Uncovering the riddles in the dark: A hermeneutic analysis of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit

Abstract

This qualitative study aims at uncovering the riddles in Tolkien's The Hobbit and determining the essential role of fantasy literature in the light of Max Van Manen's Hermeneutic Analysis which considers the author's intent or purpose, context, as well as themes. In The Hobbit, Tolkien presents his secondary world, the Middle-earth, similar to Earth in terms of condition, geography, climate and politics. Inhabitants differ in strength, power, physical attributes, personalities, dwellings, and ambitions. Five riddles in Chapter V of the book play important roles, especially in shaping the hero's character. Among the answers to these riddles -"dark, mountain, time, wind, and ring," respectively, the last and most important answer, the "ring," saves the hero's life and those of his friends. Prevailing themes explored in The Hobbit reveal the essential role of fantasy literature in creating a door through which readers enter a magical realm showing realities in the natural world, thus leading to a realization of truth in different situations. Another role of fantasy literature seen in this book is the idea of escape, in which readers temporarily forget their miseries in life and see possibility behind impossibility.