[Child of the 7th Age]

Laitoste,

There's a fine balance between growing up too fast and not growing up fast enough.

As a mom and former teacher, I can definitely appreciate what you're saying here. Life often feels like a balancing act, and it's not easy.

I do think it's fair to say that, historically, Man has never had a childhood that is as long and indulgent as that postulated by Tolkien for hobbits. In our society, most thirty-year olds are regarded as adults.

So why did Tolkien suggest a prolonged 'childhood/adolesence' that occupied about one-third of a hobbit's life?

1. Was this simply a leftover from The Hobbit, an element of a childlike character from a children's book--a character that could trace its lineage back to the Snergs (as Davem said)?

Perhaps this was merely a way to underline the fact that, at heart, the Hobbits are a 'simple' people. And this simplicity (both the good and bad side) is reflected in the fact that they are eternally childlike.

2. Was it a kind of wish fulfillment? Who wouldn't like to be young for an extended period of time? The hobbits are just the lucky ones who manage to achieve a childhood/adolescence that extends for over thirty years. I definitely get a sense of this when I read about the Tooks! They seem to have a life-long childhood that made them totally unpredictable at times, but a lot of fun to be with.

3. Or was Tolkien saying that there is something special about children, and that there are things in humans that can't be released unless we carry around some of that childhood/adolescence in us?

Incidentally, there are a lot of statements in the Letters that suggest Tolkien was more of a realist than a romantic when it came to children. But while not idealizing children, I do think he felt that they had two advantages: they had tremendous energy and they were good observers. And the Hobbits in LotR definitely need these characteristics, especially since it is through their eyes that we understand most of the storyline.

What about the strange Hobbits in the Took line who ran off to Sea every now and then or who, like Bilbo, loved to travel about? Are these instance of Hobbits who have hung on to their childlike nature and it impels them to do such things? Perhaps, without that streak of childishness, life in the Shire (or in our own world) could become a bit bland.

In Unfinished Tales, Gandalf kind of hints at this. He says that Bilbo used to be a lively sort when he was a tweener. He loved tales, espcially about Elves. Now, as he approached the middle-years (almost 50), he'd gotten too staid and predictable and concerned about what his neighbors said. Gandalf seemed to think it was part of his job to shake Bilbo out of that complacency.

The key to some of this may lay in The Hobbit rather than the LotR. On one level, The Hobbit is a tale of Bilbo's growth and development. In fact, people have written several books on that, describing The Hobbit as Bilbo's 'journey to maturation'.

On a certain level, that is true. Bilbo faces challenges and evolves from the timid fellow who doesn't want to leave his house to someone who gains courage. There is the physical courage of creeping down the tunnel to go to Smaug and the mental courage that impels him to try and make peace and right the wrongs of the Arkenstone. The latter eventually earns him the title of Elf-friend.

But, ironically, you could also argue that, as the tale progresses, Bilbo loses some of the traditional trappings of an adult, and goes back to the simpler interests of his youth. He is less concerned about losing his pocket handkerchief (as he was at the beginning) or worrying about whether the Dwarves are messing up his burrow or what his neighbors might say about his long absence. He learns to enjoy travelling on the road; he again remembers his love of Elves and tales. Plus, after his return to the Shire, whom does Bilbo befriend? Young hobbits like Frodo whom he eventually adopted as a tweener, and later Samwise whom he teaches how to read. He seems to have studiously avoided friends his own age! Then again, who would want to be friends with Lobelia?

So is Bilbo more or less of a child when he finishes his journey? I guess that depends on how you define "child" and "childhood"..... But I think you might be able to find enough evidence to write a different book entitled Bilbo Recaptures his Childhood with Gandalf's Help.

<font size=1 color=339966>[ 11:50 AM January 30, 2004: Message edited by: Child of the 7th Age ]