The Hobbit Trail

This project is based on my essay "The Hobbit Trail," which is designed to explore the ideas within the first seven chapters of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit. We’ll use Tolkien’s illustrated map of Wilderland as a guide for a metaphorical journey, drawing parallels between the characters' journey and Bilbo’s personal growth. This project focuses on the first part of the trail—the first seven chapters of the story—and is broken down into six key areas: Hobbiton (Area 1), Crossing the first threshold (Area 2), Rivendell and meeting Elrond (Area 3), entering Misty Mountain (Area 4), encountering wolves and eagles (Area 5), and Beorn's House (Area 6). Each area will combine theoretical study along with "field training" exercises and reflections encouraging participants to apply these lessons to their own unique situations in life. While Tolkien’s world of Middle-earth is fictional, the experiences in the story are relatable to real-life situations, such as encountering and overcoming challenges and meeting mentors. The aim of this project is to introduce the concept of psychological transformation through an exploratory quest or journey, whereby the student returns to the “ordinary world” with a higher perspective, similar to how a college graduate's view of the world is different than their first day of school.