Bilbo in limbo part 1 or, a amataur’s analysis of Roast Mutton

Hello good reader!

Chapter two of The Hobbit starts as Bilbo wakes up in the morning to find the dwarves and Gandalf have left, which leaves him feeling both comforted and a little dissapointed. Just like in the first chapter, this split in Bilbo’s feelings is very emblematic of his mixed Took and Baggins heritage and nature.

Something that only occured to me as I was reading ‘Roast Mutton’ was how important Bilbo’s last name is to his character. Now I have read The Hobbit before, so I know how he gradually developes into an adventurous hobbit and being ‘Tookish’ becomes part of his reputation. But despite how Tookish he becomes, Bilbo is and forever will be a comfort loving Baggins, who counts smoking a pipe in the warm evening as one of the finest things in life. Which makes Tolkien’s choice to name him Baggins, instead of Took (or ascribe the comfort loving qualities to Baggins intead of Took) very intentional.

Bilbo’s journey throughout the chapter is fraught with situations that leave him longing for home and being generally unhappy about his coming on the adventure, but never whole-heartedly regretting it. This really shows when he goes to investigate the trolls. Tolkien’s choice of describing the fire and meat before the trolls tells me that they were the first thing Bilbo really took and interest in, as does the naming of the chapter ‘Roast Mutton’. When Bilbo sees the fire and mutton I believe his mind started to slip back into comfort mode, thinking of warmth, good smells and tasty food, and the metaphorical blanket is whipped out from under his feet and he’s straight back to the Took when he realises the presence of the trolls. I say straight back to the Took because of his reaction to seeing the trolls. It isn’t to run away and seek any semblance of comfort he can find, rather to try and pick the trolls pockets, and reaffirm his status as ‘burglar’. So Bilbo’s getting much more Tookish, but as we’ll see, he’s not there yet.

Until next time.

That is All.

P.S. For anyone who liked my post on the Bilbo and Gollum figure that I picked up, good news! I have a few more posts on some figures I’ve managed to find over the past little while thanks to some extra money and nosing through dusty stores.