As if that were not enough, they seek shelter from a storm in a nearby cave only to be ambushed and taken captive by goblin hordes (Tolkien 59-64). After a short stay in the elven haven of Rivendell, the group quickly faces the physical demands of the Misty Mountains (Tolkien 55). After surviving the horrid ordeal, there would be little rest for the small adventurers. The grey-bearded leader comes to the rescue, outwitting the trolls into arguing until the sun came up at which point they turned to stone (Tolkien 39-41). The trolls discover the whereabouts of the motley crew and catch all but Gandalf, who had previously disappeared as wizards tend to do (Tolkien 39). Bilbo Baggins and group immediately run into trouble: three hungry trolls. The journeys of both heroes were soon to be riddled with trials and tribulations. The journey of this hero was to return home from the battle, he had no intention of starting new ones, but before he would see his wife again, he would encounter two deceitful sorceresses, fight cyclopses, steer through Scylla, the whirlpool, and successfully get past the entrancing sirens. Odysseus, after fighting in the Trojan War on behalf of the Greeks, chose not to make a sacrifice to Poseidon, god of the sea, and suffers the consequences (Homer 11). In The Odyssey, the main character Odysseus was not as much leaving on a journey as he was returning from one. After arriving, he then promptly introduces Baggins as the thief they have been lacking in their strange group and “invites” Baggins to come along for the ride (Tolkien 19). Of course this seemingly-impromptu meeting was arranged by Gandalf who told all the dwarves attending the escapade to meet at Bilbo’s house (Tolkien 10). He succeeds by preying on his hospitality – when twelve gruff dwarves appear at his door, what could he do but feed and entertain them for a time, after all he was a hobbit of good manners (Tolkien 7-10). In The Hobbit, a highly symbolic character, Gandalf the wizard, almost forces Bilbo Baggins on the journey to defeat the treacherous dragon, Smaug. None the less, both face tough trials and tribulations on their “little” journeys. Another main difference that makes its presence known is the type of hero exhibited in the stories: while Bilbo Baggins of The Hobbit is quite an unlikely hero, Odysseus is a warrior king well-seasoned in battle. Although The Hobbit is presented as the purely fictional project of a clever professor’s mind, The Odyssey is presented as a historical account, including the intervention of various deities. Although The Hobbit is written almost entirely chronologically, in The Odyssey, much of the story is relayed by Odysseus after the events took place: a noticeable rift in the commonality of the writing styles. There are, of course, several differences within the books as well. As nearly all pieces of literature do, these books also teach valuable lessons that can be applied to everyday life for the improvement of the reader’s character. Both authors also show journeys of heroes facing seemingly unbeatable trials and overcoming them triumphantly to return home safely. It is clear that every word in every line of both books was written as deliberately and as thoughtfully as possible for the benefit of the reader’s imagination. Both authors used exquisite syntax to accurately depict the images they were trying to convey this is proven by how many different readers picture virtually the exact same scene in their heads. Despite the authors’ differing backgrounds and time periods, their writing styles were not all that different. The first common factor is the style in which both epics were written. Despite the immense difference in the eras of their writing, The Hobbit and The Odyssey have more in common than one might think at first glance. Both epic stories include drama, conflict, one-dimensional and complex characters, as well as battles, and elements of comedy and tragedy. Although some may claim that Tolkien’s work cannot compare to that of the epic poet Homer, after careful examination, it is clear how similar they are. The artistic languages, beautiful maps and fantastic imagery makes his book, The Hobbit, a must read. Tolkien, has also created a work of art with mastery and skill. John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, also known as J.R.R. The massive battles, historical details, mythological lore and lofty language make it an easy and thrilling read despite the vocabulary. The classic Greek epic, The Odyssey, is as well-known as it is wonderful. The Odyssey and The Hobbit by Teresa Grub
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