The Hobbit (693 words)

The HobbitThe Hobbit
Bilbo’s noblest moment in The Hobbit, a
fantasy book by J. R. R. Tolkien, is when he gives up the Arkenstone, a
precious jewel. He is commended by some for his graciousness of giving
away such a treasure, for everyone was rushing to try to get it for themselves.

Yet, Bilbo gave the stone to the Elvenking and went against of his friends
to attempt to protect lives. This is especially noble since no one else
could have achieved this action and been trusted. It revealed supreme generosity
from Bilbo.

Bilbo feels that it is essential to settle
all the disputes which is why he concludes that giving up the Arkenstone
would be the best alternative. A war was beginning because the elves and
men wanted their fair share of the treasure since they killed Smaug, the
dragon who stole the fortune from the dwarfs hundreds of years ago. Maybe,
the elves and men could bargain with the Arkenstone which is the heart
of Thorin. Thorin treasures it above anything else in the world, and all
other riches do not even compare to the Arkenstone. Bilbo figures that
this may be the only performance that could save lives, and he wants to
achieve that objective. Even though the stone does not rightly belong to
him, Bilbo gives away the stone away out of the goodness of his heart.

Consequently, Bilbo has many justifications for presenting the Elvenking
with the Arkenstone.

Since Bilbo was so gracious for giving
up the Arkenstone, no other character would have been able to do that achievement.

One part that had an immense role is the Elvenking having trust in Bilbo.

If a dwarf would have wanted to give the elves something, most likely,
they would not have trusted the dwarf. This is because the dwarfs were
the ones who were not giving them their share of the riches. Bilbo has
and advantage for not being like the dwarfs. So, the elves had more faith
in Bilbo for being a hobbit. Probably, the dwarfs would have been greedy
and kept the Arkenstone for their own anyway. All they want is the riches,
and they do not care about anyone but themselves. In fact, when they were
in the tunnels with the goblins, the dwarfs did not even notice when Bilbo
became lost, and they were about to go on without him. Also, they always
relied on Bilbo to get them out of trouble. Just like they were almost
killed by the spiders and Bilbo came to their rescue, they made Bilbo go
into the secret tunnel because everyone else feared Smaug, the dragon.

Consequently, Bilbo almost becomes scorched from Smaug. Mr. Baggins who
is considerate, noble, and reliable is the only one that could reward them
with such a great fortune.

Although he is rebuked, Bilbo returns to
the mountain for many purposes. It is primarily because Bilbo has gone
through so much with the dwarfs and cares a great deal for them. He has
lead them to the mountain, nearly starved, killed giant spiders, and put
his life on the edge to save the dwarfs. When the times got tough they
always relied on one another. For instance, Bilbo outwitted the guards
by sneaking the dwarfs out of their prison cells and hiding them in barrels.

The main reason why Bilbo returned to the mountain was that he does not
want to ruin their strong relationship just due to a stone. Friendship
is much more valuable than any jewel. Bilbo figures that returning would
not do as much damage as turning his back on them permanently. If he would
have remained with the elves, he would have lost some of his best friends,
and he would probably later regret it.

Therefore, Bilbo’s noblest action is when
he gives up the Heart of the Mountain, the Arkenstone. He was willing to
give up a grand fortune for the safety of others and to discontinue all
conflicts. No character other than Bilbo in The Hobbit shares as much nobility
and worthiness to give up the priceless Arkenstone. After knowing that
he will not be accepted with the dwarfs, he returns anyway because he does
not want to risk the powerful bond of friendship between them. They have
gone through too much to let their relationship go to waste, now. Those
are just a few reasons on why offering the Arkenstone was such an honorable
action.