My last highlighting of important areas in Chapter 1 is almost at the end. It is a very important long passage that is centre to the back story, which what makes a story even more interesting:
"I have often wondered about my father's and my grandfather's escape. I see now they must have had a private Slide-door which only they knew about. But apparently they made a map, and I should like to know how Gandalf got hold of it, and why it did not come down to me, the rightful heir.
I did not get hold of it, I was given it, said the wizard. (1)Your grandfather Thror was killed, you remember, in the mines of Moria by Azog the Goblin.
Curse his name, yes, said Thorin.
And (2)Thrain your father went away on the twenty-first of April, a hundred years ago last Thursday, and has never been seen by you since.
True, true, said Thorin.
Well, your father gave me this to give to you; and if I have chosen my own time and way for handling it over, you can hardly blame me, (3)considering the trouble I had to find you.
Your father could not remember his own name when he gave me the paper, and he never told me yours; so on the whole I think I ought to be praised and thanked! Here it is, said he handing the map to Thorin.
I dont understand, said Thorin, and Bilbo felt he would have liked to say the same. The explanation did not seem to explain.
Your grandfather, said the wizard slowly and grimly, gave the map to his son for safety before he went to the mines of Moria. Your father went away to try his luck with the map after your grandfather was killed; (4)and lots of adventures of a most unpleasant sort he had, but he never got near the Mountain. (5)How he got there I dont know, but I found him a prisoner in the dungeons of the Necromancer.
Whatever were you doing there? asked Thorin with a shudder, and all the dwarves shivered.
Never mind you. (6)I was finding things out, as usual; and a nasty dangerous business it was. Even I, Gandalf, only just escaped. I tried to save your father, but it was too late. He was witless and wandering, and had forgotten almost everything except the map and the key.
We have long ago paid the goblins of (7)Moria, said Thorin.
We must give a thought to the Necromancer.
Dont be absurd! (8)He is an enemy far beyond the powers of all the dwarves put together, if they could all be collected again from the four corners of the world. The one thing your father wished was for his son to read the map and use the key. The dragon and the Mountain are more than big enough tasks for you!"
This whole passage is very well structured precisely because it speaks about back story history, it gives you the feeling that this story is real because there is a history to it, a history of war, evil, prison, loss and death.
1- Your grandfather Thror was killed, you remember, in the mines of Moria by Azog the Goblin. A scene of death, someone important being killed ruthlessly by a goblin in a dark place like mines. It makes the reader wonder how did this person die.
2- Thrain your father went away on the twenty-first of April, a hundred years ago last Thursday, and has never been seen by you since. A hundred years is a very long time, makes the reader wonder for how many years this has been going on. And giving an exact date also gives a touch of realism to the story. And saying that he has never been seen again has a chill to it, a dark mystery to it too.
3- Considering the trouble I had to find you. This statement implies that Gandalf the wise wizard has gone into a great deal of trouble to find Thorin. Something the reader would wish to know the story to but doesnt get the chance which leaves the reader thirsty for more.
4- And lots of adventures of a most unpleasant sort he had. This statement also implies that there is a story running in the background that is perhaps as big as The Hobbit. It also leaves a feeling of thrust and curiosity to know what it is. The reader can only imagine...
5- How he got there, I don't know. Again the theme of mystery is back which adds up to the general impression and atmosphere. It gives the reader the feeling that there is something dark out there, something dangerous out of the borders of the Shire.
6- I was finding things out as usual; and a nasty dangerous business it was. This statement pours into the creation of Gandalf's personality and character more than it has to do with the effect of the general theme. It implies that Gandalf as a wizard is a very busy person trying to maintain peace in middle earth. And that is why he faces many dangerous encounters. What he was doing down there in the dungeons remains a mystery to the reader.
7- Moria. The repetition of this name, the author wants you to know that this is a very important place, a lost kingdom full with gems and gold that has been taken over by the enemy. It ignites feelings of sympathy inside the reader that he wants the victory to the dwarves and they should restore back Erebor and Moria. It makes the reader excited and want to know more what ever happened to the lost kingdom of Moria.
8- He is an enemy far beyond the powers of all the dwarves put together, if they could all be collected again from the four corners of the world. This is a very short yet detailed description of an enemy. An enemy so powerful that not all the dwarves of all kingdoms can defeat. It does not describe exactly what this goblin evil is but it describes its power, which gives room to the reader to imagine. It also ignites the curiosity of the reader towards the dwarves. It is hinting that there are or were 4 dwarve kingdoms and they (the reader) are just exposed to 13 dwarves for the time being. Tolkien never satisfies the thirst of the reader, he always leaves them searching for more.
So, such passages include mystery, suspense, background story, history, death, danger, trouble and adventure. This is my analysis, you can of course disagree with me. But if you do, I would be interested in knowing what's yours.
Poetry...always gives you a touch of genuinity in a novel especially if it exactly fits the general theme. Tolkien loved writing poetry. What is fascinating about his poetry is that it did not seem that he wrote it just for the sake of including it in the chapter. Every poem cannot be taken out of context without reading the chapter and knowing what its about. Again it adds to the theme of fun especially when its in Bilbo's home where there is lots of food, singing, laughter and smoking and as Gandalf said "Bilbo...its a merry gathering".
The very fact that the dwarves with a Hobbit and a wise Wizard plotting something exciting and mysterious after a merry gathering on a dinner table with smoke rings, an old map and a key to a secret door are more than enough to boost the excitement of the reader sky high. The atmosphere is such that the reader wants to experience it, want to live it and while reading; he is visualizing it in his own mind and imagination. Just visualize for a second, 13 dwarves and a hobbit, wearing coats, in a cozy hobbit hole, around a neatly carved wooden table, each sitting smoking their pipes reflecting upon a secret plot/adventure, with a lamp or two lighting the room and a wise Wizard that will guide them through their exciting adventure. You cannot help but so want to be part of this group. Its all about the general theme and impression.
There are some lines in a novel that will grab your attention more than others. Lines that are very meaningful all by themselves even when taking them out of context. Lines that are much more powerful when written alone as a single quote. Such lines I have identified two in the first chapter:
1- "There is a lot more in him than you guess, and a deal more than he has any idea of himself." In my opinion, this line is powerful because the reader generally sees himself in the personality of the main character of the novel. Because for one reason they sympathize with the main character or the character is such that draws too much excitement. This line arouses feelings of self confidence, it lets the reader subconsciously believe that "perhaps there is a lot more courage in me than I think, perhaps I am gifted."
2- "I tried to find one; but warriors are busy fighting one another in distant lands, and in this neighborhood heroes are scarce, or simply not be found." This is a Philosophical statement because it gives you the clear difference between a warrior and a hero in simple terms. It tells you that warriors usually search for fights that satisfy their ego which is why they fight another warrior, someone as strong as them. While heroes on the other hand don't necessarily need to fight. Which also means that you do not need to fight to be a hero. You see, Tolkien has a Philosophical side to his literature. When you break down a passage to pieces, you will find a lot more than what you just read on the surface. It also tells you that you can find allot of warriors but heroes are not found easily, which also tells you that heroes are more valuable and precious than warriors because they are not easily found...like diamonds and pearls vs crystals and gems.
When you throw bits and pieces of "your thing". The little things you have always believed in, the simple things that make a difference in your life and not just scatter them randomly in a novel but with purpose and proper place...you make a powerful impression and emotion. This is what makes a great novel, to give it a deeper meaning in simple words. Its not only about fun and entertainment.
It is important to note that one of the elements as I like to call them that makes readers take The Hobbit to heart is that the general theme of the novel is Fun, Adventure, Homely Atmosphere (Coziness), Landscape Description, Treasure Hunt and last but not least Laughter at the Dinner table. These are repeated themes in nearly every chapter; provided that The Hobbit is an easy to read novel and is not complicated as The Lord of The Rings and other Tolkien's works.
Tolkien starts the chapter with describing what are Hobbits, what they do and what they like and what they look like. Then he goes deeper in describing the main character our famous Mr. Baggins, then he goes deeper and sheds some light on Bilbo's family. Shedding some light on family ties is very important because it is one of the bricks that build up and make the readers wonder "Did Hobbits really exist?". Tolkien has stuffed his works with very complicated and sophisticated yet systematic details of genealogies, history and language to name a few. He included so much detail that many readers wonder if these creatures/races/tales did really exist or was it really the imagination of one single person? Such questions are asked frequently in our minds because many believe that a human mind cannot or it is nearly impossible for a human mind to come up with such brilliant imagination and invention. It was easy for Tolkien to create all this because first he had a passion for it, and second he is a Professor of Anglo Saxon, he knows European history and mythology by heart and third because he actually has seen the battlefield and lost most of his friends there which puts him in a very good position to speak from the heart genuinely.
There are some short passages in every chapter that tickle the feelings of the reader making him/her to really live the era or atmosphere of what he is reading. These powerful emotions from the reader are triggered by a sense of relation, they relate to the story especially if someone had a pleasant childhood. Such passages in chapter 1 are:
"By some curios chance one morning long ago in the quiet of the world, when there was less noise and more green, and the hobbits were still numerous and prosperous, and Bilbo Baggins was standing at his door after breakfast smoking an enormous long wooden pipe that reached nearly down to his woolly toes (neatly brushed) - Gandalf came by."
This short passage believe it or not has a strong effect even if you are not aware of it. Let us break down this passage and find out what makes it special:
1- A quiet morning when there was less noise and more green:
Who of us nowadays does not want that? This quiet morning in a less noise and more green countryside has become a luxury. This scene where many of us live in the city don't get to experience this. And this is precisely one of the reasons why people travel to tropical islands and such places .. to get a glimpse of what we have lost, and how our ancestors lived long ago. This simple line with a fraction of a second gives the reader an emotion of "I miss that" and "I so much want to live that again" and "I want one of my own". This is as I call it igniting the flame of curiosity in the reader which makes him flip pages.
2- Standing at his door after breakfast smoking an enormous long wooden pipe:
Even if you were not a smoker you would definitely enjoy the smell of pipe smoke. Sitting outside after breakfast smoking a pipe, no one has this luxurious opportunity to do this everyday nowadays enjoying the view of nature. We live in complicated cities where rush hour has eaten our lives and most of us drink coffee in the car rushing to work, we hardly have any time to spend a proper breakfast then sit down to smoke quietly and reflect.
For these two reasons this small passage is very important because it touches the hearts of the reader. It is clear that this is what Tolkien did and he sure enjoyed it, every bit of it dare I say. This is not the only passage in this chapter nor the only one in the novel. There are many such passages that Tolkien wrote differently touching different angles of our hearts every time. This is just one element of what makes a good novel and why readers take it to heart as their favorite.
The next post will continue in the analysis of chapter 1.
This blog's main readers will be readers of the Fantasy genre or people in general trying to figure out why The Hobbit has been a success or simply what are the components that make an excellent novel. There are endless books out there that delve into the same topic on what makes an excellent novel, a few are good to read while the rest are terribly structured with nonsense written by people who just want to make money out of rubbish.
I will not be speaking about any of Tolkien's works except The Hobbit here; as this blog is dedicated to this novel. Nor will I speak about Middle-earth in depth because this is a very large topic to discuss here and break down into small pieces; even though The Hobbit takes place in Middle-earth.
What will be discussed here are my comments and highlights when reading The Hobbit for the second time. The comments that will be presented here are my own, they are what I personally think the components/elements of what makes an excellent novel and why The Hobbit has been a success. However, this does not mean that this blog is a complete guideline and all you need to know about writing a successful novel.
I will be writing another post where I recommend books/websites to read if you are interested in writing a successful novel someday.
