Book-Reviews

Characters in the Hobbit - Tolkien By Michael Cooper

Bilbo Baggins - he was a hobbit, a race of small people (no bigger than 4 or 5 feet), with lots of hair on the upper part of their feet, they enjoyed calm sorroundings and to live a quiet life. However, Bilbo was not the ordinary hobbit, because one part of his family was not very respectful, due to the fact that they were known to go on adventures. He played a very important role in the story, because he helped the dwarves escape many dangerous situations and ultimately, reach their goal. At the beginning of the story, he suffered an internal conflict, due to the fact that one part of himself wanted to stay in the Hobbit Hole, while the other wanted adventure, but later, as the story develops, he beggins to discover many talents that he was not aware of, and he became more confident in himself. Since a very early age, Bilbo's family was a friend to Gandalf, so in a way, Bilbo knew him. Later, they became great friends, due to the fact that Gandalf showed great trust and confidence in Bilbo throughout the adventure.

Thorin Oakenshield - he was short, very old, had a long beard, white beard, and he wore a blue hood during most of the story. He was the grandson of the King of the Under the Mountain. Most of the time he was serious, but, because he was a dwarf, he always enjoyed song and drink. At first, he didn't think Bilbo would be of any help, and to be precise, he thought he was nothing more than an obstacle in his journey. However, at the end of the story, he considered him a great friend, who without his help, wouldn't have fulfilled his mission in life: to restore the kingdom of the dwarves.

The Dwarves - they were all a bunch of jolly fellows, who enjoyed song and drink whenever the had the chance, and they were also great craftsmen. At first, they just considered Bilbo the burglar, but, as Bilbo saved them time after time, they began to respect and admire him, and ironically, abuse his contract with them.

Gandalf the Wizard - he was a very old, very wise, person, who helped the adventurers with his wisdom and his magic in many situations in the story. His greatest feat during the story was when he slayed the Goblin King, not because he helped the dwarves escape, but because when he slayed him, he unleashed the wrath of the goblins, which in turn caused the other races to join forces to rid the land of the menace of the Goblins. From the begginning, he displayed great confidence in Bilbo, and because of this they became great friends, and he helped Bilbo grow as a person.

Elrond, the Lord of The Elves - he was the leader of the elves, so old and wise, that his knolegde spanned the centuries, yet kind and friendly. He always welcomed strangers, as long as they weren't evil. He played an important part in the story, because he gived the adventurers information on how to enter the castle without going through the main gate and the names of the swords they obtained from the Trolls.

Gollum - he was a dark-dwelling creature, forced to live in the bottom of the Goblin's lair. He had lived there from who knows when, and from such solitude, he found that the only person he could talk to was himself, therefore refering to himself as "My Precious" or We, when he was in a conversation. He knew many riddles, and enjoyed to use them whenever he could or to be riddled, if the situation would turn up. When he was but just a youngster, he was given a magic ring, one that made him invisible, and allowed him to feed from the Goblins that lived just above his lair.

Bard - he was a normal human, but he was a very special one due to the fact that he was a descendant of the leader of Dane, a town that was located at the foot of Lonely Mountain, that suffered the wrath of Smaug, when he arrived at Lonely Mountain.

Smaug - a very old, greedy, and evil dragon. He was known as feared for his size and physical prowess. Like an old dragon he was, he was among the most powerful creatures in the world, hungered to hoard wealth, collecting mounds of coins and gathering as many gems, jewels, and items as possible. Therefore he attacked the Lonely Mountain and claimed the dwarven treasure for himself. He lived for protecting his treasure, and would protect it at all costs.