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sador
Half-elven
Nov 15 2012, 4:21pm
Views: 1749
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Since Bilbo seems to be sufficiently well-to-do to afford a pony (and cart too, if needed), he might be expected to be familiar with a wider circle of country than Sam. With later knowledge from LotR, we might assume that he visited far-flung relatives at times, and presumably he would "drive" (as Frodo calls it, to many modern readers' amusement) when he had a long trip to take.
Yes, you're right. I didn't think of that.
It's around these dates (in the modern calendar anyway) that the summer and winter solstices occur. I recall that we've talked about the idea of "quarter days" too, which roughtly correspond to the two solstices and two equinoxes, in Tolkien's choice of meaningful dates. But I'm not sure about this one - it sounds like it's just meant to tell us that Bilbo is back in the rigid, date-specific, legalistic and hidebound world of home!
Yes; and it is probably the same as the 'Midsummer's Day' they spent in Rivendell, when Elrond read the Moon-letters, isn't it?
What do you make of this connection? Is there a significance in the year which has passed between the events - or is this just for the sake of contrast, between the Elvish reckoning of days and ours? Or did Tolkien just love the solstice days, and this is purely coincidental?
On our previous discussion, when one might have expected far more answers, someone would have been bound to point out that according to the Shire-reckoning, established in appendix D, June 22 was not on Midsummer's Day. But within The Hobbit, I am confident it is - and in a way, the Shire Calendar missed out on both this fine point in The Hobbit, and the importance of September 22 (by the way, my mention of December 22 was just a mistake).
"Grubb" is meant to make us think of the verb "to grub", meaning to dig, I'm sure, not the insect type of grub...
So is the use of the word for 'food' just an Americanism?
He was late because he'd been up very late the night before, and then spent ages cleaning up after the party. I'm sure he was usually up well before 11. He seems to have been up and breakfasted and catching up on reading his correspondence bright and early on the day we first meet him.
Okay. No unemployed bachelor's habits, then.
As for Bofur's "slur", it sounds more like a typical bit of thoughtless banter to me - and in fact, since we know that Bilbo was awake in the night and aware of something strange and magical going on while presumably the dwarves slept through it, it sounds like an ignorant and unjustified comment on the whole!
Well yes, on that occasion you have a point - although we can't say none of the dwarves had heard the same.
I was wondering whether this slur was based on the experiences of the whole journey, rather than just this one incident.
It also echoes exactly the kind of conversation that would have been going on amongst the Shire-folk as they compared their bargains!
Excellent. Thank you!
And the link is this: http://www.tolkienenglishglossary.com/index.html. Just a nice link for people who like this kind of stuff, which I've stumbled upon two weeks ago.
Whew! I'm out of practice answering these long and challenging posts!
But you are doing brilliantly. Thank you!
And as the trend seems to be against them, perhaps you should savour the experience...
"As all things come to an end, even this story..."
Here we read of Bilbo, who is “quiet and drowsy”, that “every now and again he would open one eye” and listen to Gandalf’s tale. Is Tolkien deliberately echoing this passage in LOTR when he writes, “At that Bilbo opened an eye, almost as if he had heard … ‘You see, I am getting so sleepy’, he said.”?
- N.E. Brigand
The weekly discussion of The Hobbit is back. Join us in the Reading Room for The Return Journey!
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The Last Stage, part II - "And back again"
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sador
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Nov 13 2012, 4:02pm
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A few answers
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FarFromHome
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Nov 15 2012, 10:53am
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Replying to your answers
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sador
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Nov 15 2012, 4:21pm
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Replying to your reply and some more answers...
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FarFromHome
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Nov 18 2012, 5:35pm
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I was hoping to avoid referencing BotR this week!
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sador
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Nov 19 2012, 9:41am
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I wish I had more time!
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telain
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Nov 19 2012, 4:09pm
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So so I!
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sador
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Nov 21 2012, 10:04am
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Ah, solicitors.
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dernwyn
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Nov 25 2012, 2:56am
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Counting the silver
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CuriousG
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Nov 19 2012, 11:29pm
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Nobody rose to the bait...
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sador
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Nov 21 2012, 10:39am
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*raises eyebrows high*
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dernwyn
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Nov 25 2012, 3:14am
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Well, yes
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sador
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Nov 25 2012, 9:08am
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Heirs apparent
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dernwyn
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Nov 27 2012, 2:26am
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