The Hobbit's Journey: Bilbo as the Reluctant Mystic

BY NICOLE LAU

"I'm going on an adventure!" Bilbo Baggins shouts as he runs out of Bag End, leaving his handkerchief behind, chasing after thirteen dwarves and a wizard who've turned his comfortable life upside down. In that moment—breathless, unprepared, terrified but committed—Bilbo becomes every spiritual seeker who's ever heard the call and, against all reason, answered it.

Peter Jackson's Hobbit trilogy (2012-2014) adapts Tolkien's first Middle-earth tale, but it's more than a prequel to The Lord of the Rings. It's the story of the reluctant mystic—the ordinary person who doesn't want enlightenment, doesn't seek adventure, just wants to stay home with their books and their tea. But the universe has other plans. And sometimes, the greatest spiritual journeys begin with someone who never wanted to go anywhere at all.

Let's leave the Shire. Let's see what Bilbo discovers when he finally says yes to the call.

The Reluctant Hero: Bilbo's Resistance

Bilbo Baggins is the anti-hero, the everyman who doesn't want to be special:

• Comfortable – Loves his armchair, his pantry, his predictable life
• Respectable – A Baggins, not a Took (the adventurous side of his family)
• Risk-averse – "Adventures? Nasty, disturbing, uncomfortable things. Make you late for dinner!"
• Content – Has everything he needs in the Shire
• Afraid – Of danger, of the unknown, of leaving home

The Spiritual Parallel:

Bilbo represents the soul before awakening:

• Asleep in comfort – Spiritually dormant, satisfied with the material
• Resistant to the call – The ego doesn't want to change, to grow, to suffer
• Afraid of transformation – Knowing that saying yes means losing who you are
• Clinging to the known – The Shire is safe; adventure is dangerous

This is the first stage of the hero's journey: Refusal of the Call. And Bilbo refuses hard. He says no to Gandalf, no to the dwarves, no to adventure.

Until he doesn't.

The Call: Gandalf as Divine Initiator

Gandalf appears at Bilbo's door and everything changes:

• "Good morning!" – Bilbo's polite greeting becomes a philosophical debate
• The mark on the door – Gandalf marks Bilbo's home, claiming him for the quest
• The unexpected party – Thirteen dwarves invade, disrupting Bilbo's order
• The contract – Bilbo is hired as a burglar (a role he's never played)

Gandalf's Role:

Gandalf is the initiator, the one who sees potential Bilbo doesn't see in himself:

• "I'm looking for someone to share in an adventure" – The call to awakening
• "You've been sitting quietly for far too long" – Comfort is spiritual death
• "There is more in you than you know" – The hidden divine spark
• Pushes Bilbo out of the nest – Sometimes the guru must be ruthless

Gandalf knows: Bilbo will never choose adventure on his own. He must be tricked, pushed, marked, and sent before he's ready.

This is how spiritual awakening often works: You don't choose it. It chooses you. And it doesn't wait until you're ready.

The Took Side: The Wild Within

Bilbo's mother was Belladonna Took, from the adventurous Took family. Gandalf says: "There is a lot more in you of the Took than the Baggins."

The Two Sides:

• Baggins = The respectable, safe, conventional self (the ego, the persona)
• Took = The wild, adventurous, unconventional self (the soul, the true nature)

Bilbo's journey is the integration of these two sides:

• At first, Baggins dominates – He wants comfort, safety, respectability
• The Took emerges – In moments of courage, cleverness, and daring
• By the end, they're integrated – Bilbo is both respectable and adventurous

This is Jungian individuation: Integrating the shadow (the Took), accepting all parts of yourself, becoming whole.

The Ring: The Dangerous Gift

In Gollum's cave, Bilbo finds the One Ring—the most dangerous object in Middle-earth:

• By accident – He doesn't seek it; it finds him
• Invisibility – The Ring makes him disappear (literally and metaphorically)
• Corrupting – Even Bilbo, pure-hearted, is affected over time
• Addictive – He calls it "my precious," like Gollum
• Must be given up – In LOTR, Bilbo struggles to let it go

The Spiritual Meaning:

The Ring represents:

• The ego's power – The ability to hide, to control, to dominate
• The spiritual gift that becomes a curse – Bilbo's cleverness (finding the Ring) becomes his burden
• The price of awakening – Spiritual power comes with responsibility and danger
• Attachment – Even good people cling to what they should release

Riddles in the Dark:

Bilbo's riddle game with Gollum is the film's most tense scene:

• Life or death stakes – If Bilbo loses, Gollum eats him
• Wit as weapon – Bilbo uses intelligence, not strength
• The final riddle – "What have I got in my pocket?" (not a fair riddle, but it saves him)
• Mercy – Bilbo could kill Gollum but chooses pity

This scene teaches: Cleverness can save you. But mercy defines you.

Smaug: The Dragon as Shadow

Smaug the dragon is the quest's ultimate obstacle:

• Hoards treasure – Sits on gold he doesn't use, can't spend
• Destroyed a kingdom – Took Erebor (the Lonely Mountain) from the dwarves
• Arrogant – "I am fire. I am death."
• Cunning – Manipulates Bilbo, tries to turn him against the dwarves
• Vulnerable – Missing scale on his chest (his weak spot)

The Archetypal Dragon:

Dragons in mythology represent:

• The guardian of treasure – The obstacle between you and the goal
• Greed and hoarding – Attachment to material wealth
• The shadow self – The dark, destructive aspect of the psyche
• The test – You must face the dragon to claim your inheritance

Bilbo and Smaug's Conversation:

When Bilbo confronts Smaug (invisible, thanks to the Ring), they engage in a battle of wits:

• Smaug tries to manipulate – "They will betray you. They will see you dead."
• Bilbo resists – But is shaken, doubts the dwarves
• Bilbo discovers the weak spot – The missing scale, the vulnerability
• Smaug is enraged – Attacks Lake-town in fury

This teaches: Facing the shadow (dragon) reveals both its power and its weakness. But confrontation has consequences.

Thorin: The Corrupted King

Thorin Oakenshield, leader of the dwarves, undergoes his own tragic arc:

• Noble at first – Wants to reclaim his homeland, restore his people
• Corrupted by gold – The treasure (especially the Arkenstone) obsesses him
• Dragon sickness – Greed, paranoia, madness (like Smaug)
• Betrays Bilbo – Nearly kills him for hiding the Arkenstone
• Redeemed through sacrifice – Dies saving Bilbo, apologizing

The Arkenstone:

The Arkenstone ("Heart of the Mountain") is Thorin's Ring:

• Symbol of kingship – Legitimizes the ruler of Erebor
• Obsession – Thorin values it above friendship, honor, life
• Bilbo steals it – Gives it to Bard and Thranduil to prevent war
• Thorin's rage – Feels utterly betrayed

The Teaching:

Thorin's arc shows: Even the noble can be corrupted by attachment. Even kings can fall to greed. And redemption comes through recognizing the error, not through never making it.

Thorin's final words to Bilbo: "If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world."

This is the film's thesis: The simple pleasures (the Shire, the hobbit way) are wiser than the grand ambitions (the treasure, the kingdom).

Bilbo's Mercy:

Despite Thorin's betrayal, Bilbo forgives him. This is the hobbit's greatest strength: He doesn't hold grudges. He loves even when hurt. He shows mercy even when wronged.

The Battle of Five Armies: War as Futility

The trilogy ends with a massive battle:

• Dwarves vs. Elves – Fighting over treasure
• Then orcs attack – Forcing former enemies to unite
• Thorin's last stand – He dies heroically but unnecessarily
• Bilbo is knocked unconscious – Misses most of the battle

The Anti-War Message:

Tolkien (a WWI veteran) hated war. The battle shows:

• War is chaos – No glory, just death and confusion
• Greed causes war – They're fighting over gold, not principles
• The small are crushed – Bilbo, the ordinary person, is helpless in the violence
• Victory is hollow – Thorin dies; the treasure is meaningless

Bilbo's unconsciousness during the battle is symbolic: The mystic doesn't participate in the world's violence. The spiritual seeker is knocked out of the ego's battles.

The Return: There and Back Again

Bilbo returns to the Shire, changed forever:

• His belongings are being auctioned – Presumed dead, his estate is sold
• He's no longer respectable – The neighbors think he's odd, unreliable
• He doesn't care – He's seen dragons and elves; he's beyond their judgment
• He writes his story – "There and Back Again: A Hobbit's Tale"
• He keeps the Ring – His one secret, his burden

The Transformed Self:

Bilbo has integrated:

• Baggins and Took – Respectable and adventurous
• Comfort and courage – Loves home but isn't trapped by it
• Innocence and experience – Knows darkness but chooses light

He's the reluctant mystic who went, saw, and returned—forever changed, forever between worlds.

The Constant Beneath the Quest

Here's the deeper truth: Bilbo's journey from the Shire to the Lonely Mountain and back, the Buddha's journey from palace to enlightenment and back to teach, and every mystic's journey from the ordinary world to the sacred and back are all describing the same pattern—you must leave home to find yourself, face the dragon to claim your treasure, and return transformed to share what you've learned.

This is Constant Unification: The hobbit's "there and back again," the hero's journey, and the mystic's path of departure-initiation-return are all expressions of the same invariant pattern—transformation requires leaving the known, facing the unknown, and integrating the experience by returning home changed.

Different stories, same structure. Different worlds, same truth.

Practicing Hobbit Wisdom

You can apply Bilbo's journey:

1. Answer the call – Even when you're not ready, even when you're afraid
2. Embrace your Took side – The wild, adventurous part of you is valid
3. Use cleverness, not force – Wit and mercy are stronger than violence
4. Face your dragon – The shadow must be confronted to be integrated
5. Value simple pleasures – Food, cheer, song over hoarded gold
6. Return home transformed – Bring the treasure (wisdom) back to share
7. Write your story – Document the journey; it matters

Conclusion: The Ordinary Mystic

The Hobbit is the story of the person who never wanted to be special, never sought enlightenment, never asked for adventure—but answered the call anyway. And in answering, discovered that the greatest magic isn't in wizards or dragons, but in the courage of an ordinary soul who chooses to step outside their door.

Bilbo Baggins proves: You don't need to be a warrior, a wizard, or a king to change the world. You just need to be willing to leave your armchair, face your fears, and trust that there's more in you than you know.

The Shire is still there. Bag End is still cozy. But Bilbo is no longer the hobbit who left. He's been there and back again. And he'll never be the same.

Neither will we.

"I'm going on an adventure!"

Yes. Yes, you are. And you'll come back transformed.