A
Estelyn already said, the title of this chapter is a parody on the first chapter of The Hobbit.
Other parallels I see as well. The whole 'feel' of this chapter is reminiscent of the style of The Hobbit. The emphasis is once more on hobbits, and Tolkien draws his fans of the previous book into thinking this will be another "There and Back Again" story.
I, for one, sure thought so. I first read the books when I was twelve, before rumor of movie reached my ears. I had found The Hobbit an excellent read, and took up the Lord of the Rings anticipating simply a longer story of that type.
The first chapter kept me in that mindset, at least until Bilbo begins to doubt leaving the Ring behind.
Quote:
"...It is my own. I found it. It came to me."
"Yes, yes," said Gandalf, " But there is no need to get angry,"
"If I am it is your fault," said Bilbo. "It is mine, I tell you. My own. My precious. Yes, my precious."
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I, like Gandalf, immediatly thought back to Gollum.
So it is here that the Ring starts to come forth as a major factor in the story, whereas it was a mere ring (with no capital) before.
After Bilbo departs, we get another dose of hobbit culture, and the shadow that covered the page dissapates for the moment, at least until Gandalf leaves, warning Frodo to keep the Ring secret and safe.
These are my thoughts for now, and I look forward to reading all of the other posts!