The Hobbit

"That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind." -Neil Armstrong, 1969

As Americans, we grow up hearing this quote; having it frequently used in sentences or literature, our exploration of the outer realms of space defined us a Americans and recognized us as a technological and aerospace power to be reckoned with. Moreover, this quote symbolizes what power one man's actions can have over a nation, and what significance our first moon landing had on our legacy as a nation.

The relevance of this quote to my current book, The Hobbit, may seem completely implausible when first attempting to make the connection between hobbit and man, and the plot-line when relating it to Neil Armstrong's journey to Bilbo's journey. Firstly, The Hobbit illustrates the journey of a relatively young hobbit named Bilbo who embarks on a journey with a group of dwarves and a wizard to uncover the dwarves' stolen gold from a dragon named Smaug. Bilbo is dragged on this journey originally against his will, as a "burglar" for the group, although he has no burglaring experience. After causing the traveling party to be nearly eaten by trolls and getting lost in Gollum's cave and separated from the group, Bilbo is doubted as a burglar or to be of any kind of use to his traveling party. However, he soon redeems himself when rescuing the dwarves from murderous spiders and wood-elves that hold them captive, saving them twice in the period of a week and regaining their trust and adoration, and willingness to obey him when trying to get out of taxing situations. And while its plot-line may seem rather elementary when first hearing it, the spectacular writing of J.R.R Tolkein and the story within itself make for an incredibly meaningful and universal message that can be applied to all walks of life.

While reading, I questioned myself: Why a hobbit? What prompted Tolkein to choose a quaint, simple, endearing character to fight the dragon Smaug, be of such vital importance to the dwarf party, and be the protagonist of this story? Hobbits are creatures that "have no adventures of any sorts", love food and comfort and live in clean, minuscule hobbit-holes with gardens and overstocked libraries. The other creatures Tolkein portrays in his novel have special attributes, that help them fight evil and make them superior to others. Hobbits, on the other hand, are straightforward, simple and lovable. So why such simple creatures chosen to be the heroes? Because hobbits won't succumb to power, and Tolkein thus proves that any being can make an impact, whether it be good or bad, no matter their size or strength. When looking back at Neil Armstrong's quote, it's one giant leap of bravery and cunning for one hobbit, and one humongous leap for the race of hobbits and their impact.