J.R.R. Tolkien(John Ronald Reuel)

Timeline• 1892- Born in South Africa• 1895 – Family moves to England• 1896 – Father dies in South Africa• 1904 - Mother dies of diabetes – Him and his brother left in a Catholic orphanage – Later his aunt finds and raises them in the

country• 1916 – Marries his wife and fights in WWI• 1916 – Returns home to England with shell

shock

• 1917 - Begins to write his first book, The Silmarillion while recovering

• 1925 – Starts teaching at Oxford University– Viking Club = reading old norse sagas– Teaches literature

• 1937 – The Hobbit is published• 1954 – First Lord of the Rings book

published• 1959 – Retires from teaching at Oxford• 1971 – Wife dies at 82 years old• 1973 – Tolkien dies at 81

The Hobbit“There and Back Again”

• Written for his children• Published September 21, 1937• Children’s Book• Fantasy• Otherworld • Themes:

– Personal Growth (Individuation)– Overcoming temptation (greed and selfishness) – Animism– Heroism

• Translated into over 40 languages• Never out of print

Races and Creatures

• Dragons

• Dwarves • Eagles

• Elves • Goblins

• Hobbits • Men

• Shifter (mage) • Spider

• Trolls • Wargs

• Wizards

Main Characters

Characters• Bard – captain of the guard in Lake Town• Beorn – human that can turn into a bear• Bilbo Baggins – Hobbit hired as a thief by the

dwarves• Elrond – leader of the elves of Rivendell• Gandalf – wise old wizard• Gollum – creature that lives in the caves of Moria• Smaug – Dragon that lives in the Lonely Mountain• Thorin Oakenshield – leader of the Dwarves

heading to the Misty Mountains• Thror – Thorin’s grandfather who mined Moria

Riddles

• What has roots as nobody sees,Is taller than trees,Up, up it goes,And yet never grows?

• Thirty white horses on a red hill,First they champ,Then they stamp,Then they stand still.

• Voiceless it cries,Wingless flutters,toothless bites,Mouthless mutters.

• An eye in a blue faceSaw an eye in a green face."That eye is like to this eye"Said the first eye,"but in low placeNot in high place."

• It cannot be seen, cannot be felt,Cannot be heard, cannot be smelt.It lies behind stars and under hills,And empty holes it fills.It comes first and follows after,Ends life, kills laughter.

• A box without hinges, key, or lid,yet golden treasure inside is hid.

• Alive without breath,As cold as death;Never thirsty, ever drinking,All in mail never clinking.

• This thing all things devours:Birds, beasts, trees, flowers;Gnaws iron, bites steel;Grinds hard stones to meal;Slays king, ruins town,And beats high mountain down.

Other works by Tolkien• The Lord of the Rings Trilogy• The Father Christmas Letters • Sir Gawain and the Green Knight• Farmer Giles of Ham• The Adventures of Tom Bombidail• The Silmarillion• The Road Goes Ever On• Roverandom