Daddy Days: My boys in 'The Hobbit'
I’ve been having the pleasure of reading "The Hobbit" to the boys. I can’t recommend this magical tale, for adults and for children, enough. I say I’ve been reading it to the boys, but it’s really the older three (10, 9, and 7) who are listening. The 6-and 3-year-old run into the room saying “Hobbit!” and lose interest in about 14 seconds. The 1-year-old has no interest in listening to fantasy literature as his life is fixed far too assuredly in the basics of reality.
As we’re working our way through Bilbo’s great adventure, I’ve realized J.R.R. Tolkein perhaps based some of his Middle-earth creatures on people he met. I don’t know enough about him personally to identify who they might be, but I can quickly identify which one of the boys would be which kind of being in the story.
The 3-year-old is definitely a hobbit. He, like most hobbits, is fond of his creature comforts and regular meals. You’ve heard of the breakfast of champions? Well, he breakfasts like a hobbit. Which is to say in multiple courses and at length. He’s a bit diminutive in stature but also unexpectedly up for adventure. Just like Bilbo, it doesn’t take much for him to pine for home once he’s away.
The 7- and 6-year-olds would be Mountain Dwarves. They can certainly argue with each other as well as even the grumpiest dwarf. Also, like dwarves, they’re a bit rowdy and messy in domestic affairs. They much prefer to be outside. Put them in a pile of dirt and they’re happy to dig for treasure. They’re also overly protective of treasure once they have it.
The 1-year-old would 100% be Smaug the dragon. I know this sounds harsh, but here’s my case in three points. 1) Dragons have fiery tempers; the 1-year-old? Same. 2) You don’t ever, ever, ever intentionally wake a dragon when it’s sleeping; 1-year-old? Same. 3) Dragons will greedily defend their plundered piles of gold to the extreme. Trade out piles of gold for two pacifiers for the 1-year-old? Same.
The 9-year-old is clearly in the line of the wood-elves. Compared to his brothers he’s quiet and level-headed and he has a keen interest in nature like all elves. He’s also able to move about quietly in a way his dwarf brothers cannot. He’s the first to offer assistance or provide guidance just like all well-bred wood-elves and is the particular friend of wayward hobbits.
The 10-year-old would be a wizard. Not of Gandalf’s age or experience of course, but he has possession of some sort of magic, at least as far as his hobbit of a little brother is concerned. He’s also tall and lanky (which I think is a wizarding requirement in Middle-earth) and able to assume command in a way only wizard-kind can. Also, if his hobbit brother is going on a quest, it’s going to be mandatory that his older wizard brother go with him.
Harris and his wife live in Pflugerville with their six sons. Please email comments or suggestions for future columns to thoughtsforcaleb@gmail.com.
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Daddy Days: My boys in 'The Hobbit'
