The Hobbit Essay, Research Paper

Bilbo?s noblest moment in The Hobbit, a

fantasy book by J. R. R. Tolkien, is when he gives up the Arkenstone, a

precious jewel. He is commended by some for his graciousness of giving

away such a treasure, for everyone was rushing to try to get it for themselves.

Yet, Bilbo gave the stone to the Elvenking and went against of his friends

to attempt to protect lives. This is especially noble since no one else

could have achieved this action and been trusted. It revealed supreme generosity

from Bilbo.

Bilbo feels that it is essential to settle

all the disputes which is why he concludes that giving up the Arkenstone

would be the best alternative. A war was beginning because the elves and

men wanted their fair share of the treasure since they killed Smaug, the

dragon who stole the fortune from the dwarfs hundreds of years ago. Maybe,

the elves and men could bargain with the Arkenstone which is the heart

of Thorin. Thorin treasures it above anything else in the world, and all

other riches do not even compare to the Arkenstone. Bilbo figures that

this may be the only performance that could save lives, and he wants to

achieve that objective. Even though the stone does not rightly belong to

him, Bilbo gives away the stone away out of the goodness of his heart.

Consequently, Bilbo has many justifications for presenting the Elvenking

with the Arkenstone.

Since Bilbo was so gracious for giving

up the Arkenstone, no other character would have been able to do that achievement.

One part that had an immense role is the Elvenking having trust in Bilbo.

If a dwarf would have wanted to give the elves something, most likely,

they would not have trusted the dwarf. This is because the dwarfs were

the ones who were not giving them their share of the riches. Bilbo has

and advantage for not being like the dwarfs. So, the elves had more faith

in Bilbo for being a hobbit. Probably, the dwarfs would have been greedy

and kept the Arkenstone for their own anyway. All they want is the riches,

and they do not care about anyone but themselves. In fact, when they were

in the tunnels with the goblins, the dwarfs did not even notice when Bilbo

became lost, and they were about to go on without him. Also, they always

relied on Bilbo to get them out of trouble. Just like they were almost

killed by the spiders and Bilbo came to their rescue, they made Bilbo go

into the secret tunnel because everyone else feared Smaug, the dragon.

Consequently, Bilbo almost becomes scorched from Smaug. Mr. Baggins who

is considerate, noble, and reliable is the only one that could reward them

with such a great fortune.

Although he is rebuked, Bilbo returns to

the mountain for many purposes. It is primarily because Bilbo has gone

through so much with the dwarfs and cares a great deal for them. He has

lead them to the mountain, nearly starved, killed giant spiders, and put

his life on the edge to save the dwarfs. When the times got tough they

always relied on one another. For instance, Bilbo outwitted the guards

by sneaking the dwarfs out of their prison cells and hiding them in barrels.

The main reason why Bilbo returned to the mountain was that he does not

want to ruin their strong relationship just due to a stone. Friendship

is much more valuable than any jewel. Bilbo figures that returning would

not do as much damage as turning his back on them permanently. If he would

have remained with the elves, he would have lost some of his best friends,

and he would probably later regret it.

Therefore, Bilbo?s noblest action is when

he gives up the Heart of the Mountain, the Arkenstone. He was willing to

give up a grand fortune for the safety of others and to discontinue all

conflicts. No character other than Bilbo in The Hobbit shares as much nobility

and worthiness to give up the priceless Arkenstone. After knowing that

he will not be accepted with the dwarfs, he returns anyway because he does

not want to risk the powerful bond of friendship between them. They have

gone through too much to let their relationship go to waste, now. Those

are just a few reasons on why offering the Arkenstone was such an honorable

action.