A MYSTICAL BOND

He crosses out of his comfort zone, the Shire, through Gandalf’s calling because the dwarves are in need of a thief.

Gandalf is the First Helper who desires more of Bilbo because...

On the journey, he meets many difficult trials such as when he faced the trolls in the ford.

As Bilbo’s character develops, he eventually comes face to face with his internal self: to face the dangers of the Mirkwood spiders. This is the complete transition of Bilbo from his meek, timid form to a confident, brave leader.

Seeing the story of Bilbo in The Hobbit and other epics in Mythology, my life is no different. I face my own trials; I find help; I receive rewards for what I have done; and the cycle just goes on and on as I discover more of what I can do in life.

I believe that in life, in spite of failures and trials, I can find a light at the end of the tunnel, and in this light, I discover new things about myself because all the things that we are come from nowhere else but from ourselves.

After reading through these adventures, it comes as no surprise that the purpose of all these stories is to build up character.

However, I do believe I am not called to be a hero or a person who has to prove anything. Rather, I feel that after reading these stories, I am called to be more of myself because it is only through this that I can be a better person.

More than ever, Greco-Roman Mythology has heavily influenced modern literature.

Fantasy writers, like writers in mythology, create new worlds where a reader immerses into a new world. Still, these fantastic worlds are grounded upon reality due to realistic, human characters. In mythology, it is the setting of the myths which ground the stories upon reality. The very aspect of heroism in modern fantasy, for a protagonist to discover his or her own purpose by venturing in a world of discovery is a strong influence of this form of literature. To put mythical creatures, large-scale wars, despair and glory, plus complex histories are all influences in this genre.

In the fantasy genre, one very notable novel that is heavily influenced by mythology is J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit. In this tale of the hobbit Bilbo Baggins, he stumbles upon danger, yet just like in all tales, after hardship, he basks in victory.

Just like other heroes in mythology, Bilbo has weaknesses to begin with, such as his size, his carelessness, but most especially his lack of confidence. As the adventure progresses, Bilbo becomes courageous overcoming his timidity until he finally makes a name for himself. He lives a simple and humble life and yet, these make him an outstanding hero with good strengths because heroism does not depend on appearances but what is in one's heart. He discovers his abilities, which he already has and just needed a chance to be shown.

In spite of all the trials he went through, such as the gold he could have kept for himself, the ring, and even saving the dwarves from danger, Bilbo’s values stand tall and vigilant amidst the chance to boast and to be arrogant.

THE MAKINGS OF A HERO

STEP 1

...he knows he can exceed his self and...

that there is more to him than meets the eye.

STEP 2

Accompanied by the dwarves, they help him in his first experience of action because without them, Bilbo could not have survived in the wilderness, especially when they faced the Goblins in the mountains or the Wargs in the forest.

STEP 3

STEP 4

Like all heroes, Bilbo returns home.

Though he wept after the memorable adventure, he returned to the Shire and received a boon of both abundant treasure and new friends.

As seen in his final conversation with Gandalf and Balin, in spite of being a simple hobbit, Bilbo receives the greatest reward of all:

discovering his inner hero.

I believe in that: the fruits of moving through this cycle are irreplaceable...

There must always come a time when I must step out of my own comfort zone, explore the unexplored like a journeyman. This is the first sacrifice everyone makes in life.

It is an unstoppable cycle which we all follow...

because we all have a desire to improve ourselves.




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