The Hobbit is a Unique Story
Today, many readers think The Hobbit is one of the most unique novels in the twentieth century; on the other hand, some readers think this novel is not written based on Tolkien's own thoughts. There are many ancient texts associated with The Hobbit. People who have read about Norse, English, or Germanic mythology may find out that the story plots are related to The Hobbit. Nevertheless, Tolkien should not be considered a plagiarist. Although he employs various events and characters that are similar to those of ancient myths, his story is original.Tolkien's Smaug in The Hobbit has many precedents in ancient texts; however, Smaug acts differently compared to other dragons. Fafnir, an evil dragon in Volsunga Saga, is remarkably similar to Smaug. Both dragons have hard skin, hold treasures, and have the ability to spill flames, but unlike Smaug, Fafnir was originally a dwarf. They have different purposes for guarding their treasures; Smaug guards treasures for his own good, but Fafnir guards his father's house of "glittering gold and flashing gems"(14). Also, the English myth about St. George fighting the dragon, illustrates that the dragon's "Skin more hard than brass was found"(33) except the weak spot under the right wing "whic
Overall, the story structure of The Hobbit and the ancient myths superficially looks the same; nevertheless, the plot details and atmospheres of the stories are different. When he is compared to the heroes in the ancient texts, he is an unlikely hero, and that makes the story different from the ancient myths. This may or may not be a coincidence that both stories have the same number of people involved. The ancient heroes are physically strong, brave, and experienced fighters. h was the only place where there were no scales"(35), and that is similar to one of Smaug's traits. Orpheus (36), just like Bilbo and dwarves, took a long journey for his own purpose. Although both of them have similar abilities, Beorn is a rough man who lives in a small house and hates people bothering him, but Odin is a glorious god who likes to travel among mortals and meet people. Thus, Smaug is different from the dragons in the ancient texts. Bilbo is one of the greatest heroes in the novel. Next, Sigurd, a German hero, has a similar goal to Thorin: seeking revenge; however, Sigurd is aiming at killing King Lygni for his father (king Sigmund) whereas Thorin is looking for a chance to kill Smaug to regain "The kingdom under the mountain". Moreover, Beorn, a "skin changer", is mostly inspired by God Odin (Norse myth), who also has the ability to take the shape of a frightful animal. The dissimilarity is hobbits and dwarves are heading towards the Lonely Mountain for treasure, but Orpheus is heading towards Cavern Tainaron to bring his wife back to life. Furthermore, Bard, a strong man in The Hobbit who kills Smaug, is similar to Beowulf, who "had the strength of thirty men"(22). However, Smaug's weak spot is in the hollow of his left breast.
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Acceptance Essays
