Abstract
Tolkien’s Boethian heritage has been amply explored, particularly for The Lord of the Rings and The Silmarillion, but little scholarly attention has been paid to his development of Boethian ideals in The Hobbit, especially in regard to Bilbo’s heroic arc and the importance of luck on his journey. I argue that Tolkien develops Bilbo’s heroic identity and his famous “luck” as the actions of Fortune on behalf of Fate and divine Providence, interpreting the influential theology from Boethius’s The Consolation of Philosophy as a new kind of heroism that fulfills the teachings of Lady Philosophy.
Recommended Citation
Hoofnagle, Wendy Marie
(2025)
"Bilbo's Boethian Heroism,"
Journal of Tolkien Research: Vol. 22:
Iss.
1, Article 2.
Available at:
https://scholar.valpo.edu/journaloftolkienresearch/vol22/iss1/2
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