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Reiki
Member
08-12-2000
| Monday, March 08, 2004 - 4:52 pm
Discussion thread for Chapter 7 of The Hobbit, Queer Lodgings
Bilbo Woke Up with the Early Sun in His Eyes by JRR Tolkien Timeline for this chapter: July 20 - They fly to the Carrock and reach Beorn's in midafternoon. July 22 - They ride out from Beorn's in early afternoon. July 25 - Gandalf departs with ponies at the west edge of Mirkwood. Pictures for this chapter
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Reiki
Member
08-12-2000
| Monday, March 08, 2004 - 4:55 pm
Another JRRT picture for this chapter:
Beorn's Hall by JRR Tolkien
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Reiki
Member
08-12-2000
| Tuesday, March 09, 2004 - 10:33 pm
The way that Gandalf sends Bilbo in the dwarves into meet Beorn mimics the way the dwarves arrived at Bilbo's in chapter one. Gandalf mentions "his cousin" Radagast. Radagast is one of 5 wizards in Middle Earth. Where Gandalf has an interest in men and elves and dwarves and hobbits, Radagast turns towards the flora and fauna of Middle Earth. Radagast makes a brief appearance in the LOTRs.
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Reiki
Member
08-12-2000
| Wednesday, March 10, 2004 - 5:38 pm
Mirkwood is a name of Greenwood the Great, the mighty forest that lay in the lands east of the River Anduin. The name 'Mirkwood' was used of this forest after the Necromancer took up his abode at Dol Guldur in its southern regions. Here is a map of Mirkwood from The Encyclopedia of Arda:
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Reiki
Member
08-12-2000
| Wednesday, March 10, 2004 - 5:47 pm
"DON'T LEAVE THE PATH". How many stories would be over quickly if the main characters had only heeded these words? Little Red Riding Hood strayed from the path. So did Hansel and Gretel. You just know if Bilbo and the dwarves stray from the path bad things will happen!
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Ocean_islands
Member
09-07-2000
| Thursday, March 11, 2004 - 8:28 am
Thanks for all this wonderful information, Reiki! But I'm wondering what you think of this chapter or how the book is moving along so far -- you never seem to say! Reading the hobbit again its striking me just how many things actually happen to the Dwarves and Bilbo on a regular basis in such a short period of time, I hadn't remembered that before. Also, Bilbo is really being made fun of a lot. Nobody makes such fun of Frodo. Bilbo seems kind of bumbling and making a lot of mistakes. I also noticed that there is no talk of the ring anymore. A lot of this chapter, or perhaps it is just the way that things are happening one after another, but it reminds me of the Grimm's Fairy Tales. Especially the encounter with Beorn. The shaper shifter is another element that does not appear again to my memory. Another comment on the 'stone giants' -- if you've read the Chronicles of Narnia you see real mountain giants appear. Lewis took many ideas from Tolkien and wove them into his stories, and in some cases seems to have ripped him off.
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Reiki
Member
08-12-2000
| Thursday, March 11, 2004 - 2:32 pm
This chapter seemed longer than the others. I'm not sure if it is longer or just seemed that way. Alot happens. I didn't like Beorn too much when I first read these books. He was a bit scary. The whole idea of a man who changed into a bear. I'm not sure why I found this so alarming. I noticed again when I read this chapter how many times Tolkien has characters see and hear things in their dreams. Reality getting jumbled together with dreams. I find them a little disturbing. It has happened to Bilbo pretty regularly at this point. It happens with the other hobbit in the Fellowship. I liked that once again we get to see Bilbo's hobbit abilities. He sees the deer. He sees Beorn shadowing them. The dwarves don't. I think this helps us see that Gandalf was right in telling the dwarves there is much more to Bilbo than they think. Oddly enough, I've never read all of CS Lewis's books. I think I read the first one, but its been enough years that I don't remember too much about it. Maybe I will need to take another stab at it one of these days. I don't think Tolkien minded CS Lewis borrowing ideas from him. Tolkien would be the first to admit that many of his story idea come from previous sources. Those must have been some interesting discussions they had. I have read and enjoyed Lewis Carroll's Alice stories repeatedly over the years. Like with Alice, the Hobbit I have found to be a story that matures as I did. There are nuances that a child cannot see.
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Ocean_islands
Member
09-07-2000
| Thursday, March 11, 2004 - 2:58 pm
That's interesting. I'm so glad to know more about what your response to the story is. I didn't really know hobbits had 'abilities', but it's true that he noticed that and the others didn't. Actually, I believe the two men had a falling out over the issue. I think we should read 'The Chronicles of Narnia" next, because it is so interesting, and if you haven't read them, well, there you have it! If you did read the chronicles you'd see some similarities that are not happenstance. Some believe that because of these issues, Tolkien never finished reading the Chronicles of Narnia. Do you like Beorn more now? I agree that he presents a troubling image, but that is exactly what I found reminiscent of the Grimm's Fairy Tales. All kinds of horrible things happen in the Grimms tales that makes one think they are not for children. But they actually work as metaphors for psychological states of fear and being that can really be powerful.
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Reiki
Member
08-12-2000
| Thursday, March 11, 2004 - 4:29 pm
I don't dislike him, but he doesn't make me feel warm and cuddly either. There is a violence to him. The goblin head and the warg skin "trophies". He is raw nature. I now see that there is more to him than his gruffness. He has a flower garden. This shows me there is a softer side.
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Secretsmile
Member
08-19-2002
| Monday, March 22, 2004 - 4:39 am
Now, I find Reiki's reaction to Beorn interesting. I first read the Hobbit as a child, and I still carry my impression of him from then. I had always thought that Beorn was a friend to the animals, so therefore was suspicious of people. I don't know why I thought that animal protectors distrusted people,LOL. But I have always held to the theory that animals can sense when someone has a good heart. Reading this as adult I tend to agree with you both. It's written that Beorn is a very old creature, perhaps older than most living being on Middle Earth. So perhaps instinctively Reiki is responding to the pure nature part of Beorn. Nature can be beautiful but must always be treated with respect, kinda like lightening.
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Wargod
Member
07-16-2001
| Thursday, April 01, 2004 - 2:25 am
It did seem much longer than the other chapters when I read it too Reiki. This is my first time reading the Hobbit, so maybe thats why I don't find Beorn threatning or frightening, but do see him as fiercely protective of the creatures he looks after. Reiki has a good point, there is a violence to him, but I'm not sure if that's just because circumstances forced him to be that way or its in his nature.
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