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Post by Sparrow on Jul 25, 2004 12:55:58 GMT -6
At last, Bilbo escapes from Gollum, the goblins, and the cave! This time, he gets himself out of a predicament without Gandalf's intervention, or anyone else's, for that matter. What does this reveal about Bilbo's character development to this point? What does this TEXT for Bilbo's character development? What effect do you expect it will have on others's regard for Bilbo?
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Post by Desi Baggins on Jul 28, 2004 13:16:47 GMT -6
I think we can start to see that Bilbo can take care of himself and that he is a quick thinker. These are good traits for a burgler.
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Post by Greenleaf on Jul 30, 2004 3:36:34 GMT -6
In this case I think we can see clearly what a person can achieve when they have to depend completely on themselves. There are a lot of people who don't realise the extent of their inner strength and abilities, but they do unearth this hidden strength when they find themselves in extremely difficult circumastances and have to face them all alone. I suppose we could say this is the instict for survival, like when things become a matter of life or death. Of course, there are always people who don't have the courage to fight, and submit to their fate, but Bilbo proves he's certainly not one of them!
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Post by Stormrider on Aug 7, 2004 8:59:52 GMT -6
I wonder how successful Bilbo would have been in getting out of his predicament if he had not found the Ring!
He would not have had the Ring in his pocket to make that comment, "What have I got in my pocket?" in which Gollum had thought was another riddle!
When Bilbo asked this question, he was very nervous because Gollum had already begun poking and pinching at him in the hope of eating Bilbo! So Gollum would have been all ready to eat Bilbo at this point!
If Bilbo had not had the Ring, he most likely would have been pounced on and then have to defend himself with his elvish sword! The low glow of the sword might have frightened Gollum away, too.
Also because Bilbo had the Ring, when Gollum was chasing him down the halls, it slipped on his finger and he vanished! That also helped him get past the Goblins at the door. Without the Ring, how would Bilbo have handled that?! He would have had to fight his way out and that might not have worked so well!
I think that Bilbo used his wits in the Riddle Game and the rest was part of the luck that he had from finding the Ring. So it was luck more at this point that Bilbo was relying on rather than his wits in getting away from Gollum and out of the Goblins' cave.
I think Bilbo began to use the Ring more to his advantage later in the story and had not realized its full potential at this point.
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Post by Stormrider on Aug 8, 2012 18:24:47 GMT -6
Well, the circumstances could have been very different as I mentioned above! But since they weren't different, Bilbo still had to use his own wits in dealing with Gollum and getting out of the mountain. He was smart enough to use the tools he had to his advantage.
Bilbo could have caved in as soon as Gollum first hissed in his ear unexpectedly but he didn't. Luckily his little sword was there and helped hold Gollum off long enough to make the riddle game deal.
The ring was an unexpected advantage and Bilbo was smart enough to keep it on and follow Gollum out of the mountain through the tunnels while invisible.
If Bilbo hadn's used his wits and the added tools he had, he would have been a gonner. Bilbo had really shown he could get out of a fix if he had to.
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Post by Andorinha on Aug 14, 2012 9:56:49 GMT -6
RE Sparrow's: "At last, Bilbo escapes from Gollum, the goblins, and the cave! This time, he gets himself out of a predicament without Gandalf's intervention, or anyone else's, for that matter."
And Stormrider's: "If Bilbo hadn's used his wits and the added tools he had, he would have been a gonner. Bilbo had really shown he could get out of a fix if he had to."
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Now wait a minute, Bilbo did not have Gandalf's help, but he did have Gollum's help even in the post 1951 version where Gollum has been made hostile to our hobbit. Gollum actually gives Bilbo a blue-print for success, he thinks out loud: "It knows a way in, it must know a way out, yes. It's off to the back door. ... The goblinses will catch it then. It can't get out that way, precious. ... Yes, but if it's got the present, our precious present, then goblinses will get it, gollum! They'll find it, they'll find what it does. We shan't ever be safe again... One of the goblinses will put it on, and then no one will see him. He'll be there but not seen. ..." (Annot Hobbit, p. 131
So Gollum "tells" Bilbo about the back door, and "tells" Bilbo that he (Gollum) is going there. All Bilbo need do is have enough wits to just follow the creature who will inadvertently show him the way out. Then Gollum even "tells" Bilbo what the ring does (confers invisibility) and "tells" Bilbo how to use the ring to avoid capture by the goblins. Would Bilbo have thought of using the ring all on his own? After Gollum "tells" him what the ring does, Bilbo is elated: "His head was in a whirl of hope and wonder. It seemed that the ring he had was a magic ring: it made you invisible!" (Annot Hobbit, p. 132)
So, while I agree that Bilbo used his wits to take advantage of the situation and the ring's power, still, without Gollum to "spell it out" for him, and without Gollum's announcement that he was heading for the exit, would Bilbo have succeeded in his escape?
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Post by Stormrider on Aug 14, 2012 22:42:51 GMT -6
Well, gee whiz! Gollum was one to mumble and talk to himself, wasn't he!It seems it was luck that Gollum gave Bilbo all the answers he needed in order to get out of there! Foolish Gollum to give away all those gems--especially the secret of the ring.
But I still think Bilbo handled himself nicely and got out of a nasty place and situation very well by putting everything together that he either had or found or overheard. He still had to re-act quickly and follow through in a split second.
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