The Hobbit
Chapters 3-5 Study Questions
- Describe the elves and briefly discuss Bilbo’s relationship with them. What insights can you offer about both through their relationship? He gets along well with them and enjoys their company although he is a little scared of them. They are noble and fair beings.
- Describe Elrond and discuss in what ways he advances the plot of the story. He tells about the goblins and Moria. He tells them about the moon runes and what they say.
- Having found refuge in the cave from the stone-giants, Bilbo has a dream that partly comes true. Describe the dream and the aspects that are realized. Then explore the symbolic significance of the dream. That a crack appears in the floor and a ramp comes up from it basically. When he wakes up he realizes the part about a crack is true. The significance of the dream could be that he was in trouble.
- Who/what are the goblins? What do they add to this story? Describe them thoroughly and assess what their song reveals about them. They live in caves and tunnels underground. They are big and ugly looking. They have stony voices. Some goblins also have large heads. From their song, they seem to be loud, abrasive creatures that are unmerciful and enjoy causing pain and discomfort. They show in the story that there are truly evil creatures and they further the plot along by allowing Bilbo to meet Gollum.
- Gandalf is a wizard of many talents. Describe some of the ways in which he has helped Bilbo and the dwarves, and then describe some of what he can’t or won’t do and explain why. He has many magical abilities like throwing his voice and some destructive magic. He is willing to use magic to harm creatures that mean the group harm, but he wont use it because he dosent want to and that he has his limits.
- One of the most memorable characters in all of literature is Gollum. Define what it is that makes Gollum so memorable. What is most important to him? What do his appearance and his “home” reveal about him? Why does he converse with his “precious” and why does he refer to himself as “we”? His way of talking and his intense focus on the ring make him memorable. Plus, the fact that he is entirely different from all other creatures helps make him stand out. The ring is most important to him. That he is dark minded, slimy and undesirable. They also place him as a trickster and someone you cant trust. I beleive he refers to the ring as precious and himself as we because he is insane and that is just how he talks now.
- What is revealed about Bilbo and Gollum respectively through the riddles each of them asks? What stops Bilbo from killing Gollum? What is the winning riddle that Bilbo asks Gollum? That Gollum prefers more dark and morbid things and Bilbo prefers light and wholesome things. Bilbo doesnt kill Gollum because at the last minute he feels pity for Gollum. He asks Gollum what he has in his pocket.
- Why is finding the ring seen as Bilbo’s “turning point in his career”? It allows him to sneak around unseen and after his brush with Gollum he becomes more confident and sure of himself.
What is Bilbo’s response to Gollum’s outrage and pain? What does that tell you? He has no compassion for him. He simply does not care. It tells me that Bilbo can be hard and uncaring and at times selfish.
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