courageous qualities of a hero. When Gandalf convinces the dwarves of Bilbo, he says, "There is much more to him than... he has any idea of." This statement is shown many times in the book as Bilbo goes on and uses his intelligence and cunning personality to overcome his psychological and physical disadvantages, as well as change the way he is perceived by others, to prove himself as an unexpected hero. Courage, loyalty, strength, eloquence and cunning, these are some of the main characteristics that readers hope to find in a hero of an epic narrative. This idea of ​​the epic presents us with a hero who possesses virtues superior to those of the common man, someone who is a natural leader and is respected by his group. Tolkien can certainly be considered an epic, but Bilbo Baggins is not the classical type of hero. Bilbo Baggins is sometimes considered an anti-hero, there are so many differences between his nature and that of the classic hero. In the course of the story, Bilbo undergoes many changes, being at the end of the narrative closer to the epic hero than he was at the beginning. Being a hero mostly revolves around the idea of ​​knowing when to spare a life, rather than take one. In chapter five, "A sudden understanding, a pity mingled with horror, welled up in Bilbo's heart.", this shows that although Bilbo has the opportunity to kill Gollum, he does not - suggesting that Bilbo is a moral hero and that Gollum's character is complex: he is not pure evil, but a creature worthy of pity. This is the clearest part where Bilbo's true intentions are highlighted. The greatest opposition that can be created between Bilbo and the characters occurs in the first chapters of The Hobbit. In these first chapters readers can easily realize that this Hobbit is not as “heroic” as they might initially think: readers quickly notice that, although curious, he is not willing to take part in such a dangerous adventure. In fact, his origins are also a factor in him not leaving: readers are told that his Baggins side (his father's family) is made up of quiet, domestic people. In the end, Bilbo “decides” to join the quest and although this journey doeswill reveal as an initiatory journey towards Bilbo, readers will soon realize how different this Hobbit is from the classic hero. Sometimes Bilbo longs for his home, not only when he is in danger, tired and scared, but also at times when he is physically fit, like at Beorn's house. Bilbo is not particularly strong or courageous; Bilbo needs to be saved by the other members of the group in some cases, as happens in the battle with the Trolls, when Gandalf saves them. Furthermore, the greatest signs of courage that Bilbo gives to the reader occur when he discovers that the ring can make him invisible: Bilbo Baggins needed to disappear in order to be bold enough and overcome his limits. In this way, since he has no superior qualities compared to the others, Bilbo is certainly not in a leadership position in this group (Thorin is the closest to being the leader). But Bilbo knows that that is not his natural territory, and even when he begins to make himself useful to the group, he always maintains a defensive attitude, as seen, for example, in the fact that he is humble; Bilbo does not mock those he defeats, as the classical hero tended to do. Unlike the classic epic hero, Bilbo does not also fight major wars; he tends to be protected by chance and luck, which can be confirmed in The Hobbit's biggest brawl, The Battle of the Five Armies, in which Bilbo takes no direct part because he was knocked out. In the quote of 'He felt like a different person... fiercer and bolder despite his empty stomach.' shows that this was the first time Tolkien showed Bilbo as a hero - his transition is slow, but he is starting to think and feel more like a hero - a reminder that heroism doesn't happen overnight. This also happens because Bilbo has no intrinsic heroic qualities, he grows as a hero by overcoming dangers, and even when his "heroic qualities" are at their highest level, he always seems very insecure, which is demonstrated right at the end of the story, when Bilbo he returns to being a domestic Hobbit - his character turned out to be "rounded": originally he is domestic, then adventurous, then domestic again, which confirms that, even in an era In a different way, Bilbo is more at ease in 'to be a quiet Hobbit rather than a risk-taker. However, something that differs Bilbo Baggins from the concept of the classic hero is the fact that he "betrays" his group. By giving the Arkenstone to Bard, Bilbo is accused of treason, something a hero should never be accused of. But this "betrayal" is connected to other differences between Bilbo and the classical hero: the fact that he is fair and far from greedy and obsessive. Bilbo gives the Arkenstone to Bard, because he believed it was the right thing to do. Not only is a difference created between Bilbo Baggins and the classical hero; the Hobbit shares some traits of the epic hero, characteristics, those that become much clearer after the moment in which Bilbo kills the Spider alone. If the Baggins side of Bilbo's family made him fear adventure, his Took side (his mother's) pushed him to undertake the quest, which can be seen in the temptation he feels to say yes to the quest. But after killing the spider Bilbo reveals himself; from this moment on, his courage will gradually increase. Another main characteristic that Bilbo shares with the classical hero is the fact that he is very cunning. Furthermore, both Bilbo and the classical hero are not all that intelligent or erudite, yet they think quickly and are able to get out of difficult situations; Bilbo is cunning and therefore manages to survive Gollum's game and wait for the right moment to escape from the Elves, when they imprison the Dwarves. Also, the fact that even though Bilbo didn't want to have responsibilities in that group, he always did his duties, and always has.