This forum has been archived. Please visit the new forum at https://community.narniaweb.com/

Chapter 11 On the Doorstep

There and Back Again—A Reader's Tale

Moderators: Pattertwigs Pal, coracle, Lady Arwen

Chapter 11 On the Doorstep

Postby Pattertwigs Pal » Dec 02, 2012 4:43 pm

1. Why do you think Bilbo had more spirit than the others when they reach the mountain?

2. What did you find interesting in this chapter?

3. Do you think the old thrush was purposefully trying to show Bilbo where to look, since he seems to listen in on the dwarves on a regular basis?
Image
Silver Chair Reading Group
NW sister to Movie Aristotle & daughter of the King
User avatar
Pattertwigs Pal
Moderator
Cookie Queen of NarniaWeb
 
Posts: 5262
Joined: May 16, 2009
Location: U.S.A.
Gender: Female

Re: Chapter 11 On the Doorstep

Postby Meltintalle » Dec 03, 2012 7:07 pm

1. That's a good question. Possibly because he never actually expected to get there at all?

2. Mmmmmm... the description of Dale?

3. I've never read it that way, though it's possible. I always thought the thrush was just keeping an eye on them
Image
User avatar
Meltintalle
Moderator
Ra-pun-z-mel
 
Posts: 7311
Joined: Oct 06, 2005
Location: Scanning your bookcases

Re: Chapter 11 On the Doorstep

Postby GlimGlum » Dec 14, 2012 12:45 pm

1. I would think that his recent success in rescuing the dwarves from the Wood-elves and getting them all alive to Lake-town boosted his confidence. Plus the fact that the traveling part of the journey is finally over would be another factor.

2. The grassy bay with the enchanted door and the old thrush I found very interesting.

3. It seems to me that the old thrush was there to observe and to assist whenever and in whatever way he was allowed to.
Loyal2Tirian :)
There is definitely no "a" in definite.
The Mind earns by doing; the Heart earns by trying.
User avatar
GlimGlum
Moderator
 
Posts: 4099
Joined: Feb 22, 2008
Location: Narnia
Gender: Male

Re: Chapter 11 On the Doorstep

Postby MeadowMaid » Dec 20, 2012 3:47 pm

1.
Now strange to say Mr. Baggins had more [spirit] than the others. He would often borrow Thorin's map, pondering over the ruins and the message of the moon-letters...


-Bilbo had not been present when Smaug attacked. He would not have the memories that some of the dwarves* would have had of that event.

-Bilbo spends time puzzling over the map, etc., while the dwarves appear to be at a standstill.

Both of these could contribute to Bilbo having better spirits than the dwarves, although the author does say it was "strange."

*Even the dwarves too young to remember/be present would have been more connected to the actual event than Bilbo.

2. The line

a narrow path, often lost, often rediscovered


stood out. Not sure if that answers the question, though. :)

Quotes taken from The Hobbit
Image

avy & sig made by Valia. Thanks sis! :)
User avatar
MeadowMaid
NarniaWeb Nut
 
Posts: 138
Joined: Mar 17, 2008
Gender: Female

Re: Chapter 11 On the Doorstep

Postby Pattertwigs Pal » Jan 02, 2013 1:01 pm

1. Why do you think Bilbo had more spirit than the others when they reach the mountain? I can think of several possible reasons. 1. The dwarves didn't have much spirit so if anything was going to get done he would have to do it. He didn't want to hang arouond there the rest of his life. 2. He was hired mostly for this part of the quest. Sitting and thinking on the doorstep was his job. 3. He loves maps and this is the part of the quest that requires the use of the map. It was a challenge to find where the map lead. 2. What did you find interesting in this chapter?That Bilbo had more spirits than the dwarves. He didn't have much spirit throughout the story and now that they are at the most dangerous part of their adventure he has more spirits than the others. Maybe their spirts had just sunk that low that his were higher. ;))3. Do you think the old thrush was purposefully trying to show Bilbo where to look, since he seems to listen in on the dwarves on a regular basis?I don't think so. I think he was probably just hungry. It seems unlikely that he would know where the door was. I don't think he is old enough to have been around when the dragon first came. It is possible that a story of the door was handed down.
Image
Silver Chair Reading Group
NW sister to Movie Aristotle & daughter of the King
User avatar
Pattertwigs Pal
Moderator
Cookie Queen of NarniaWeb
 
Posts: 5262
Joined: May 16, 2009
Location: U.S.A.
Gender: Female

Re: Chapter 11 On the Doorstep

Postby Movie Aristotle » Jan 12, 2013 8:59 pm

1. I puzzled over this as well. Perhaps it is because Bilbo likes riddles and there is a mystery about this door to be figured out?

3. I think it is possible that the thrush can understand the common speech. I think it more likely that the thrushes lived on the doorstep or migrated there at a certain time of the year. Birds seem to understand how to get back to the place where they were born. I would assume that the old dwarves knew that the thrushes would be there on Durin's day and knock on the rock at that place in the mountain, and so created the door there and put the clue into the map.
Movie Aristotle
User avatar
Movie Aristotle
NarniaWeb Junkie
 
Posts: 918
Joined: Jan 11, 2009
Location: U.S.A.
Gender: Male

Re: Chapter 11 On the Doorstep

Postby ValiantArcher » Jan 28, 2013 3:16 pm

1. For one thing, his part in the adventure is almost done - he simply has to be a burglar and then he can go home. ;)) For another, it's all new territory for him; unlike the Dwarves (at least some of them), he's not seeing familiar places laid waste.

2. Fili and Kili exploring with Bilbo, the trying of "fragments of broken spells" (Elvish? Dwarvish? Something else?), and that Bilbo could figure out what clue the thrush was giving. ;)) I mean, I'm still not sure how exactly he figured it out...

3. It seems entirely likely, or at least possible, based on the thrush's listening and the long history of useful birds. ;))
Some days you battle yourself and other monsters.
Some days you just make soup.
User avatar
ValiantArcher
Moderator
BC Head and G&B Mod
 
Posts: 13195
Joined: May 16, 2007
Location: The Front Line

Re: Chapter 11 On the Doorstep

Postby Ithilwen » Jun 30, 2013 11:20 pm

Pattertwigs Pal wrote:1. Why do you think Bilbo had more spirit than the others when they reach the mountain?

Because he has a lot more confidence in himself now that he's been able to save the day multiple times.

3. Do you think the old thrush was purposefully trying to show Bilbo where to look, since he seems to listen in on the dwarves on a regular basis?

I do believe it was purposeful. Doesn't one of the characters remark that this is a rare sort of thrush? I'm sure it's a lot more intelligent than the average birds we have in our world. ;)


~Riella =:)
User avatar
Ithilwen
NarniaWeb Zealot
 
Posts: 5885
Joined: Jul 18, 2010
Location: Taking over the world while twirling my evil girlstache.
Gender: Female

Re: Chapter 11 On the Doorstep

Postby Varnafinde » Jul 11, 2013 4:26 pm

Pattertwigs Pal wrote:3. Do you think the old thrush was purposefully trying to show Bilbo where to look, since he seems to listen in on the dwarves on a regular basis?


Yes, I think so. He seems to listen and to understand - and if he is of the birds that used to know the Dwarves of old, he's probably interested in helping them as well.

So here he tries to show Bilbo where to look - and I think he helps them later, too ...
Image
(avi artwork by Henning Janssen)
User avatar
Varnafinde
Moderator
Princess of the Noldor and Royal Overseer of the Talk About Narnia forum
 
Posts: 2377
Joined: Jul 13, 2005
Location: Western Wild
Gender: Female


Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 1 guest