Bilbo in Limbo part 2, a short rest

Hello reader, it’s been a while, but I’m back.

 

In the first part of this post, I looked at chapter 2 of The Hobbit, “Roast Mutton”, and how it showed Bilbo’s uneasy and uncomfortable battle between Baggins and Took progressing. Granted this struggle is evident throughout the story, but I feel that these two chapters are particularly important. So last time we looked at how the Tookish streak in Bilbo was starting to become a bit bolder, and his Baggins-ness was starting, at least in part, to subside. This time I’ll be looking at Bilbo’s journey in chapter 3 “A short rest” and in particular the impact that Rivendell has on both him, and the story.

The chapter begins with the troupe heading through the wilderness to Rivendell. We see impassable ravines, deep gullies and all sorts of things that a self-respecting hobbit would deem altogether unwholesome and highly uncomfortable. This feeling of discomfort is compounded by Bilbo’s simple question he puts towards his fellows “Is the the Mountain?” Bilbo asks, the Baggins in him hoping that the journey is nearing its end. This notion is quickly shot down by Balin, telling the hobbit that the mountain before them is the beginning of the misty mountains, essentially a mere stepping stone to their final destination. Bilbo’s hope for the journey’s end is crushed, and we as the reader feel can start to feel his sense of dread. The little fellow has had his high in dealing with the trolls in the most Tookish way imaginable, but now the reality of what he is doing really starts to set in.