[sindohte]

Discussion on the chapter - Roast Mutton will officially begin on Monday 9/13.

Aerin will begin the discussion of this chapter.

Anyone wandering by this thread should feel free to raise questions or make comments.

Please try to keep the comments on this thread strictly related to discussion of the Hobbit.

[Aerin]

The Hobbit, Chapter II: <u>Roast Mutton</u>

Roast Mutton begins with a relieved and disappointed Bilbo Baggins. Relieved to have his home back to himself, and disappointed in the mess he was left to clean up. (I can totally understand this, as I have hosted many a party and woke up to carnage the next morning)

So, he dives in and cleans his little Hole, and settles himself down to eat a bite of second breakfast when Gandalf blows back in and asks in shock why he has not yet gotten going. “You’ve not dusted your mantle piece?” (Gosh Gandalf, if you’d left me a note on the mantelpiece, you would have been waiting forever, I can’t remember the last time I dusted there!) With somewhat mixed feelings Bilbo scurries to the Green Dragon and joins the group, quite unprepared for a journey of any kind, and beyond his comfort level immediately. Thankfully Gandalf shows up on the way out of town, and has some of Bilbo’s items that were left behind.

Their journey begins and they are just getting to the more unseemly parts of the world when Gandalf is suddenly absent. “Just when a Wizard would be most useful” as Dori and Nori put it. This and the pissing down rain gets the party’s spirits down, and even further still when the sleepy pony lost most of their food to the river. Then, even the fire building experts can’t get a fire going to make the supper that they had available.

Then, they see firelight in the distance, and the action heats up. The burglar is volunteered by his title to go check it out along with Thorin and a small group of Dwarves. (I can just hear the words of the Galadhirim here “We could have shot the Dwarf in the dark”) The fire is owned by three hungry Cave Trolls who are weary of Roast Mutton for dinner, and long for the taste of tender meat.

This is where Bilbo grows some courage or bad judgment depending on your view, and dives into the pockets of the trolls to find some plunder and gets caught in the act.

The pinnacle of the chapter begins when the trolls discuss their recipe for their newly caught second supper. Luckily for the Dwarves and their fair Burglar, Gandalf reemerges and starts the Trolls arguing and distracts them long enough for the sun to rise and turn the trolls to stone. Saving the day.

They then find the lair of the trolls and it seems that Bilbo’s skills as a burglar are actually not so underdeveloped, as he produces a key that one of the trolls had dropped. (Foreshadowing perhaps) and replenish their stores enough to make Rivendell without starving. Though maybe not in the style that Bilbo, Nori, and Dori are accustomed.

My questions are simple:

1. Did Gandalf actually mention to someone that he was scouting ahead, and they forgot?
2. Why, do the trolls have English names?
3. Do wizards always arrive “Exactly when they mean to” by design, or by chance?


How was that Sind? too brief?

[sindohte]

Hey there Aerin,

It was perfection Sorry that I took so long to get around to the thread, but I was knocked offline due to stupid cable modem problems this past weekend so I am getting caught up now.

So to answer your questions - Gandalf didn't tell the dwarves and Bilbo that he was going ahead to scout for a bit. He just up and disappeared. When you think ahead to LOTR, that is the same thing that Gandalf does to Frodo and crew as they head towards the Prancing Pony in Bree. His "little" errand which involved talking to Saruman about the Ring. I am sure that is one little side trip that he seriously regrets.

The fact that the trolls had such nice solid English names intrigued me as well. I will have to do some research and see what I can learn.

And wizards arrive exactly on time in order to allow the remaining members of the group to rely on their own devices and not his powers. I saw the whole troll episode as Gandalf trying to give Bilbo the opportunity to practice at being a burglar and also for the dwarves to learn that they could not go running willy nilly into trouble. Also the run in with the trolls provided them with food, treasure, and weapons. Very cool to see how famous weapons from the Silmarillion turned up in the Hobbit. Everything is truly connected I tell you.

[NancyBrooke]

Gandalf is quite the mixer in this chapter, isn't he? Very interesting.

What intrigued me, though, was Tolkien's description of the landscape: "The lone-lands, where there were no people left ... dreary hills ... on some of them were old castles with an evil look, as if they had been built by wicked people."

I wondered who built those castles. Rhudaurians, I suppose. Any thoughts?

How much of the eventually history of ME did the Professor 'know' as he was writing the Hobbit?

[sindohte]

[Aerin]

I also liked the description, the erie ness was tangible.

I really am enjoying reading the book this way, It makes me think harder than just "Reading for enjoyment"

Thanks Sind, glad your connection is all sorted out!

[sindohte]

[Ellbee]

[NancyBrooke]

[artanisoflorien]

Sorry I am so far behind on posting! I was out of town visiting in-laws the first week and ducking the hurricane the second week. Hopefully, I will be a bit more prompt from now on. Anyway, I kept up on my reading at least, so here are my thoughts on this chapter.

Isn't it funny how many of the most important decisions we make are made hastily and with little thought due to hectic circumstances? Bilbo probably would have vacillated over making his decision forever if he had found that note in plenty of time to mull it over. As it turned out, short time and an insistent (though very wise ) wizard conspired to almost remove the choice altogether. A split-second decision served to shape the course of history.

I love how Gandalf, while still being his wizardy self, shows such consideration and kindness to Bilbo by bringing him his pipe, tobacco, and pocket handkerchiefs. While pushing the hobbit to stretch his yet-undiscovered skills, he still thinks to provide him with those little comforts. I just love Gandalf in this book!

And I agree wholeheartedly with this. This sums it all up perfectly.