The Hobbit: A Journey into Maturity

This fantasy favourite of children and adolescents has neither children, nor women as main characters. Nevertheless, William Green’s discussion reveals the sexual symbolism and gender relations in the story of Bilbo Baggins, the homebody hobbit who goes adventuring in spite of himself. By showing us that it is really the story of an adolescent’s journey into maturity, Green explains why the book became a cult classic in the 1960s. By examining Tolkien’s spatial imagery he demonstrates the depth of this literary work, identifying it as more than just a prequel to The Lord of the Rings . The Masterwork Studies are readable explorations of classis texts. The goal of each Masterwork Study is to encourage creative thinking, enabling students to arrive at sound analyses of their own. Each volume illuminates themes and concepts of a classic text using clear and conversational language.