How Well Does the Hobbit Satisfy the Fantasy Genre?

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How well does The Hobbit satisfy the Fantasy genre? The Hobbit, by JJR Tolkien, can be determined as a fantasy novel. In fantasy novels the author commonly uses the main character as the hero/heroine (sometimes unexpected) and is usually required to complete a quest or adventure. In The Hobbit the protagonist and hero, Bilbo Baggins is asked to embark on a formidable journey alongside Gandalf the Wizard and 13 dwarves. They are on a great quest to reclaim Thorin’s treasure from the immense and intimidating dragon, Smaug. Bilbo, being a Hobbit, is reluctant to be the ‘burglar’ for their quest, but unwillingly agreed to go. Fantasy novels often have things that are magic or mystical; different from our world. In The Hobbit there are characters that have magical powers: elves and wizards, for example. There are also objects of magic, like the invisibility ring. Most fantasy novels have some sort of protagonist, and possibly an antagonist (enemy). As well as that, fantasy stories often include some sort of battle. Fantasy novels can sometimes take place in other worlds, however, it can take place in our world in the past, future, or even the present. The setting of any fantasy novel is very important. Tolkien creates the setting of The Hobbit in Middle Earth. The setting he creates, in my opinion, is quite calm and quiet at the beginning: ‘less noise and more green’. This description of the setting adds to the fantasy genre because it is very different to our world today, therefore, not very realistic. The setting changes significantly in the Lone-Lands just in the short space of a chapter: ‘Not far ahead were dreary hills, rising higher and higher, dark with trees. On some of them were old castles with an evil look, as if they had been built by wicked people’. This setting considerably enhances the fantasy genre because there are always wicked creatures in fantasy
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