Emily+M+Hobbit+Questoins

Click here to go back to my page! Click here to go back to the Student Page__s__ March 4th, 2011 Question #1: Choose one conflict in The Hobbit, and explain how Tolkien uses it to move the story forward. Don't forget to cite page number when appropriate.

In the book, __The Hobbit__, there is one conflict in the story that really stands out to me. This conflict is the issue between the dwarves and dragons. The dragons are stealing gold and jewels that the dwarves worked hard to get. There is especially one dragon that is a "most specially greedy, strong, and wicked worm" named Smaug. Smaug flew up into the air and came South toward their village. Smaug then killed many dwarves with his fire breath. He also scoured the village for any live survivors of the fire. He left no dwarf alive that remained in the village. To be more nasty, he stole all of the dwarves treasure. Tolkien uses the conflict to move the story forward because if the story did not include what happened to the dwarves, there would be no point in going on the adventure. Also, if the original conflict wasn't mentioned, the story might have shown the dwarves are greedy because they were going on an adventure just to get treasure that does not belong to them. Instead, the dwarves are now on a noble adventure to get their treasure back. ~ When you quote directly from the book, always include the page numbers. This is a great conflict and very central to the story. Mrs. Best

**Allison Rowe** **RD 8** **March 4, 2011**

**You picked a great conflict Emily! Yeah, I would agree that without this main conflict the story would not have any point or the meaning would be unclear. You just didn't say how this kept the story moving, which I was wondering about. Also, don't forget that when you use a book quote (which I love!), you need to cite the page number where you found it in parenthesis** **after it. I picked a character against character conflict in mine too. I chose the conflict where the goblins are chasing the dwarves t** **hrough the mountain tunnels on pages 66 & 67. That part was my favorite part of the book, because it just left you hanging at the end. Anyway, awesome answer!! **~ Good comments! Mrs. Best

March 7th, 2011 Question #2: <span style="color: #008080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 130%;">In your own words, describe what happens next to Bilbo and the dwarves in the forest.

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">It was very intense what happens next to Bilbo and the dwarves. Bilbo and the dwarves heard wolves coming towards them. They had no idea what to do until Gandulf cried to the dwarves and Bilbo climb up the trees in the forest. The wolves came to meet the goblins. Before the goblins came, the wolves sniffed out the dwarves and Bilbo. The wolves placed guards at the bottom of the tree so that they could not escape. The goblins were a little late because of the encounter with the Bilbo and the dwarves. The goblins then created a ring of fire at the bottom of each tree that Bilbo and the dwarves were in. They could not escape because if they went down they would get incinerated. <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">~I LOVE incinerated!!! <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;"> Luckily for the dwarves and Bilbo, there were some eagles that swooped down and rescued the dwarves right before they got burned. Without the eagles' help, the dwarves and Bilbo would be dead and could not get revenge on the dragons. This is what happens to Bilbo and the dwarves in the forest. <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">~ Nice job. Mrs. Best

<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">March 23rd, 2011 <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Question #3: <span style="color: #00ff00; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">When Gandolf first visits Bilbo, looking for someone to share in an adventure, Bilbo tells Gandalf that hobbits are

<span style="color: #00ff00; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">"...plain quiet folk and have no use for adventures. Nasty disturbing uncomfortable things! Make you late for dinner! I can't think what anybody sees in them "(7).

<span style="color: #00ff00; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">The dwarves are not quite sure that Bilbo will be able to handle the adventures at all, and Bilbo himself wonders how he found himself at The Green Dragon Inn, riding a pony away from Hobbiton. But now, Bilbo has become the unspoken leader of the party. Without Bilbo, the dwarves would never have made it to Lonely Mountain.

<span style="color: #00ff00; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">Is an adventure something that happens to us or how we react to what happens? Often in life, adventures are not as obvious as killing giant spiders or escaping from an Elven king's dungeon. Sometimes adventures are made out of ordinary days and ordinary events, with ordinary people who become the heroes. You may not even realize you've been in an adventure until after it's over!

<span style="color: #00ff00; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">Think about the times you have learned a new skill, moved, changed schools, competed in sports, welcomed a new pet, discovered a new friend, performed in front of an audience, or had a terrifying fall. These events are adventures in process. Have you grown or changed from your experience with any of these situations, as Bilbo grew and changed <span style="color: #00ff00; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;"> because of his adventure with the dwarves? Recall a time when something happened to cause you to grow and change in a positive way. Respond on your wiki page.

<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">An adventure is both what happens to us and how we react to it. We some times might have a chance to choose an adventure. On the other hand, no matter how much you try to avoid and adventure, like Bilbo, you might get stuck in one anyway. This happened when Bilbo was forced by Gandulf and the dwarves to join on this adventure to get the dwarves' treasure back from Smaug. In the beginning, Bilbo wanted no part of all the danger and possible deaths that might come during the journey. He just wanted to stay in his hobbit hole and continue with his peaceful life. Ignoring this wish, Gandulf forced Bilbo out of his hobbit hole to join and help the dwarves. When Bilbo kept going through the journey he realized that he was useful to the adventure. An example was when all the dwarves were captured by the Elf-king. All the dwarves were stuck in the dungeon and Bilbo had to figure out a plan to save them. Bilbo felt important because others were depending on him, but also worried that he would mess up. He got more courage by accomplishing more than he thought he could do. Another event that helped him gain courage was when he was fighting the giant spiders in the forest. He wanted to protect the dwarves. It took all of his courage to face those giant spiders while the dwarves got away. I bet Bilbo would have never thought in a million years he would have to fight giant spiders. All the dwarves now looked up to him and that also improved his self-confidence. An adventure that I had was when I was in a ski class in Boyne Highlands, Michigan. We were on our last day before we left and I thought we were going to do some fun skiing with our choice of runs. I was so very wrong. I realized that we stopped right near an edge of a hill. There were a ton of trees and a very faded path through the trees to another hill. It was so steep! I thought my instructor was joking when he said that we needed to ski through it. I was the last to go. I kept telling my instructor that I could not do this. He forced me to go through it and I made it out alive! I was so proud of myself. This made me much more confident in skiing through the trees. Now, we went down the trees a couple more times and I wanted to go and I wasn't afraid anymore. The more I skied the trees the more I was confident. I realized that this exercise was an adventure after the fact. I was forced into it but it payed off in the end. I know knew that whatever I put my mind to I could achieve! This is just how Bilbo must have felt when he defeated the giant spiders and escaped from the elves. <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px;">~ Wow! This is a really dangerous adventure - just like our dear Mr. Baggins! Amazing! Great connection! ~Mrs. Best

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">March 31st, 2011 <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Question #4: <span style="color: #800080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 17px; line-height: 25px;">If Thorin could have lived, do you think he would have regretted his greed? What do you think Tolkien is trying to teach us about material wealth by Thorin's death? In your response, site textual evidence to support your response. Use page numbers too.

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Thorin died knowing that Bilbo and him will " part in friendship" (312). At his last few moments he was probably thinking about when he yelled at Bilbo to go away. Thorin even said to Bilbo," I would take back my words and deeds at the Gate."(312) Bilbo help Thorin and company to escape many, many dangers. Without Bilbo's help Thorin and the rest of the dwarves would have been either killed by the giant spiders or held in the Elven-king's prison for a long time. I think that Thorin was very regretful on what he had done to Bilbo. He was only thinking about keeping all of the treasure that belonged to the him and his fellow dwarves, not relationships. I think that Tolkien was trying to teach us about how nothing good ever comes out of greed over friendship. Unfortunately, for Thorin his consequence was dying. Whenever people get greedy they only start thinking of themselves. They aren't thinking about others and how they could give of themselves and help others in need. <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px;">~ Good response. Did you read it outloud (softly) to "hear" your answer? I think that you would hear words that do not sound as good as other choices you might want to make. Give it a try with this short passage and see what you might change. ~Mrs. Best