J. R. R. Tolkien has been a renowned and respected figure in fantasy writing since his publication of The Hobbit in 1937, and then The Lord of the Rings in 1954 and 1955. Begun while writing on the back of a student’s empty exam paper, the famous first line has become synonymous with his work: “In a hole in the ground, there lived a hobbit.” While the main plot of The Hobbit is a quest with Bilbo, Gandalf, and the 13 dwarves of Thorin Oakenshield & Co. to reclaim the kingdom of Erebor and its treasure, stolen by the dragon Smaug, it is a smaller encounter along the way that defines one of the most significant aspects of the story—one that extends into the themes of The Lord of the Rings. When Bilbo meets Gollum, a returning character in both texts, he shows mercy toward the creature that his nephew, Frodo, would repeat. These acts of mercy reflect a larger message of sparing judgment to those who deserve condemnation. Bilbo’s Bravery While traveling through the Misty Mountains in The Hobbit, Bilbo becomes separated from the rest of his party and finds himself in a cavern far below the myriad of passageways. Lost and trying to find his way, he discovers what readers would come to know was the One Ring of Power. After pocketing it as a curious token, he encounters Gollum, the small, pitiful creature who lives in the cavern. Gollum is an emaciated, twisted version of who he once was: a creature very similar to a hobbit. They decide to The Power of Mercy in The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings Bryana Fern
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