“Somehow the killing of this giant spider, all alone by himself in the dark. . . made a great difference to Mr. Baggins." (Tolkien 156)
This quote underlies one of the major themes of the book: the triumphant underdog. From the start, we know that Bilbo is a hobbit. This means his small stature does not make him fit well into the role of hero, yet he is the hero of the novel. Continuing on this line, Bilbo's companions are all dwarfs, a similarly short race of beings. This quote tells us that Bilbo has killed a larger, fiercer, scarier beast: a giant spider. Bilbo faced a being that certainly should have killed him, but with all his cunning, he was able to defeat the creature. This is a possible moment of foreshadowing because a common trait among young heroes is to be able to conquer more powerful adversaries.
Image of biblical underdog winning
David & Goliath
I think that this is a god theme of a book. It is also a common theme that is seen a lot in literature, and is the classic tortes and the rabbit complex.
ReplyDeleteThis seems like an interesting book and the artwork you chose really makes me want to read it haha. Was this book written at a time of imperialism and when underdog stories were even more prominent?
ReplyDeleteI love your picture. I think it works better with your story line rather than a typical picture of David & Goliath. This novel seems really interesting.
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