[sindohte]

Discussion on the chapter - Inside Information will officially begin on Tuesday 11/23.

NancyBrooke 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.

[NancyBrooke]

Inside Information

Finally we come to it, what in some ways the story has been leading to all along – the introduction of Smaug and our first sight of the treasure.

At the start of the chapter Bilbo is sent down the tunnel by Thorin and, after a moment’s petulant grumbling proceeds with Balin along for company. The passage, they find, is smooth and regular, made with dwarven skill: “straight as a ruler, smooth-floored and smooth-sided, going with a gentle never-varying slope direct – to some distant end in the darkness below.” But Balin dares come only part way, leaving Bilbo to put on his ring, and with hobbit care, proceed bravely alone.

As Bilbo goes on the tunnel becomes increasingly hot, and lit with a strange red glow. But most disturbingly, he hears a strange deep rumbling, gurgling sound – the snore of the sleeping dragon! Here, Tolkien writes, Bilbo faces his greatest trial – to continue down that tunnel now having at last some real idea of what lies at its end. But continue he does, and comes at the end to the bottommost cellar or dungeon hall of the Dwarves, and the lair of Smaug.

Smaug is described with great detail, the villain of the piece: “a vast, red-gold dragon,” with a “huge coiled tail” and “wings folded like an immeasurable bat,” and he is sleeping on an enormous mountain of gold, gems and precious things. In his red glow Bilbo is able to discern that the length of his belly is encrusted with treasure. Understandably staggered, by both the dragon and the hoard, Bilbo’s “heart becomes filled with and pierced with enchantment and with the desire of dwarves.” After just gazing for a time, he then steals forward, grabs a great two-handled cup and flees back up the tunnel.

The Dwarves are delighted, but in short order their delight turns to fear as Smaug awakes and immediately misses the cup. He flies out of the mountain with the sole purpose of hunting down the thief. Alarmed by the noise of Smaug’s coming the Dwarves hide themselves down the tunnel, pulling the door almost shut behind. But Bombur and Bofur have been forgotten down at the camp with the ponies and gear.

Swiftly the Dwarves reemerge and, under constant threat of discovery by the dragon, manage to get their comrades and much of their gear hauled up by ropes. Just in time they are able to hide again in the tunnel as Smaug rounds the cliffs burning everything in his path.

After spending the night and much of the following day hiding and debating their next move, before Bilbo volunteers to again go down the tunnel and see what’s up. But this time, when he emerges into the cellar, he is surprised to find Smaug very much awake and waiting for him!

By a combination of flattery and evasion Bilbo manages to stay alive, and discover something very important: Smaug has a vulnerability! A bare patch on his chest just over his heart, not armored in diamonds and gems. After one last unwise taunt, Bilbo makes a hasty exit, but not before Smaug singes the hair off the back of his head and heels as he flees back up the tunnel.

When he regains the bay and is safe, Bilbo, fearing an attack by Smaug, convinces the Dwarves to retreat inside the tunnel. Once they are situated they begin to relax and reminisce about the hoard Smaug has stolen from them. In particular, Thorin is eager to recover The Arkenstone of Thrain, the Heart of the Mountain: a great white gem; a globe of a thousand facets the Dwarves discovered at the root of the mountain. But Bilbo remains fearful of Smaug and encourages the Dwarves to pull the door almost closed and retreat farther down the tunnel, and just in time! as Smaug has silently left his lair and now comes flying at the tunnel entrance, completely destroying it through repeated rammings. Then he flies off toward Lake-town, having surmised from his conversation with Bilbo that the Company received much support from the men of Dale.

Now the Dwarves are trapped within the tunnel, with down toward Smaug being the only way out.

[ellisk]

I don't have time to go back and read this chapter right now but isn't this the one where Bilbo gives all the riddle-like descriptions of himself? I love those.

Bilbo really shows himself to be a brave, if slightly talkative, hero in this chapter--as NancyBrooke said in her summary, discovering Smaug's only weakness and the piece of info that will save the day.

This is a great chapter.