Context for J.R.R. Tolkien

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Context for J.R.R. Tolkiens The Hobbit 

• The Heroic Journey

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The Big Idea

• Humans need heroes to show pathways to success
• Brainstorm a list of heroes (either real or
  fictional).
• In what ways have these heroes helped people
  find success?

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Joseph Campbell (1904 1987)

• Title of major study on heros journey The Hero
  with a Thousand Faces
• Speculate on the meaning of the title.
• Why must a title have multiple faces?

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The Hero with a Thousand faces

• Traces the story of the heros journey through
  virtually all the mythologies in the world,
  revealing one archetypal hero in them all the
  monomyth
• Think about the following Jesus, Moses,
  Siddhartha Gautama, Odysseus, Beowulf, Theseus,
  Luke Skywalker, What do these heroes have in
  common?

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Campbells conclusion

• Human beings all want and need the same things,
  and our heroic stories reflect this need.
• Do you agree or disagree with Campbells
  conclusion?

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Unit Focus

• Analyze Bilbo Baggins from The Hobbit, using
  Joseph Campbells model of the heros journey

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The Heros Journey Three stages

• Departure (Chapters 1 9)
• Initiation (Chapters 10 16)
• Return (Chapters 17 19)

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Departure 5 parts

1. The call to adventure (Chapters 1 - 2)
2. The refusal of the call (Chapters 1 - 2)
3. Supernatural Aid (Chapters 3 7)
4. The Crossing of the first threshold (Chapter 8)
5. The belly of the whale (Chapter 9)

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Initiation 4 Parts

1. The road of trials (Chapters 10 16)
2. The ultimate boon (Chapter 17)
3. Atonement with the father (Chapter 18)
4. Apotheosis (Chapter 19)

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Return (May include one or more)

1. The magic flight
2. Rescue from without
3. The crossing of the return threshold (Chapter 19)
4. Master of the two worlds
5. Freedom to live

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Departure The call to adventure 

• An unexpected world is revealed, drawing the hero
  in.
• The world may be revealed accidentally, through
  mistake, or even through something eye-catching.
• A messenger appears, calling the hero to
  adventure
• Adventurous destination of both treasure and
  danger is always a place of changing beings,
  unimaginable torments, superhuman deeds, and
  impossible delight -- its exciting
• The force to attend becomes so strong that the
  summons cannot be denied.
• The hero seems to outgrow the old life the time
  for moving on is at hand

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Departure The Refusal of the Call

• The hero tries to ignore the call and pursues
  other interests.
• By refusing the call, the hero makes the
  adventure seem negative.
• Life begins to feel meaningless.
• The hero digs deep to find secret reserves of
  courage, often in response to a predicament
  following the initial refusal.
• Ultimately, the hero goes forth willingly on the
  adventure.

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Application to The hobbit

• Read Chapters 1 2.
• Using either your blue Post-its or a blue
  highlighter, identify places in the chapters that
  are clear examples of The Call to Adventure.
• Using either your yellow Post-its or a yellow
  highlighter, identify places in the chapters that
  are clear examples of The Refusal of the Call.

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Departure Supernatural Aid

• The hero encounters a figure who provides the
  adventurer with protective amulets against evil
• fairy lore a little fellow of the wood, an old
  crone, some wizard, hermit, shepherd, or smith
  who appears to supply the amulets and advice the
  hero will require
• higher mythologies great figure, a teacher, a
  ferryman, a conductor of souls to the underworld
• Each supernatural event represents the protecting
  power of destiny reassurance that all will be
  OK in the end.

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Application to The hobbit

• Read Chapters 3 - 7.
• Using either your green Post-its or a green
  highlighter, identify places in the chapters that
  are clear examples of Supernatural Aid.

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Departure The crossing of the first threshold

• The hero crosses a threshold (figurative doorway)
  into the unknown, darkness, and danger.
• The hero becomes like an infant beyond parental
  watch, crossing the boundary beyond the
  protection of society.
• The regions of the unknown (woods, desert,
  jungle, deep sea, alien land, etc.) are filled
  with deceitful and dangerous presences not
  experienced in the normal world.
• The crossing of the threshold is the first step
  toward self-understanding, yet the action is
  tremendously risky often life or death.

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Application to The hobbit

• Read Chapter 8.
• Using either your pink Post-its or a pink
  highlighter, identify places in the chapters that
  are clear examples of The Crossing of the First
  Threshold.

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Departure The belly of the whale

• Some time after crossing the threshold, the hero,
  instead of conquering of giving in, is swallowed,
  unknown, and would appear to have died.
• The passing of the threshold is a possible life
  sacrifice, making the hero a new person.
• After shedding fear of sacrifice, the hero is
  free to pass back and forth across the horizons
  of the world, traveling in and out of space
  and/or time.

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Application to The hobbit

• Read Chapter 9.
• Using either your orange Post-its or an orange
  highlighter, identify places in the chapters that
  are clear examples of The Belly of the Whale.

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Stage 2 Initiation, The Road of trials

• The hero moves through a landscape in which
  places and life forms are strange and unknown.
• The hero must survive a series of increasingly
  difficult tasks.
• The hero is assisted by the advice, amulets (good
  luck tokens), and secret agents of the
  supernatural helper.
• A chance is provided for the hero to purify the
  self and think about salvation. The hero must be
  willing to put aside pride, virtue, beauty,
  and/or life.

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Application to The hobbit

• Read Chapter 10 - 16.
• Using either your blue Post-its or a blue
  highlighter, identify places in the chapters that
  are clear examples of The Road of Trials.

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Initiation The ultimate boon

• The final heroic task is usually accomplished
  with great ease, signifying the hero as a
  superior man a born king.
• The ultimate boon is the ultimate treasure won by
  the hero.
• The boon can only be received by the hero after
  all personal limitations are gone.

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Application to The hobbit

• Read Chapter 17.
• Using either your yellow Post-its or a yellow
  highlighter, identify places in the chapters that
  are clear examples of The Ultimate Boon.

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Initiation Atonement with the father

• The hero must reconcile with a father figure
  who has been an opposing figure.
• The father can be a figure whom the hero has
  loved or even hated.  
• This coming together after complete
  self-sacrifice is called atonement at onement.

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Application to The hobbit

• Read Chapter 17.
• Using either your yellow Post-its or a yellow
  highlighter, identify places in the chapters that
  are clear examples of Atonement with the Father.

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Initiation apotheosis

• The hero transcends to a place of bliss.
• In a more ordinary sense, it is a period of rest
  and fulfillment before the hero begins the return.

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Stage three The Return (may include one or
more)

• The Return The adventurer must return with the
  life-changing trophy (boon).
• Refusal of the Return The hero might not want
  to share the boon.
• The Magic Flight Sometimes the hero must escape
  with the boon, if it is something that the gods
  have been jealously guarding.
• Rescue from Without The hero is aided on the
  journey home by supernatural forces.
• The Crossing of the Return Threshold The hero
  brings the prize and stories of wisdom from the
  journey back home.
• Master of Two Worlds The hero is able to live
  in the material and spiritual worlds.
• Freedom to Live The hero does not fear death,
  but lives in the moment.

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Application to The hobbit

• Read Chapter 19.
• Using either your pink Post-its or a pink
  highlighter, identify places in the chapters that
  are clear examples of Apotheosis and/or The
  Return.

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Ideas for assessment

• Students can be regularly quizzed on elements of
  the Heroic Journey. Let them use their books,
  writing word-for-word examples of each stage.
  Students who have not done the note-taking work
  may not take the quiz.
• Students can construct a board game for The
  Hobbit, using each stage in the heroic journey as
  part of their games. Require quotes and
  explanation from the book as part of the game
  construction.
• Students can analyze Bilbos heroic journey in an
  expository essay, explaining how he fits, or does
  not quite fit, all elements of the journey.