While the group was roaming the mountain’s caves, Bilbo was on the shoulders of Dori and they both fell. Bilbo fell and hit his head on a rock and was knocked unconscious. When he came to, he found a ring on the ground and put it in his pocket. The narrator stated that when Bilbo found the ring it was a significant moment during the adventure, he just did not know it yet (Tolkien, The Hobbit 68). The ring is important to Bilbo’s development. The ring is Jungian symbol. The circle is a Jungian archetype that represents “self” (Matthews). The ring’s symbolism shows that Bilbo will find himself and grow on this journey. As Bilbo moved on throughout the cave he came to a pool of water. There he met Gollum. Gollum challenged Bilbo to a riddle match. During this match Gollum had Bilbo matched and it looked as if Gollum would win. It was not until Bilbo answered Gollum’s last riddle with luck. Then it was Bilbo’s turn and he asked what was in his pocket, and what was in his pocket was the ring (Tolkien, The Hobbit 78). Gollum could not answer this riddle because in reality, it was not a riddle, it was a question. This moment is significant because it showed how Bilbo outsmarted Gollum to beat what could have been the end of his journey. More importantly he did it …show more content…
When Bilbo goes to try and get the treasure back from Smaug he goes alone. Bilbo had his face with a grim look but was trembling with fear. The narrator states that Bilbo is a different hobbit than he was before (Tolkien, The Hobbit 214). Bilbo slowly walks down to find Smaug laying down sleeping. Bilbo quickly goes in and swipe a cup from where Smaug was laying and ran back to the dwarfs before he can wake up. Bilbo’s confidence shot up after he stole the cup because he finally felt a sense of completion because he went through with the plan. This was just the beginning of Bilbo’s huge transition because Smaug awakened. When used against Smaug the ring was kind of useless because Smaug’s nose is so good it can still smell the user when they are wearing the ring. Bilbo’s intent to go see Smaug was to find a weakness. The only real way for the dwarfs to get all of their treasure is to kill Smaug. Bilbo travels and finds Smaug’s weak spot and goes to the dwarfs and expose it (Tolkien, The Hobbit 227). Up to this point Bilbo has matured from that timid hobbit he was before. Bilbo found Smaug’s weakness because he flattered him into exposing it. Smaug was destroyed by Bard thanks to Bilbo’s help (Tolkien