Toward the Pity: Mercy and Its Future Effects in The Hobbit

In his work The Hobbit, author and philologist J. R. R. Tolkien elevates the concept of pity through the actions of his character Bilbo Baggins. Because of Bilbo’s act of pity towards the malevolent creature Gollum, Bilbo becomes better able to resist corruption, deny himself for the sake of others, and forgive. These noble qualities transform Bilbo from an ordinary and seemingly insignificant hobbit into an extraordinary epic hero. 

When Bilbo spares the life of the menacing creature Gollum, he increases his resistance to the evil influence of the Ring. When Bilbo puts the Ring on his finger, he becomes invisible and is therefore capable of killing Gollum—who has threatened to kill and eat him—while Gollum remains unaware of Bilbo’s presence (Tolkien 96). However, Bilbo looks at Gollum, and, observing how miserable and warped he appears, pities him and spares his life (96). Because Bilbo restrains himself from killing Gollum, the Ring cannot corrupt him in the same way it did Gollum, who abandoned his community to hide in a cave, using the Ring’s power of invisibility to catch fish and goblins to eat (90). In contrast, Bilbo’s single act of pity allows him to leave the Gollum’s cave with thoughts of finding his friends and returning to his community (100). He continues his journey undefiled by the corruption of the Ring that he carries in his pocket.

Not only does Bilbo’s act of pity preserve him from the Ring’s corruption, but it also empowers him to deny his own wishes for the sake of others. After Bilbo escapes from the dangers of the caves and of Gollum himself, Bilbo immediately thinks of his dwarven companions and wonders if they remain trapped inside the caves (100). He decides to turn back and search for them, even though he dreads the thought of going back into the “horrible, horrible tunnels” (100-101). To have pity requires one to look beyond oneself, to see beyond one’s immediate, self-oriented fears and desires. Through the sense of restraint that Bilbo exercises  in his treatment of Gollum, Bilbo cultivates a stronger resistance to temptations as well as a deeper sense of selflessness that continues to influence his future actions. Bilbo’s strengthened resistance becomes evident in his encounter with the Arkenstone, a jewel that has the ability to enthrall the hearts of elves, men, and dwarves, and, in particular, that of the dwarf king Thorin (251). The beauty of the Arkenstone enchants Thorin to the degree that he calls it a treasure “beyond price” and vows revenge on any who might attempt to keep it from him (289). The Arkenstone captivates the Elvenking and Bard the bowman as well, yet Bilbo, although he experiences a similar longing when looking at the jewel, eventually gives it up  in an attempt to make peace (294). One of the after-effects of a merciful action is a heightened sense of what is more important. If one is willing to risk one’s own life by sparing the life of such a treacherous creature as Gollum, one may become better able to give up even a treasure as desirable as the Arkenstone in order to save others from war and death. 

The same generous spirit that allows Bilbo to give up the Arkenstone creates a greater capacity in his heart to forgive others who have abused him. When an invisible Bilbo emerges from Gollum’s cave thinking of how he might rescue his dwarvish friends, he overhears them discussing his absence and wondering why he had gotten himself lost (101). One dwarf even flatly refuses to go back to the caves to look for him, dismissing the hobbit with a “Drat him, I say” (102). However, even though Bilbo had witnessed the dwarves’ unwillingness to look for him, he comes to their aid immediately when giant spiders attempt to eat them (172), as well as when the elves of Mirkwood capture them (185). Additionally, after Thorin discovers that Bilbo has given the Arkenstone to Bard and the Elvenking, he physically and verbally assaults  Bilbo, shaking him and calling him a “descendant of rats” (297). Thorin even threatens to throw Bilbo off of a mountain to his death (297). Nonetheless, as Thorin lies dying, Bilbo visits him, accepts his apology for his abusive treatment, and mourns his death (312). The degree of growth that Bilbo experiences as a result of his act of mercy towards Gollum allows him to extend that mercy to others and to reconcile with Thorin before he dies. 

Bilbo achieves the ability to pity and forgive his friend Thorin, who threatens to kill, because he first accomplishes the even more difficult task of pitying and forgiving his enemy Gollum, who also tried to kill him but was never his friend. Through the example of Bilbo, Tolkien shows how a single act of pity can transform one’s entire destiny, since the quality of mercy that Bilbo shows Gollum allows him to rise above the common and become a most uncommon hero. It seems unlikely that any reasonable person would censure Bilbo, had he decided to take the life of the treacherous Gollum. However, if Bilbo had done so, his capacity for growth and heroism may have ended in Gollum’s cave and his life been similarly given over to darkness, the Ring, and raw fish. Instead, Bilbo risks his life for Gollum’s sake in one act of pity, which prompts him to further heroic acts of self-sacrifice as he puts himself at risk to save his friends and prevent a war. Additionally, when Bilbo forgives Thorin, he becomes a paradoxically inspiring figure—a little hobbit pardoning a great king. When one expands one’s heart and extends mercy even to the most undeserving, one expands one’s range of influence on enemies, friends, superiors, and the world. 

From Tolkien’s point of view, pity has numerous positive effects that bless both the pitier and those she pities. Conversely, German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche argues in his work The Anti-Christ that when one takes pity on another, one commits two evils, since to have pity is to subvert one’s own ability and instinct to survive as well as to perpetuate the existence of those who should perish (Nietzsche 130). However, The Hobbit argues the exact opposite. Bilbo’s will to live expresses itself precisely through his act of pity towards Gollum. When Bilbo looks at Gollum and sees the dark, despairing nature of the creature’s existence, Bilbo’s heart longs for life as he knows it, with all its blessings of sunlight, greenery, good food, and friendship. Bilbo’s love for life encourages him to respect the lives and humanity of others, even Gollum, because Bilbo recognizes that only the One Who can give life has the authority to take it back, and it is not for Bilbo or for any one mortal to say who does or does not deserve life.

Namárië!!

Nikki

Works Cited

Nietzsche, Friedrich. Twilight of the Idols and The Anti-Christ. Translated by R. J. Hollingdale, Penguin, 2003. 

Tolkien, J. R. R. The Hobbit. Houghton Mifflin Company, 2001.