A Long Expected Party

(THIS POST BASED ON THE CONTENT OF THE LORD OF THE RINGS, BY, JRR TOLKIEN)

Chapter 1 

A Long Expected Party

Synopsis:

As the title suggests the chapter begins with the party that has been planned for quite sometime.Bilbo, (hero of The Hobbit, an earlier book written by Tolkien) is celebrating a milestone, his eleventy one,111th birthday. his cousin Frodo, whom he adopted twelve years ago  and brought to live with him at Bag End, shares his birthday. It seems that Bilbo adopted Frodo in order to make the younger Hobbit his heir, disappointing the Sackville Bagginses, who had always wanted to live in Bilbo’s home at Bag’s End. Frodo’s parents had died in a boating accident when he was small. 

This year the party promises to be even grander than ever before, becoming the talk of Hobbiton. Most people admire Bilbo, but some think that it is unnatural for a person to have inexhaustible wealth as well as a prolonged life. Still, Bilbo’s parties are legendary and everyone has been invited

There are presents for everyone; the fireworks have been specially designed for Bilbo by Gandalf the wizard. There is a splendid supper for everyone, and a special dinner for a small group of special friends and relatives.

After the dinner Bilbo announces that he has three reasons for the grand party. First he cares for everyone present. Second, he wants to celebrate the birthdays of himself and his heir. Third, he wants to bid the people of his town farewell. He steps down, puts on his ring of invisibility, and disappears from the crowd.

He also mention that why there four hundred and forty four guests. As it was his eleventy one years and his heir, Frodo’s thirty and three years so total of one hundred and forty four. Not to mention that Frodo just came of his age. In the Shire, it was considered that when you enter your twenties and till thirty two you are in your tweens. (Thirty three was age they considered to be off to adulthood).

Back at his home, Bilbo talks to Gandalf, the wizard. After much discussion, Gandalf persuades Bilbo to leave the magic ring for his protégé, Frodo. Bilbo had promised to do this, but when the time comes he is reluctant. He leaves, much relieved and happier than ever. Gandalf warns Frodo not to use the ring. The following day Frodo is busy as Bilbo had left farewell-presents for many hobbits, and there is now a crowd of people at Bag End, many of them digging around and searching for Bilbo’s imaginary treasures. Gandalf leaves, and does not return for a long time.

Tolkien’s world is a magical one populated by elves, goblins, trolls and other mystical beasts. Bilbo has already had many adventures chronicled in a previous book, The Hobbit. The author, depending on the reader’s familiarity with the Middle-earth chronicle that came before, treats Bilbo as a recognizable and likeable character with an established fan base.

This chapter serves mostly to introduce the second generation of adventures, led by Bilbo’s protégé Frodo. With this chapter presenting a kind of “changing-of-the-guard” scene between the two Hobbits, Frodo earns some respect and admiration simply by his association with a past successful hero.