I recently had the opportunity to read through The Hobbit in a brand new way. I taught through the book for the first time and had my 6th grade class read through it at the beginning of the year. Their enthusiasm for the book was a real testament to the literary genius of Tolkien. As they fell in love with Bilbo, Gandalf and the dwarves, following them across Middle Earth from Bag End, over the Misty Mountains and the edge of The Wild to the Lonely Mountain, a flame was rekindled in my own heart.
We had great discussions about the characters and setting and we were struck at the depth of the story as though Tolkien had merely recorded real history. This is a characteristic of all of Tolkien's writings about Arda, his created world and its mythology. This really comes through in The Hobbit and as we were reading and discussing, a burning question began to formulate.
As we listened to dwarves singing about vengeance and stolen treasure in "dungeons deep and caverns old", listened to ancient riddles, learned of deep magic and old feuds, we realized that the tale of one little Hobbit on what seemed like a fools errand was just a small sliver of the intricate and elaborate world of Middle-Earth.
As we listened to dwarves singing about vengeance and stolen treasure in "dungeons deep and caverns old", listened to ancient riddles, learned of deep magic and old feuds, we realized that the tale of one little Hobbit on what seemed like a fools errand was just a small sliver of the intricate and elaborate world of Middle-Earth.
It has been said that Tolkien's Middle-Earth "is the largest, most complex and detailed mythological system in our literature". As you begin to dig into it you realize how true that really is. In The Hobbit we run into a myriad of races of beings and creatures, all with developed languages and accompanying scripts, like elvish tengwar, dwarvish runes, western tongue and its alphabet. Language is closely related to culture and place. In The Hobbit you can expect to run into Hobbits of the Shire, Goblins of the Misty Mountains, Skin Changers, Elves of Rivendale and Mirkwood, Eagles, Men of Dale and Laketown. If you got into Tolkien's work any more you would find tales of other places in Middle-Earth like Gondor, Lothlorien, Mordor, The Shire, and Rohan. There are tales even of other lands like the lost realm of Numenor and the Undying Lands.
Including The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, there are over 12 volumes of published works that deal with the stories and history of Middle-Earth. These Tolkien wrote and revised for over 50 years until he died in 1973. The more we began to realize the breadth and depth that encompassed this little story we were reading the more we burned with one simple question. Why? Why would Tolkien go to such great lengths to fabricate such a sense of reality?
In an attempt to answer that question I think it is beneficial to explore two different areas. One is Tolkien's worldview as a source of motivation for him to create. The other is the nature of fiction and its paradoxical ability to relate to reality.
These two topics are worthy of a post in themselves, possibly two posts. So, I will leave them for another day.
Including The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, there are over 12 volumes of published works that deal with the stories and history of Middle-Earth. These Tolkien wrote and revised for over 50 years until he died in 1973. The more we began to realize the breadth and depth that encompassed this little story we were reading the more we burned with one simple question. Why? Why would Tolkien go to such great lengths to fabricate such a sense of reality?
In an attempt to answer that question I think it is beneficial to explore two different areas. One is Tolkien's worldview as a source of motivation for him to create. The other is the nature of fiction and its paradoxical ability to relate to reality.
These two topics are worthy of a post in themselves, possibly two posts. So, I will leave them for another day.
I am glad I was able to revisit The Hobbit before the first movie came out. I didn't do that with the Narnia series though I had read the books previously.
Growing up, I was a big Tolkien fan and there has always been a place in my heart for The Lord of the Rings. My interest in Tolkien has been refreshed thanks to my new post as 6th grade teacher, and it is an interest that continues to enrich my mind and spirit. If you are one searching for something with depth and inspiration, I would strongly suggest you begin the journey to Middle-Earth. Let The Hobbit start you off then delve into The Lord of the Rings and perhaps some of the posthumously published works of this literary giant.
-SFE
Growing up, I was a big Tolkien fan and there has always been a place in my heart for The Lord of the Rings. My interest in Tolkien has been refreshed thanks to my new post as 6th grade teacher, and it is an interest that continues to enrich my mind and spirit. If you are one searching for something with depth and inspiration, I would strongly suggest you begin the journey to Middle-Earth. Let The Hobbit start you off then delve into The Lord of the Rings and perhaps some of the posthumously published works of this literary giant.
-SFE